Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II will undoubtedly be a great success at the box office. According to Box Office Mojo the series finale set a first weekend record of $168.55 million in sales, passing The Dark Knight to take the number one spot.
This story started with J. K. Rowling as she succeeded in publishing her first Harry Potter book in 1997. After 14 years, 7 main books and 8 feature films this entertainment juggernaut is finally spinning down. The Blu-ray discs and DVDs are probably in the works.
After following the story through the books and the movies it is clear the the story got darker and more foreboding as Harry’s audience aged and became young adults. The acting from the three leads is good, as they have matured in their craft as well. It will be difficult for some people that have seen them in these roles for a decade as they work as other characters. Daniel Radcliffe has instant name recognition and this should ensure his career at least for the short term.
The final movie is definitely dependent on the viewer being familiar with the storyline of the previous installments, which is a low bar to meet, considering the franchise’s long term popularity. As with most stories there are some surprises and at least one major unexpected twist. The story leaves you unsure what exactly to believe. The book likely gives more details as novels are so apt to do.
One major reason the the books and their movie counterparts have been such a draw over the years has been that the story tries to impart some positive message, and this final episode accomplishes this without slapping you in the face with it like a 1980s cartoon series.
Almost anyone can write a review. The reason for writing about Harry Potter is not merely to give an overview of the story, the acting or the financial success, but to comment on the current state of the entertainment industry. Epic stories like Harry Potter‘s come along just once in a while and these are almost certain to draw in the viewers. What happens after movies leave theaters is what is of concern here.
The entertainment companies have feared change over the decades, almost always resisting new technologies for distribution before embracing them. The Web part of the Internet is roughly 20 years old now. It is time for movie studios and television companies to embrace the Internet as the future of digital distribution, rather than treating it as a sideline to physical media.
This may not be in the interest of retail companies, but the necessity for a tape or disc no longer exists. For collectors, audio and videophiles, a less compressed, higher quality physical disc will be popular for the long term, but these people make up the minority of the public. It is likely that most people will be satisfied by the legal HD downloads and streams available online.
Services from Amazon, Apple, Hulu, Netfix and others provide legal alternatives to discs. These options are being embraced by more people every day. It is time for the mega entertainment conglomerates to get with the times. Most people, especially young people that they are marketing to, are ready for online digital distribution. It is time to stop fearing the Internet and to accept it as the future of their business success. It is okay to leave physical media behind, make it the sideline, and make the Internet the the entertainment medium it has the potential to be.
