Exceeds expectations!

Rating: 8/10 (17 November 2010)

How glad am I that the decision was made to split the last book into two movies! Combining such massive content in one movie would inevitably have ended up looking rushed and in turn would not have done any justice to the much awaited final installment of the series.
In my opinion, Harry Potter ceased to be a book/movie just for children a long time ago. This is much more apparent with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The story has evolved along with the characters and it has gotten darker and more thrilling every step of the way. The lead actors have come such a long way since their adventures during the first year at Hogwarts. This movie sees a grown up and mature Harry who is the only hope to save the wizarding and muggle world from Lord Voldemort and his followers. Together with his best friends Ron and Hermione, he sets out on a dangerous quest to destroy the elusive Horcruxes, magical objects that protect a part of Voldemort's soul. In the process, he comes across the legend of the Deathly Hallows and realizes their significance in destroying Voldemort. The next movie will see Harry torn between a desire to acquire the Deathly Hallows and continue on with his mission of destroying the Horcruxes.
Daniel Radcliffe as Harry has improved in leaps and bounds since he first appeared on screen. Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley gets an opportunity to show different sides of his personality and not just appear perpetually disgusted or perplexed. Emma Watson as Hermione Granger is always a delight. She has tremendous screen presence. I do wish though that there was a bit more chemistry between her character and that of Ron. The scenes that were truly touching in the movie were Hermione leaving her parents home, the brief moment where she dances with Harry in the tent and the death of the house-elf Dobby.
As a whole, I thought the movie stayed faithful to the book as much as possible without any major changes. The supporting cast was good, the pace was reasonable and the cinematography was excellent.