Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

So it's the big conclusion to the movie series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. And while I wouldn't call it a bad movie, it certainly has its problems, and it's a bit of a shame that the series couldn't have ended on a higher note.

The main issue with this movie is the pacing. I blame this mostly on the fact that they essentially split the final story into two parts. Part 1's only real issue (which was a minor one at that) was that it ended a bit anticlimactically. With this one, the beginning is really jarring, throwing you right into the action and never letting up for quite some time. This movie is very action heavy, and it just goes and goes, never giving you a moment to catch your breath.

Now granted, all of the action is entertaining enough, and the effects are particularly awesome this time around. But everything else takes a backseat to the action, and the film oftentimes feels rushed as a result. For instance, in previous installments, Ron and Hermione are just as much main characters as Harry himself. But here, they're little more than supporting cast, while most everyone else around them is lucky to share even a few moments on the screen.

But what I think has stood out within the movies are actually the slower moments, when the movies take their time and show us a little more of their human side. That's when these movies really come to life. And that holds true even in this installment, as the only real standout scene sure enough happens later in the movie when it finally puts the action on hold for a little bit, and we learn about Snape's history.

While I complained about Part 1's anticlimactic ending, it at least had the excuse that it was only the first half of a story. This movie has no such excuse. The finale is very underwhelming, with the only satisfying moment coming at the hands of Neville of all people.

And the epilogue, wow. It apparently takes place 19 years after the events of the main story, but they didn't even attempt to age our actors. They're supposed to be in their mid- to late-thirties, yet they all look clearly in their early twenties, which just looks ridiculous and is hard to ignore. I wanna know what spell they're using to age so well! But even that arguably minor complaint aside, I just don't see why it was necessary to include. Sure, it may have been in the books, but from what I've heard it wasn't very popular there, and it certainly didn't work here either to provide a satisfying close for the series.

It sounds like I'm complaining a lot about this movie, which I suppose I am, but I was really left disappointed overall with what we got. And especially coming off of Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows: Part 1, which were both great movies in their own right and, in my opinion at least, by far the best in the series, it kind of sucks to see the series take such a dip in quality for the big finale. It's still an overall enjoyable experience, though, so I'm not not recommending the movie. I'm just saying to maybe lower your expectations a little.