I’m pretty glad ABC Family still does their ‘Harry Potter Weekends’, and I’m even more glad that they are doing them more often now so people like me can re-watch the whole series after a while.

Small note to start off: I will be talking some very minor spoilers in this movie.  Nothing shattering to the Potter universe, but if small details will both you then feel free to click here and check out the random article it’s sending you to.  Though if you have not seen the Harry Potter movies by now and are looking for an opinion, honest to God: GO WATCH THEM.  That being said here are my thoughts on Deathly Hallows Part 2, my first viewing of it in a couple years.

The first thing that this movie deserves immense pride for is the fact it’s ‘Part 2’.  Some friends of mine have complained, “there isn’t enough plot structure or character development!”  One, I’m the movie guy of our group so shut up.  Two, yes there is, it’s called the first shot in Sorcerer’s Stone through the last show of Deathly Hallows Part 1.  This is the absolute conclusion to the series, and it’s meant to go out with a bang.  Really every book in the series after Chamber of Secrets could be split into two films, but I am happy this is the one they did.  Deathly Hallows was my favorite of all the books and it had the most plot and density to it compared to the past 6.  Giving the adaptation two parts to tell the story in must have put a smile on J.K. Rowling’s face, I know it did mine.  (It must have put smiles on the whole cast and crews’ faces too, because, well, another billion-dollar paycheck!)

Next thing to talk about in this movie is the characters.  Though not all characters have equal screen time (Rupert Grint has maybe 10 lines total), each one of them serves a purpose and has a drive to them.  No matter what character you are, you’re either there for fan-service (Sirius Black), or you have some smaller plot importance (Bill Weasley), but in any case your character is important.

And the directing in this movie is also really good.  The directing in all of the Harry Potter movies is great, but in this one the director of the past few David Yates uses some new techniques that a movie-fan like myself enjoys.  He directs the tension in this film in a very tense manner.  He directs the emotion very emotionally.  Everything this movie should make you feel is felt during the viewing of the film.  It’s almost like David Yates had his film bachelor’s from some really prestigious film school, but between Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2 he went back and got his master’s or something.  It’s the best directed of all the Potter films in my opinion.

As for the visual effects, these movies never fail to deliver.  It’s a Harry Potter movie, there’s never gonna be poor special effects.  What I really liked in this one though is that there are considerably less magical creatures to deal with, and especially in the second half there are more quick effect cuts.  This really leaves the story to almost tell itself, and that’s neat.

In conclusion, I’ll just reinforce my ‘conclusion to the series’ point.  Boyhood is hitting theaters this weekend and it’s just a total remake of the Harry Potter series.  I think that what that team is doing is fantastic and all, but when you look at the Harry Potter films, they’re shot over 10 years where someone like me grows up with these characters, and you see them move forward and mature as the movies go on.  That’s something that makes it baffling the whole series was even adapted to film.  J.K. Rowling, David Yates, Daniel Radcliffe, and anybody who ever had to anything to do with the making of any Harry Potter thing out there, thanks to you.

And of course, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is…

A 5/5.

***

So guys, that’s my rundown on the final film of the Harry Potter series.  It does seem counter-productive to start from the back…  In the next few days I’ll also do the sixth and seventh films, concluding my three favorites of the series.  It is my intention to review them all eventually, but so much to watch, so little time!  But definitely those two will be out by the end of the week.  So guys, who is your favorite Harry Potter character?  Whoever they are, let me know down below!  And also, don’t forget to like the website’s new Facebook page (www.facebook.com/MyMovieThoughts).  And as always, thanks for reading guys.