It all ends, but it is a good end

Rating: Null/10 (18 July 2011)

So here we are, after 7 books and 8 movies the epic saga of Harry Potter comes to an end, having captivated the hearts and minds of an entire generation. I can most certainly assure you that whatever you may have thought about previous Harry Potter movies this 8th movie is an excellent film that is a satisfying ending to an incredible franchise.
The film picks up right where part 1 left off, showing Voldemort acquiring the elder wand from Dumbledores tomb, we then see a shot of professor Snape overseeing the students "marching at Hogwarts", which nicely sets the tone for the film. We then see the title shot, and are then reintroduced to our familiar trio as they hatch a plan to break into gringots bank to steal a horcrux from Bellatrix Lestranges vault. What ensues is an excellent scene where they break into the vault. From the start it is clear that Director David Yates is giving his all to make this movie as good as it can possibly be. The rest of the story that ensues stays very faithful to Rowlings text, a feature that lends greatly to the film. All of the sequences are excellent, but The Battle of Hogwarts is the centerpiece of film and it is handled beautifully, on the same level as Pellenor fields from Lord of Rings. We see the sheer size of Voldemorts forces, and the battle is nothing short of epic. The giants, the stone knights, the snatchers, the death eaters, the snake, and the massive magical battle keep the audience on the edge of their seats. The afterlife scene is also done perfectly, and is an excellent interpretation of the novel, and the emotional climax of Voldemorts destruction hits home with the audience. We then have a tear jerking "19 years later" scene where we see Harry's children go off to Hogwarts.There's no need to go into the rest of the story, but I will say that is nothing short of spectacular for those who have not read the books
I want to focus more on the production aspects of the film, because they really stand out in this one. First off the acting is really on a completely different level, every actor from Daniel Radcliffe to Maggie Smith is giving it their all this time around. This saga is unique in that nearly every famous British thespian is involved in the films, something that many take for granted. The trio of kids is excellent, and it is amazing to see how much they have grown as actors. Radcliffe in particular does a wonderful job of showing the audience the sheer weight of the daunting task that he faces in destroying Voldemort. Ralph Fiennes does an incredible job as Voldemort, who he has turned into a villain far greater than Emperor Palpatine or Sauron, yet in this film, he shows us Voldemorts vulnerable side, and we see Voldemort actually fear something. Maggie Smith is excellent as Professor McGonegal, who really gets to shine during the siege of Hogwarts. Helena Bonham Carter is superb as the vicious witch Bellatrix Lestrange, ands captures the personna perfectly. The standout, however, is Alan Rickman as professor Snape. I have always thought that Rickman's performance as Snape was a perfect interpretation of Rowlings text, but in this movie he nails it. He deserves an Oscar just as much as anyone does this year. He nearly had me in tears during the scene where Harry relives Snapes memories.
The tone of the film is also superb it just has this feel that all hell is breaking loose, and that no one can stop it. The script that Steve Kloves delivers also deserves an Oscar nod, because it is the first script that stays true to the book and actually improves upon Rowlings sacred text. The production staff headed up by Stuart Craig does an excellent job once again, especially with the Gringots sequence. Yates also deserves an incredible amount of credit for the sense of scale that this film has. We see thousands of Death Eaters charging and fighting thousands of aurors and Hogwarts students. We see what an impact Voldemort has on the world.
The visual effects and cinematography have to win Oscars, because they are excellent. They even bring back John Williams original score from 10 long years ago.
The fact of the matter is that no matter who you are, no matter what you're feelings towards the series are, there is no denying that what these producers have pulled off in this series is nothing short of remarkable. To have kept the same cast throughout the 8 movies, and to have pumped them out over the course of 10 years with high productions standards is an achievement worthy of "Return of The King-like" Oscar recognition. This movie should win best picture, if not for this individual film, but for all of the films as a whole. This film puts Harry Potter on the same epic level as Lord of the Rings and the original Star Wars trilogy.
10 out 10