Back from the eight month intermission from Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 – cue the dramatic music – Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (which broke box office records all across the world) will be Harry’s final dance. It's been a decade of Harry Potter ruling the silver screen and literary charts.

In this last film, the heroic wizard finally faces the noseless Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) in an epic battle. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), never short on friends, will have help from Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) as well as old classmates and professors from Hogwarts, as previous characters pop-up for the farewell.

They don’t leave an ounce behind visually, providing us with captivating special effects in world that is an adventure within itself. The consistency of this film is a testament to the great chemistry of J.K. Rowling’s storytelling ability and David Yates’ directing chops. In one of the opening scenes the trio ventures to Gringotts Bank to break into the vault of Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter). Within a fifteen minute span we’re taken on an underground rollercoaster ride, buried in multiplying goblets, and sailing through clouds on the wings of a dragon. Courageous action feeds this story.

Harry and company have never been heroes in the traditional brut crime fighting sense. They’ve successfully maintained a heroic human element throughout this series by narrowly escaping the grips of evil due to their wit and well, dumb luck. But in this installment a surprise is revealed that affects they’re steps in taking down Voldemort.  Inversely they’re nemesis obviously wants Potter dead and has the fortitude to actually do it. With Hogwarts reduced to rubble, this is perhaps the biggest threat Harry has encountered.

Keeping in mind that an entire generation of kids has grown up with this franchise, I wasn’t surprised to hear a few sniffles in the theater when our hero faced exponential peril.  

A major upgrade from Hollows 1 – which was practically a setup for this film – Hollows 2 cumulatively ties the bow, tempting me to run through DVDs of the entire series. Without giving much away, this last film of the Harry Potter series is satisfying visually (minus the 3D), narratively, and climatically. The filmmakers knew the pressure at stake and were able to deliver great summer entertainment for our inner wizard souls. We’re sad to see Harry go but as the cliché says “all good things must come to an end.” And thankfully this good thing concluded with a great ending, earning it 4 out of 5 stars.