We’re done.  It took 19 hours and 38 minutes but finally, the Harry Potter series has come to a close on the big screen.  It has become the most profitable franchise in cinematic history.  The previous films pulled in over $6.3 billion from theatres across the globe.  This final movie could be the most profitable yet – taking advantage of the 3D format and higher ticket prices.

If you haven’t been following the series until now, you can forget about this film.  It’ll be hard to keep up with the many sub-plots and the wide array of characters.  To be honest, I don’t think I’ve seen a movie with so many recognisable names.  Were there any notable British actors who didn’t have a role?  Hugh Grant should be asking his agent some serious questions.

If you’ve seen the earlier movies and read J.K. Rowling’s novels, you should have a strong vibe of what to expect.  Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is an action packed finale that sees Harry (Radcliffe) face off against Lord Voldemort (Fiennes) in one final duel.  Will good finally triumph over evil?

To sum up my thoughts using the most simplest of terminology – I’m fine with this film.  It’s not the best in the series but it’s a worthy enough conclusion.  I had the same thoughts when I read the final book a few years ago.  It certainly delivers more action than previous instalments.  There’s too much going on during some of the battle sequences (it’s hard to keep up at times) but you’ll still be glued to screen.

In contrast, the character interaction was underdone.  There are some interesting players in this mix (such as Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy) but not enough time is spent resolving their mindset.  Scenes involving Ron and Hermione (who are absent throughout much of the film) also appear to have been shelved to help squeeze everything into two hours.  The pick of the cast is Maggie Smith who, as Professor McGonagall, makes the most of her limited screen time with a few scene stealing moments.

The expected emotional impact of the film was also a little disappointing.  I hate to draw comparisons with other movies but I didn’t feel the same tinge of sadness as I did towards the end of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy.  Perhaps there was too much action.  The closest this film gets to something deeper, more meaningful is a touching exchange between Harry and the late Professor Dumbledore.  It was the highlight of the film for me.

It’s a grim, bleak film for the most part but Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 should satisfy the large majority of Harry Potter fans.