FILM REVIEW: Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows Part II

9 out of 10

Grim expressions at the end

Having never read any of the books, I've been able to enjoy these films probably more so than most fans, free from any preconceptions or sentiment towards the tomes. For the most part, they have been engaging good fun. The casts, storylines and special effects just some of the elements, that have convincingly brought these books to life.

My review on Part I (here) was pretty scathing. I was just bored. In this one, I was anything but. From the get-go, it's pacey, exciting, tense and intense. Ralph Fiennes deserves a lot of credit for this for creating one of the strongest villains since Vader, which really ups the ante in this final outing. Alan Rickman as Severus (easily my favourite character) also a little surprisingly strengthens the emotional spine of the film, an aspect that could've been lost in all the wizard flash-bang works.

Was it the best of all? For me its definitely close. If we're talking about moments, I thought there were better examples of those in previous films. Dumbledore vs Voldemort in The Order of the Phoenix and Severus with his last twist revealing line in The Half Blood Prince, to name a few. This film however seems much more balanced, and although some parts seemed a touch undernourished, the overall conclusion was satisfying and completes a series well worth the endeavour.