A great ending after treading water in the last film...

Rating: 10/10 (13 August 2011)

(Viewed in a megaplex in 3D...the 3D was unremarkable...I'm not sure if I would have been more impressed with iMax 3D.)
After watching the first part to this finale, I felt that that movie was "treading water", which put me in mind of The Matrix sequels...I also felt that The Matrix Reloaded was treading water...but that didn't put me off seeing the finale. When I did see the finale (The Matrix Revolutions), I was really let down by it...all the sequels seemed unwarranted in retrospect. Happy to say the final Harry Potter movie delivers a great story.
Another analogy is also brought to mind..."Quantum of solace" (the direct sequel to "Casino Royale"). In the case of the rebooted Bond franchise, the sequel (QoS) was asking too much of viewers if they had not seen the first movie in a timeframe where they wouldn't have forgotten half of the story. At the time QoS looked a badly edited and incoherent mess. It is a much better picture though when the first movie is fresh in your mind.
Anyway, that's what's so great about this Harry Potter final instalment...even though I had not reacquainted myself with the Potter movies before seeing it, the movie was there to remind me of the story or provide strong hints at worst. It didn't feel like I was disorientated with the story...the movie was there to help me. It should be noted too that I have never read any of the books the movies are based on, and with the finale, it just nicely wraps up the movie version of the story, without making you feel like you need to be a complete Harry Potter geek to enjoy (a "geek" as in having read all the books numerous times and having seen all the preceding movies...numerous times).
Like I said, the first instalment of the finale felt like it was treading water. With final instalment, it is all action and forward momentum. It even strikes me as being the kind of movie that has repeat viewing value on its own (as in not requiring seeing the earlier films at all to enjoy...or perhaps just in case you are already familiar with the movies).
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 has made watching the series from the beginning "worth it". I can't remember what the other Potter movie I particularly enjoyed was called (the one with an element of time travel to it), but as much as I liked that (quite a bit), I'd say that the finale is in a league of its own, as far candidates for the best entry in the series goes (like the first Narnia movie). It's a great movie, full stop.
Hmm...I wonder how far the Potter/Narnia/religious parallels go...