I needed time to digest this movie's awesomeness before I could write a review... and now that I have...

Rating: 10/10 (10 August 2011)

...I can safely say this is the movie of the year.
As a die-hard Potter fan, the midnight screening of this film will forever go down as the greatest experience I've had at the cinema. Just being in the cinema with people just like me, who lived through their childhoods with these amazing characters, who became our friends we wish existed... A truly phenomenal experience. I had never felt such a sense of togetherness in my life. So to join these diehards in staying up till the very beginning of Friday, July 16th to witness this finale... I must say that experience changed my life.
And I do not exaggerate when I call this film the best movie of 2011. Believe me, this film has it all. Action, comedy, suspense, drama, emotional connectivity, amazing performances.
Understandably this is the shortest of all the Potter flicks- the previous movie covered 75% of the book, and so this film covers 25%... Which is a good thing because it shows Yates put effort into making this movie a big, grand finale. The movie moves at a fast pace, and boy, is that a good thing. One would worry that it would come off as rushed, but believe me, Yates did a hell of a job here. Sure some things were left out and/or changed, but obviously for pacing purposes. I am aware of the changes, but honestly, as a fan of the book, I'm glad they were made.
The acting is what helps make this movie amazing. You could tell the actors were in a "alright, it's the last movie, let's live it up more than we can" mood. Everyone hams it up beautifully. The full power of the actors' performances is used. In my opinion, Matthew Lewis was the highlight of the movie! He always was the highlight of the other films, and this movie is no exception. He manages to ham it up as Neville Longbottom, and here he is in full badass mode.
Really, I am still speechless as to how awesome this movie was. I mean, I knew it was going to be one emotional experience, and thank god it turned out to be that. As the movie's ending credits began rolling, I got incredibly emotional. I did not want to say goodbye to the phenomenon that helped shape my childhood. And you could feel that emotion running through the cinema, when John Williams' score rang through the speakers.
In short, Deathly Hallows 2 is phenomenal, the best of the series, and the best film of 2011. Rarely have I connected with a movie as emotionally as I did with DH2, and that said, this was the right way for me to say goodbye to my childhood properly.
OVERALL: 10/10
Pros: DH2 is the perfect balance of crowd pleasing and fan service, allowing everyone to have a blast. It is a stellar finale that demands to be watched, you have no choice!
Cons: ........uuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....