Simply The Best

Rating: 9/10 (15 July 2011)

Far and away the best film of the series. Very emotional and moving - great action; tension; and a phenomenally well done ending. Very, very satisfying in spite of the melancholy of the fact that a movie series many fans have followed faithfully for the past 10 years.
I was not a fan of the early movies but went to all of them anyways simply because my kids enjoyed them so much - they ostensibly grew up at similar ages as the Potter - and had read every book.
The films have generally improved but there is no doubt this last film was great. Unlike the other films, part 2 of the deathly hallows was actually, in my view, better than the last half of the book. I found the action in the book difficult to follow and maintain coherency. Perhaps it is that fast paced and complex action is easier seen on the screen than penned on the page.
Nevertheless, this is head and shoulders the best of all eight Potter films. It brings to a close what is, really, a very powerful cultural phenomena in western society.
The themes of redemption; of imperfection of characters; of love; of justice; and self-sacrifice all play a part. I felt that Rowling had made the teen characters too foolishly flawed and emotional - far more than many are at that age. But this particular film - while not neglecting that feature - presented the characters in a stronger light. Especially Harry. Well done Daniel Radcliffe.