A MAJOR disappointment. *Spoilers *

Rating: Null/10 (21 July 2011)

We all know that films are never as good as the books they are based on, it can be difficult to squeeze a book into a film. The Deathly Hallows if I remember correctly was over 1000 pages so breaking the final film into two parts seemed logical. 500 pages for part 1, 500 pages for part 2, makes sense right ? Well no, whilst the first film covers about 70% of the first half of the book, the second film covers about 20% - if that !!!
The major issue here is that each book becomes progressively darker, death, relationships, emotion etc and to reflect the horrors that the characters were going through meant that the films should of been given a 15 certificate not 12. A good example of this is that you really don't see any of the characters suffering, we didn't see Voldemort set Neville on fire before he was able to pull the sword from the hat. We didn't see how Fred died nor Tonks or Lupin, these are surely hugely emotional parts to the storyline.
Where the hell is the backstory? Ariana/Dumbledore, Harry falling out with Lupin, Snapes past was merely brushed over and yet I remember reading the book and sympathising with Snapes infatuation with Lily (we've all loved someone who didn't reciprocate) Voldemorts death was laughable, this was supposed to be the climax to the film, you wanted him to suffer, to scream and curse, you wanted to witness the spectacle and you wanted all the world to see his demise but he sort of...well....pixilated, where were the crowd of onlookers to watch the final duel, to cheer Harry at finally defeating his nemesis? It was a drab, dull affair. Scripwriters, may you never again be allowed near such a film for what you put is through was pure tedium.
What made Peter Jacksons LOTR trilogy such an epic is that in the most part he kept faithfully to the original books, he understood that he had the material in front of him...all he had to do was point a camera and shoot, now I am not going to say the JK's work is in the same league as Tolkien but she had laid down the script..SO WHY CHANGE IT? All in all I gave this a 3....sure special effects are good, the actors did their best, Rickman and Maggie Smith have such screen presence that more should of been made of it but as Yates only told part of the story I am still waiting for the rest.
DON'T BOTHER WATCHING IN 3D, there are only two moments where the visuals come into action and they are hardly worth it anyhow.
Looking forward to the remake in 10 years or so....