Ponder the significance – there's nothing like this before, and probably never again

Rating: Null/10 (5 August 2011)

This is movie history, never before, and unlikely ever again – a story that took 10 years and 8 movies to tell on the big screen. This last episode is a grand reunion of everybody who has appeared before, alive or now dead (in the story, I mean), from heavy-weights (both meanings) like Gary Oldman (Sirus Black from way back), John Hurt (recent addition Ollivander), Robbie Coltrane (always-there Hagrid) to a cameo, no-dialogue appearance of Harry's one-time love interest Cho Chang portrayed by Katie Leung. It is also with poignant pleasure to witness the last scene (not counting the prologue "19 years later") where the trio Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson stand hand-in-hand in front of the ruins that were Hogwarts. No, I was not thinking of Harry, Ron, Hermione, but rather of Daniel, Rupert and Emma who shared what may consider the best part of their young lives growing up together in Rowling's magic realm. What emotion turmoil must have been going through their mind in shooting this last scene together! Having gone through everything with them in a last decade, one really does not expect to have any earth-shattering experience in this last episode. It's rather sitting back to savour the last 2 hours with all these people we have come to know so well (too many to mention) in a somewhat mellowed frame of mind. The movie does deliver, and deserves a verdict of absolutely nothing less than "completely satisfying". There are some new things, such as more frequent use of complete silence, or subtle strings hovering at the edge of audio awareness, to create appropriate moods. On the other hand Snipe's real character should be predictable. After all the double-double-double crosses, what final stunning twist revelation can be made other than the one adopted? Also, this has been done before, over 3 decades ago, in the most classic of all classics in Sci-fi fantasy epics. You surely know which one I mean – to name it would constitute a spoiler.
Nothing more can be added to what has been said everywhere about Maggie Smith, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, and so many others that deserve to be mentioned. The summer of 2011 will always be remembered in the satisfying conclusion of an epic cinematic journey started a decade ago, growing up, regardless of your age, with the three little kids who seem to have become part of our lives.