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A Wand Farewell

The final "Harry Potter" films defy criticism. Two or three installments ago, the filmmakers decided - wisely - to stop pandering to non-fans with pointless exposition and to focus instead on developing the story of the now infamous boy wizard. With the final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", the filmmakers made the equally wise decision to split the material into two films, like so many pieces of Voldemort's soul (See? Who would get that reference?). This might have been seen as shamelessly milking history's most profitable film franchise for a few more dollars but, really, it could also have been altruism. Like the final film in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" opus, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" is long and indulgent but it's made with such care and elegance that ultimately, deeply - after so many films - it's all totally worth it.

Picking up immediately after "Deathly Hallows: Part 1", "Part 2" finds Voldemort in possession of the Elder Wand after desecrating Dumbledore's grave. Harry, Hermione and Ron must now find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes before Voldemort finds Harry. Normally, I'd explain all that, but if the script - by series MVP Steve Kloves - isn't going to do it, why should I?

The opening hour of the film is as fragmented as Voldemort's psyche. There's a bank heist at Gringotts, featuring a splendid turn by Helena Bonham Carter, a ride on a dragon, the hunt for a basilisk fang, a tête-à-tête with a floating apparition, and a few stolen kisses. But it's all leading to the final, climactic showdown at Hogwarts. And it's here that the film really kicks into high gear.

Each character that we've come to know and love over the course of the series is given a moment to shine. Seriously, how did those casting directors do it? If there's a Lifetime Achievement Award for the art of casting, the folks from 2001's "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" should get it. In particular, series fav Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) really comes into his own here. Likewise, there are rousing moments that Maggie Smith has waited eight films for.

But it's the backstory of Severus Snape (the inimitable Alan Rickman) that will have you weeping behind your 3D glasses. Every bit as elegant and touching as the opening sequence in "Up", Snape's story brings to light the true genius of J.K. Rowling's books and the characters within them: she knew just how to turn a tale.

Of course, there's the inevitable wand-on-wand showdown between Harry and Voldemort. And here Ralph Fiennes earns his spot among the top movie villains, giving the Dark Lord an unexpected depth and even humor. And through it all our stalwart heroes, the trio that we've watched grow over these ten years, hold it all together. More than ever before, these former children seem at ease - the characters are quite literally lived-in. And when the story's epilogue comes around, it's a fitting cap to their long labors - and indeed to that of the filmmakers.

One note about the 3D. Fans may remember that "Part 1" was intended to be a 3D release but was pulled back to 2D when the filmmakers decided they lacked the time to make the 3D effect good enough. Like "Part 1", "Part 2" was filmed in 2D, but in this case the effects (and some 200 shots) were completed in 3D. Unfortunately, the technique adds nothing to the film and, in fact, detracts from it. Like "Clash of the Titans" or "Alice in Wonderland", the upconversion process renders many scenes ironically flatter, or gives them a "fisheye" quality. Director David Yates has mastered the subtleties characterization, but not requirements of camera movement and staging in this new medium. The film would be best experienced in 2D. The characters and the story are already three-dimensional enough. That's the true magic of Harry Potter.