I was going to try to talk about this final Potter film as a stand-alone flick but I think that's nigh on impossible, as it's not only a 'second act' but also number 8 in a series (avoid use of word franchise here - ugly fucking word reserved for shite like Transformers, Pirates, etc).
From the top, I quite liked it but not as much as I thought I would. Maybe I had built it up too much (or allowed the hysteria to do that for me). It was pretty action-packed and the performances of the three leads were solid and much improved from the earlier outings. I just couldn't help but think it would have been better if the two Deathly Hallows films had been shortened and made into one 3 and a half hour barnstorming epic. Too loyal to the books maybe, too interested in milking more cash from punters' pockets?
Readers of the books may disagree but I thought the ending on the bridge was a fine point to roll the credits. Did we really need to see the neatly wrapped up, heart-warming guff that followed?
For what it's worth, here are my top 5 (cinematic) Potter characters:
5. Mad-Eye Moody
4. Hagrid
3. Hermione
2. Snape
1. Voldemort
