Wild about ‘Harry’

Death and destruction abound in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2,” the final segment in the gigantically successful film series based on J.K. Rowling’s novels about the boy wizard with the magic wand.

You will recall that Rowling’s final book was split into two movies, which is w

hy last fall’s “Part 1” of the “Deathly Hallows” felt like such a slow-moving place-holder for the finale. Knowing what was coming, fans took it in stride.

“Part 2” is a distinct improvement. Here’s the spectacle-filled showdown at Hogwarts, the castle-like school where Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) will finally have it out with evil nemesis Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).

As always, this installment plunges right into the story, with the assumption the audience has watched the previous episodes multiple times. David Yates returns to the director’s chair and Steve Kloves once again adapts the screenplay.

In their fidelity to the novels, the “HP” films have never truly taken on their own life, except for the indelible actors. They’re part of the larger phenomenon. They are also unquestionably “events” on the movie calendar.

Supporting characters flit by, as they always do in this crowded field: Maggie Smith enjoys a crowning line in her tenure as a Hogwarts instructor; Tom Felton, Evanna Lynch and Matthew Lewis have moments as Harry’s classmates; Alan Rickman dons his fright wig one final time as the mysterious Severus Snape.

The focus, as it should be, is on Harry and his pals Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint), who have weathered many a storm since their arrival at Hogwarts all those years ago. Let us note how the casting gods smiled on this enterprise: These three actors turned out to be ideally suited for their characters as they grew up. It’ll be interesting to see how they fare in the non-“Harry” universe.

“Deathly Hallows Part 2” has a dark, gauzy look that suits its mood of finality (some theaters have it in 3-D, very classily deployed).

I also liked the tempo of the picture, which is slow and somber; the early scenes of Harry’s conversations with Griphook (Warwick Davis) and Ollivander (John Hurt) are glacial in their pacing, which gives a sense of something great at stake.

The heaviness of the destruction of Hogwarts, with bodies of schoolkids lying around in the rubble, may startle anybody who thinks of the series as kiddie stuff. But Rowling’s yarn has always been a coming-of-age scenario disguised as a supernatural adventure.

Late in the film, there’s a scene where Harry talks with a wise wizard and the hero wonders whether this is all in his head. (The wizard’s answer: “What difference does it make?”) Harry means the current sequence, but he might be talking about the whole saga: This is the story of an orphan boy who navigates his adolescence by conjuring up magical powers and creatures and a story line in which he is the “chosen one,” thus giving shape and meaning to the usual issues of growing up. Maybe it was all in his head.

There’s an epilogue, which struck this viewer as unnecessary (I think it’s cooler not to know what the future holds), but which was always part of Rowling’s design. Plus, fans will love it. It’s a satisfactory close to a satisfactory series, a safe ending to a wildly inventive universe.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2”

The whole big saga concludes with this appropriately slow, somber tale of the boy wizard Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) finally facing down his evil nemesis (Ralph Fiennes) amidst the rubble of Hogwarts school. This installment has a handsome look and feel to it, and things are wrapped up in a satisfactory conclusion that will please the faithful (and if you’re not familiar with the “HP” world, you’ll be completely lost).

Rated: PG-13 for violence, subject matter.

Showing: Alderwood Mall, Cinebarre, Edmonds, Everett, Galaxy Monroe, Marysville, Olympic, Stanwood, Meridian, Metro, Thornton Place, Woodinville, Blue Fox, Cascade Mall, The Clyde, Oak Harbor.