Captured the surface, but not the depth.

Rating: 8/10 (29 January 2016)

I don't want this to be a giant review and I'll try and keep it as short as possible.
I consider the books as perfection. They are beautiful on so many levels and there are NO plot holes whatsoever. Everything is wrapped up perfectly and satisfyingly.
I loved most of this movie for its ability to capture the stakes of what everybody was fighting for, the human qualities of most of the characters, and the epic grandeur of this finale. The battle was magnificent and I sat in awe as the set you got to know and love got blown to bits before your eyes. My personal favorite part is when Harry goes to face Voldemort and he sees the visions of his family before he has to die. It was sweet and brought the significance of his sacrifice full circle.
Not to mention the visual effects and soundtrack were brilliant.
Unfortunately, that's the only piece of genius the story the books have that's translated to the screen. There are a bunch of small things that are left out that didn't bug me that much but the big things were really upsetting. The Deathly Hallows being totally forgotten, the rushed reveal of Snape's amazing character, Teddy Lupin/Percy, and questioning Dumbledore's "moral" memory.
The significance of the invisibility cloak is left out and the whole idea of being the "master of death" is forgotten. This is so egregious because it's the name of the damn movie!!! Check out the theory of Dumbledore being Death from the tale of the three brothers and you'll understand why this plot point is just so beautiful (Connecting the story being told to a mystical and legendary back story).
"The Prince's Tale" is a perfect chapter and it's done well, but you don't really get to see Young Snape develop his connection with Lily and though it's conveyed well towards the end of the scene, it misses the tragedy and real believability of the books.
Teddy Lupin isn't huge but it expands Harry's importance and the bond between him and Lupin, making the loss of Lupin and Tonks so much more significant. Then Percy coming back at the last moment and rejoining his family right before Fred is killed makes Fred's death that much more necessary. Fred died because the fact that the second the Weasley's are whole again they are ripped apart is just too heartbreaking to leave out (which they did). It adds so much to the Weasley's characters and I remember it as one of the most important parts of the book.
Lastly, Dumbledore is always regarded as a saint and undeniably "good". The last book makes us question that and we realize that even the most resolute characters can have some darkness, but more importantly that that's okay. You can still be as amazing and beautiful as Dumbledore was even with that history.
Of course, there are tons of things that were left out, such as the use of the cruciatus curse on the Carrows, the absence of the Centaurs or Grawp, the LUDICROUS explosions of Voldemort and Bellatrix into dust, and the unnecessary dragging out of "The Flaw in the Plan" chapter in order to squeeze in extra action.
All in all, the finale of this series in the books includes tons of satisfying action and conflict, but it focuses more on explaining why Harry is going to come out on top and showing how darkness cannot possibly defeat all the goodness in the world. The movies are breathtaking to watch but sort of cop out with making it as suspenseful and drawn out as possible which is the main reason why I didn't love the ending.
Sorry this was so long. I tried.
P.S. What freaking wand does Harry have now? Not Draco's, not his own Phoenix feather, and certainly not the Elder Wand.