A Grand Finale Indeed

Rating: 7/10 (15 July 2011)

It's been almost ten years since the first Harry Potter film came out and now the series comes to a close. And what a fantastic and satisfying conclusion it is. It just about ranks up there with cinematic finales like The Return of the King and Toy Story 3.
The film is definitely the most intense of the series. There's a lot at stake. The wizards of Hogwarts are making a final stand together knowing that they may even be killed. There are many losses, some more tragic than others, but there's also much triumph and courage. The battle of Hogwarts is a real spectacle to watch. And it's a good thing the action isn't overdone. It never really has been in these films, which is good to see in a blockbuster this big. It still sticks to the story and doesn't let the action overlap it. The visual effects seem to have improved over each film. And the cinematography is excellent with the dark and gloomy tones.
The performances are as good as ever. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are at their finest in this. They handle the emotional scenes greatly. It's been a pleasure to see these three grow into such fine actors and I sure hope they all have great careers ahead of them. The scene where Harry goes into the Forbidden Forrest to confront Voldemort is probably Radcliffe's finest moment in the entire series. Grint and Watson share their first kiss and their reactions after are priceless. Many of the characters have their own shining moments. Maggie Smith has some great scenes including one where she brings the school's army of stone knights to life. Another character that gets more time to shine is Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom. He has a very heroic part in the battle and it's good to see this character finally grow out of his clumsy stage and become a hero. Michael Gambon makes a nice appearance as Dumbledore as well. There are two performances that shine the most though. First Ralph Fiennes is more menacing than ever as Voldemort. Since pieces of his soul are being destroyed, he's pretty angry and will kill anyone he can. Usually Fiennes hasn't gotten a ton of screen time, but this is his film to dominate. He has achieved the status as one of the great cinematic villains. The scene where he and his army step up to the ruins of Hogwarts, telling the students to join him or they will die, is one of his best. Then there's Alan Rickman as my favorite character, Severus Snape. He's been fantastic in every film, but this is the one where we finally see the man he truly is and Rickman plays it excellently. It gives him a great send off.
So here we are. Ten years and eight films later the grand Harry Potter series comes to a close. Is it the epic finale we've all been waiting for? It sure was for me. Being someone who hasn't read the books, I think they've done a great job at telling a good story. I'm sure those who have read the books will find something to nitpick, but looking at these just as films alone, they've made something pretty legendary and I feel proud to have grown up with them and to be part of this wonderful experience. This is a series that will be remembered for a very long time and it very much deserves that. I will truly miss it.