Stars: 5/5

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” is a thrilling rollercoaster ride of a movie. The final chapter of the Potter series has a little bit of everything for avid book and film fans alike.

For its opening weekend, which includes the midnight showing, the last film of the 10-year long saga grossed over $168 million domestically and over $475 million globally at the box office.

From Harry’s (Daniel Radcliffe) early days at Hogwarts in his cinematic debut in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” to his final battle with the dark lord Voldemort, the Potter movies have continuously grown darker.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” takes no time to explain where things were left. It starts out with the last few shots of part one and then kicks into high gear.

In this last film, a civil war has broken out in the wizard world, forcing each person to choose a side. Harry, Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) are the main drivers of the action against Voldemort (a truly convincing villain, Ralph Fiennes).

The trio of friends needs to find and destroy a series of items called Horcruxes, which each contain a portion of Voldemort’s soul, in order to defeat him once and for all. If they fail, all of mankind is doomed — quite the hefty burden for three kids to bear.

The climactic battle between good and evil on the grounds of the shattered school leads to the deaths of several central characters. The multitude of familiar faces from previous Potter films brought a both sad and triumphant sense of closure to the series.

The decision to split the last novel into two films was a good one because it allowed for a lengthy but appropriate wrap-up of the beloved series.

The long awaited epic battle between Harry and Voldemort was enthralling and impressive to watch, especially in 3D. However, the story of Harry as a young boy wizard who has now become a young man is one that has been carefully kept in mind throughout the films. Radcille’s performance showed his steady growth as an actor.

Harry is a last hope and effort for the good side of the wizard world. He is aware only one side will walk away from the fight, and he is pensive but driven at the same time. Radcliffe acts out the sense of fate, dread and loss incredibly well. Watson and Grint give equally solid performances.

It’s a bittersweet ending to a decade of films so many have grown up with.

Darce Olund can be reached at [email protected] or 536-3311 ext. 269