Well folks, the end is finally here. 10 years after Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson took to the big screen as Harry, Ron and Hermione we, at last, get to see them conclude the epic fantasy adventure that was made famous by the pen of JK Rowling in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.
This review is going to contain a few spoilers. I’m going on the basis that most people who are reading this have read the novels and have a basic idea of what happens in the final book. If not, I’d suggest you stop reading right now.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 picks up exactly where the last film ends. There are no crazy opening credits, just some dramatic music, a brief recap of Voldemort finding the elder wand and then immediately return to the burial of everyone’s favorite elf, Dobbie. The entire film is about Harry and the gang trying to find and destroy the remaining horcruxes so that the final battle between the good and evil can take place.
I believe fans and non-fans alike will thoroughly enjoy this closing Potter movie. It is, by far, the best of the series and also the largest in scale. It is captivating, engrossing, and fast paced. The movie was 130 minutes long and my eyes never left the screen because there was not one boring point that would allow me to do that. The battle scenes were visual spectacles, with students, teachers, and stone soldiers battling giants, death eaters, dementors and more. Tack on the massive shield that surrounds Hogwarts and you have probably one of the most epic and dramatic scenes you’ll see all year.
Additionally, I must give praise to composer Alexandre Desplat who scored the film. The score to this film was much darker compared to previous films. It matched the tones of every scene rather well while also heightening some 
of the shocking and, occasionally, terrifying visual moments. The movie was intense but the music raised the level of suspense even more, causing me to have a death grip on my armrest.
Director David Yates, who also helmed the last three films, has done an outstanding job bringing the series to an end. Because of how anticlimactic the most important scenes were, he changed up the way Neville kills Nagini and the way the Lord dies as well. It’s much more grandiose, specifically the death of Voldemort, but it is something that die hard Potter fans will be annoyed with (and believe me, I was with plenty of them).
As for the acting, it was much better than I expected. All the kids did a good job and have plenty more room to grow but Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort), Alan Rickman (Snape) and Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall) were all fantastic and stole most of the scenes they were in, whether it was because of their acting abilities or the events surrounding their actions.
My chief complaint about the film is the ending when we fast forward 19 years and see everyone as adults. I don’t know who did the makeup in an attempt to make these kids look like they were in their late 30s, but it was laughable. Everyone in the theater was cracking up when they stepped out with their kids and looked practically the same. The only real change was that the guys had a bit more hair on their head and face. It like a big joke that you had to try hard to look past.
One other complaint is that I wanted to see more of Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis). We’ve seen him grow dramatically over the course of the films and this was supposed to be the one where his presence is truly felt because of his contributions to the fight. Granted we get a decent dose of him, I felt that there needed to be more and that his main contribution of slaying Nagini should have been done in front of a large crowd.
Lastly, expect to hear people cry. I’ve never been to a romantic film in theaters so never really experienced an entire theater sob, but because of the high anticipation and love of the characters you should probably brace yourself, especially if you are a diehard fan or with/are a girl. There were a lot of moments where you could hear people silently balling over all the drama surrounding Harry and co., especially as he was preparing to face Voldemort in the forbidden forest.
Overall, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is a dramatic improvement over all the other films in the series. It’s the conclusion to one of my generations biggest pop culture influences and it’s bound to have a lasting impact. Filled with tons of action, a lot of drama, and a touch of comedy, Part 2 managed to grab a hold of me five minutes into the film and from that moment on, it never let me go. The magical quest may have finally come to an end, but at least it does the books justice and leaves the fans almost completely satisfied.
Rating: An epic and satisfying ending for a decade long adventure (7.9/10)
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