The final journey of the boy who lived brings the greatest film franchise of this generation to a spectacular close!

Rating: Null/10 (15 July 2011)

Harry Potter, a series of novels that defied everything that was possible and started a phenomenon unlike anything that ever existed or ever will exist. An entire generation has come to identify themselves with the books and the movies, especially those who shared a similar age with the characters when they came out. Last night, when I saw the eighth and final Harry Potter movie at the midnight screening, I was yelling and cheering when the curtain came open and once again yelling and cheering when the credits started to roll. But I had tears in my eyes, both of joy and immense sadness that it was now over, as one of the greatest film series of all time comes to an end.
After having destroyed their first Horcrux and having buried Dobby, Harry, Ron and Hermione are hiding at shell cottage with Ron's oldest brother Bill, his wife Fleur, as well as the goblin Griphook and the wand maker Mr. Olivander. Griphook tells Harry that the sword of Gryffindor in his possession was supposed to be in the Gringotts vault of Bellatrix Lestrange and the three eventually start to suspect that a Horcrux might be hidden there. After successfully breaking in and barely escaping on the back of a dragon, the three realize that the last stop in their journey will have to be Hogwarts, the school they went to for six years, and where the final showdown between Harry Potter and his nemesis Lord Voldemort will take place. Neither can live, while the other one survives.
As far as I'm concerned the right adjectives to describe this film haven't been invented yet. No words I can think of would do the grandness and perfection of the spectacular conclusion of this film franchise justice, and for now I'll just have to leave it at saying that this has good chances of becoming my favorite movie of the year. When you sit there and watch the movie at midnight with a group of teenagers all nearing the age of 20, who define their childhood with "Harry Potter' you are swept right into a different world of enthusiasm, emotions and nostalgia. I didn't think it was just great, I thought it was flawless. The sad and emotional scenes are so heart-wrenching that I could hear the entire movie theater tearing up, mainly during the scenes involving Snape and his memories that Harry watches in Dumbledore's Pensieve. Snape really comes to define this movie and his character really got to me as a man, who seemed to be the epitome of coldness and villainy throughout the entire series, and in the end turns out to be a tragic hero of the greatest measure, who would even have made Shakespeare proud. The movie is a huge extravaganza of action and visual spectacles, and while the first part was really solemn, apocalyptic and quiet, this one almost indulges in its grand scales and procures a huge battle of magic and some very powerful spells, bringing rock statues to live and creating an enormous energy shield around the castle. I always said that I wanted the series to go out with a bang and in the most memorable way possible and David Yates ensured with his vision that this film will be remembered for years to come.
The acting in Harry Potter has never been as good as it is here. Daniel Radcliffe in his final performance as the hero of this great franchise takes absolute center stage here and after ten years in the role he makes an incredibly convincing, brave and courageous hero, who conveys emotions with credibility and there are some scenes, where his facial expressions are just heartbreaking. Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are really just supporting players here, but they have both made quite a name for themselves in their roles as well and all three actors are capable of continuing their careers far beyond Harry Potter. However, I think the key to the film's immense success are the performances by Ralph Fiennes and Alan Rickman, both of whom are more than deserving of an Oscar nomination. Fiennes, who is one of my favorite actors working today, finally hits the mark completely as Lord Voldemort and he is so menacing, cold and scary in his role that he has now become the living embodiment of evil and the defining villain of a generation. Alan Rickman though has a personality unmatched by any actor I have ever seen before. Snape is someone you love to hate and hate to love at the same time. Rickman's facial expressions as Snape are incredible subtle, but just the slightest change can reveal so much about him, and his carefully chosen enunciation of each syllable he utters is beyond belief. Although he is scary and seems cold-hearted most of the time, in the end when all comes to a close, everyone will feel so sorry for him. Finally though I have to give a shout out to Matthew Lewis who played Neville Longbottom, and after starting off as a chubby and not too bright lad in "The Philosopher's Stone", he's become a rough, determined and courageous fighter who believes in freedom and defending yourself. I was really impressed with his transformation.
For the first time in eight movies, I honestly believed that the screen version worked better than the written version. The pictures just seemed to tell the story so much better, and while some of the book almost felt like a letdown to me, the film finished it all off on such a brilliant and high note and the final image was heart-warming and really felt conclusive, and that's when I knew that it was all over. This franchise will never quite finds its equal, as it has moved and influenced so many people who now come off age. It's always sad to say goodbye, but long live Harry Potter, the boy who lived!