A very satisfying conclusion to an epic series...

Rating: 8/10 (6 December 2011)

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS Part 2 moves forward where it left off with Dobby's death toward a stunning conclusion with the final violent confrontation between Harry and Lord Voldemort. The richly crafted characters bring a lot of warmth and humor between all of the tense situations, which makes the whole project such a delight to watch.
However satisfying the conclusion is, winding up the tale nineteen years later with a grown-up Potter and friends seeing their children off to Hogwart, I found some discomfort in the decision to play many key scenes in almost complete darkness. I repeat here what I said in my review of Part 1: "Many of the 'dark' scenes are too dark for eye comfort, but then the whole story has a dark atmosphere of brooding and impending evil about to erupt." Still, I think the contrast between light and dark was "off" once again in the DVD transfer and too many scenes are underlit and obscured by bad lighting techniques.
Having said that, the performances are all first-rate, with all of the British thespians doing fantastic jobs in both leading and pivotal roles. But the standout among all the players is Alan Rickman as "Snape." His character is revealed to be much more than the one-dimensional man he seemed to be in earlier chapters. He speaks every word with great authority. And, of course, the other standout is Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort, hissing his lines in a threatening manner accompanied everywhere by a slithering snake. Seeing him get his comeuppance is one of the major satisfactions in the whole story.
An almost unrecognizable Ciaran Hinds turns up as Aberforth Dumbledore, one of the many "surprises" among the supporting players. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint do their usual ensemble playing with finesse, embodying their characters more completely than ever.
Alexandre Desplat's background score is stirring whether it's being forceful or gentle and is a pleasure to listen to under the closing credits.
Summing up: A very satisfying conclusion to an epic series.