Early Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 Reviews Lavish It With Praise

The release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is still a week away, but as always happens with a movie this big, the studio system has started sneaking befriended members of the press into screenings, in this case with the first batch of reviews, at the premiere in London. Because of that most of the early Deathly Hallows reviews I’m about to share with you come from either the most connected London critics, or ultra-connected American critics flown over to London on an all expenses paid vacation.

The result are a dozen or so early Harry Potter reviews which may or may not be worth taking a look at, as long as you keep the circumstances in which the movie was seen by these reviewers in mind. The overall consensus among those lucky few who were first to see, is as you’d expect, overwhelmingly positive.

There’s not a single negative Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 review to be found anywhere on the internet. Should that trend continue as the generally less connected members of the press start to see this movie, that may not be a good thing for the film’s box office. If you look back on all the previous Potter films, the better the reviews the lower their box office totals. Of course, even Harry Potter at its lowest is still a bigger money maker than most movies at their peak. The reviews don’t matter except as a conversation starter, but here’s what’s out there so far:

“Fusing spectacle and emotion into a thrilling final chapter, director David Yates ensures that the series goes out with a bang. Finales don’t come much grander than this.” Richard Jordan, Total Film

“…if you’ve been a devoted follower of the Potter saga in print and at the movies, you’ll come away from this final chapter with a feeling of catharsis and, perhaps, a slightly damp handkerchief.” - Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

“This is monumental cinema, awash with gorgeous tones, and carrying an ultimate message that will resonate with every viewer, young or old: there is darkness in all of us, but we can overcome it.” - Philip Womack, The Telegraph

“An outstanding capper to the most lucrative film franchise of all time.” – Todd McCarthy, THR

“Sensational, satisfying, surreal ... an explosive final chapter puts the magic back into the Harry Potter franchise.” - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 surges ahead with tremendous urgency, superb spectacle and powerful, even overwhelming emotion, only to falter with a hasty sendoff that seems to buckle under the weight of audience expectations.” - Justin Chang, Variety

“…while the performances of its stars may not break new ground, Deathly Hallows Part 2 remains something to be cherished.” - Grant Rollings, The Sun

“Acting aside, the technical team must be praised for truly magical and memorable scenes of flawless and, perhaps, Oscar-worthy computer-generated imagery.” Elisa Roche, Express

Check back next week with Cinema Blend, when we’ll kick off what’s sure to be the biggest Harry Potter week ever with our reviews and a very special look at its 3D.