I remember feeling ridiculously jealous of friends allowed to stay up until midnight when Goblet of Fire hit the shelves, and the competition afterwards to who could finish it fastest. I can understand the gloom from the age of seven, not a year went by where I didn't find myself eagerly anticipating either the latest film or the newest book. Stephanie, 15, agrees: "We've grown up with these films." "It's kind of sad," remarks Charlotte, 14.
And, amid the praise and plaudits, there is also the inevitable melancholy that comes with witnessing what will be, for many, the end of an era. When, after two hours, the film comes to an end, there is deafening applause and a standing ovation. At those moments, I decide the PG-13 rating is probably a good idea. Some scenes, though, like Harry's confrontation with the ghost of Ravenclaw tower, or the foetus-like manifestation of Voldemort's dying soul, are frightening enough to keep hardened horror fans awake at night. Yates builds the tension to almost unbearable levels, which, for those of us who have been devoted Potter followers since primary school, only serves to heighten the impact of the comic relief of beloved characters like Professor McGonagall and the terminally grumpy caretaker Filch. I suspect there might be a few damp eyes hidden behind the 3D glasses. The development of Rupert Grint's Ron Weasley, which began in the last film, culminates in a truly impressive performance: a brief but painfully poignant scene where he breaks down upon witnessing a family tragedy leaves the cinema in eerie silence punctuated only by some sniffing. Once again the cast seem to have kicked things up a notch the acting is the best it has been since the release of the first film in 2001. He is proved right: no one appears lost when part two starts off at the exact point where part one ended. By now he knows his audience, and assumes they will need no reintroduction to the characters they have followed since 1997. Such pressure will be no surprise to David Yates, who has directed the last three Potter films. "They need to absolutely nail this one!" remarks another. "The battle for Hogwarts is going to be mental," remarks one viewer. In the scramble to find the best seat on Friday night, the excitement has reached fever pitch. Images of Hogwarts' smoking ruins with the ominous line "It all ends here" have adorned billboards and buses for months, and ever since the release of the solemn and introspective Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 in November, the question of whether part two would even begin to do justice to JK Rowling's careful balance of action and emotion has dominated fans' internet forums.
#LAST HARRY POTTER FILM SERIES#
No fan of the series could have failed to acknowledge the level of expectation invested in the final Potter film. And this, the final instalment of the franchise that has gripped the teenage consciousness for 14 years, was always going to be big. They are a diverse bunch, but that is what we have come to expect of a Harry Potter film opening. Flustered parents attempt to ignore their children's pleas for £7 tubs of popcorn. Enthusiasts painted with lightning-bolt scars rub shoulders with artfully grumpy teenagers sporting the latest season from Topshop and favouring carefully applied eyeliner over round, dark-rimmed glasses. A t the Empire cinema in Leicester Square, excited fans spill out of the lobby and into the street.
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