Megan Fukamaki
Contra Costa Times Teen Correspondent
Posted: 07/15/2011 04:25:58 PM PDT
After 10 years, seven best-selling novels and eight box-office smashes, the epic tale of Harry Potter has come to a close. And in my opinion, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" is, by far, the best film of series.
Part 2 picks up right where the previous installment left off. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) struggle with the seemingly impossible task of hunting down Horcruxes, pieces of the evil Lord Voldemort's (Ralph Fiennes) soul magically concealed within objects.
Will they destroy the rest of the seven Horcruxes before Voldemort destroys them? It all leads up to the final showdown between Harry and the Dark Lord, between good and evil.
The final installment was certainly the most action-packed of the eight movies. Visually, every bit of the film was sensational and tremendously well done.
The sight of a Hogwarts in ruins was simply breathtaking. Emotions were skillfully built up at just the right moments; many times, I felt my heart racing as our heroes narrowly escaped death. And I found myself tearing up when a beloved character died. Moreover, the film is nicely balanced with comic relief throughout, provided by charming Ronald (Grint), the heroic Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis), an unsinkable Professor McGonagall (Dame Maggie Smith), and the stupendous Helena Bonham Carter as raving Bellatrix Lestrange.
Overall, the plot rarely strayed from the book, and was well-paced to include almost every part of author J.K. Rowling's original story. For those who haven't read the books, some of the twists added to certain characters' stories, particularly the loathsome Professor Snape (brilliantly portrayed by Alan Rickman), may come as a shock.
But it was seeing how much our central characters and the young adults who portray them have transformed physically and personally from "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (the first installment) to this film that made me realize just how big an impact the saga has had on my life.
Like many of my generation, I grew up with these characters, as both a devoted reader and a loyal fan in the audience. Though these kids are witches and wizards in a fictional world far beyond our own, it's almost as if they are real people. Hermione (Watson) is my favorite character, because of the amazing self-confidence that allows her to do anything and everything she sets her mind to. Rarely will you see Hermione let others' opinions get the best of her.
Her honesty and loyalty make her trustworthy and dependable, the kind of person I'd love to be friends with. When the movie ended, I felt like I had said goodbye to each of them personally. But the biggest impact Harry Potter had on me was the lessons I took from the books and movies. As a devoted fan, I learned the importance of loyalty to friends from our main trio, and of courage.
I also saw what it means to choose between doing what's right and taking the easy way out. I learned about fighting for what we believe in and appreciating what we have. Harry Potter has inspired me to take chances. The series fueled my imagination and motivated me to write. It has also helped me to fully appreciate the meaning of love and the power it holds. Along the way, in learning the importance of these values and virtues, I made powerful emotional attachments to characters that I will never forget.
Even though the saga is now complete, I know I'll never forget the magical world of Harry Potter, and everything it's meant to me.
The Life in Perspective board is made up of teens who write columns and features for TimeOut. Megan Fukamaki attends Dublin High School. Reach her at lip@bayareanewsgroup.com.
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