HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS Part 2: the perfect farewell

I'm not one of the millions of Harry Potter fanatics who couldn't wait for the next cinematic installment and gushed endlessly about it on Facebook and Twitter both before and after seeing it. I'm more of a casual observer. I've seen all of HP series (I think) but I've not made any effort to memorise plot development from one film to the next which would account for my confusion in trying to understand what's going on and who they're talking about.

I found 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1' pretty boring and incomprehensible so I wasn't expecting much from part 2 and, I have to admit, I was very pleasantly surprised. I still struggled to keep up with the mythology but I found the whole experience entertaining, engrossing and - at times - quite moving as well.
Director David Yates (who also helmed the previous 3 HP episodes) succeeds in making this finale not only the epic conclusion to an even more epic odyssey but also a thrilling adventure in it's own right. Sure it helps immensely to have watched the rest of the series but if, like me, you have but can't remember the plot points, there's still plenty to enjoy here and it's all in 3D to boot!
As I was leaving the cinema I heard someone say that the film "didn't really make much use of the 3D" but that misses the point. The film does make plenty of use of 3D to add depth to the scenes; what is doesn't do is make gimmicky 'things leaping out of the screen at you' use of the process. That is often contrived and the novelty soon becomes tiring. This is not a film that depends on 3D for its effectiveness (the film was being shown in 2D on the next door screen) but it certainly enhances the experience.
Unsurprisingly this final episode is very much the Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) show with his two best friends and confidantes, Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron  (Rupert Grint) relegated to much diminished supporting roles. Ron in particular has far less to do and doesn't even speak for the first 10 minutes he's on screen. Potter has never been the story's most interesting character so it's a big ask for him to hold our attention for an extended period of time but thankfully there's strong and colorful support from Ralph Fiennes as Harry's nemesis Lord Voldemort, and Alan Rickman as the suspicious Professor Snape. The rest of the faculty at Hogwarts - Maggie Smith, David Thewlis, Miriam Margoyles, Jim Broadbent et al are reduced to little more than cameos which is a disappointment as they've been a consistently entertaining presence over the course of this saga.
The climax is suitably exciting, action-packed and unpredictable and says farewell to the various characters in a way that is both fitting and respectful to them and satisfying for the audience. I've never thought of Harry, Ron and Hermione as particularly close friends but I was still sad to see them go, and that's a testament to the effectiveness of the storytelling by everyone involved - from the cast to the screenwriter, the director and - of course - J.K. Rowling. Just don't ask me what a deathly hallows is.