Dark magical fantasy sets the scene for an epic finale

Rating: 8/10 (3 August 2011)

The penultimate film in the magical fantasy franchise is best viewed with the previous instalments fresh in the mind: there's no chance of a recap here as director David Yates throws us straight into the action.
Things are looking dire as the Ministry of Magic has fallen to Voldemort's Death Eaters. But the Dark Lord's secret to immortality is out, you'll remember – and Harry and gang set out to destroy the charms that hold his power.
Considering its youthful target audience, the film does well to eschew the all-too-common spelling-out of important plot points and instead credits the viewer with the intelligence to keep up. The story itself is dark enough – that's thanks to JK Rowling's book – and Yates pays ample tribute, painting with a bleak and twisted palette of greys, blues and blacks. Mostly blacks
The action is dizzying and frequently scary, but for all the admittedly impressive FX it's the characters that make the piece – and the villains are terrifying, while the heroes are allowed to be flawed. 4/5