Movie reviews
In essence, it all comes down to something of a High Noon gunfight (albeit with wands rather than six-shooters) between Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), a fact that may lead those who are underwhelmed by the Potter phenomenon to ask why the pair couldn’t have simply slugged it out toe-to-toe in the first installment.
That said, there are plenty of twists and turns in this movie, the most interesting of which relates to the backstory of Severus Snape (Alan Rickman), the treacherous wizard who betrayed the cause when he murdered Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) — or did he? David Yates’s film is visually impressive, particularly during the scenes in which Voldemort’s massed ranks lay siege to Hogwarts Castle, in the process evoking a Battle of Britain spirit among those trapped inside: it’s not quite a cast of thousands, but virtually every character who has ever appeared in a Harry Potter movie makes a fleeting appearance. That said, it is not a good film.
