Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2: An IMAX 3D Experience

Director David Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves nearly meet the impossible demands of wrapping up the past decade’s most successful film series, resolving character and story arcs while serving up the requisite action. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) continue to search out and destroy the pieces of Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) soul, ultimately heading back to Hogwarts for the inevitable final battle. The plot exposition is clunky, storytelling elegance having been sacrificed for efficiency, but there’s ample compensation in the epic action and excellent performances---Radcliffe in particular shines as Harry is pushed firmly into the foreground. It’s an appropriately grand finale, but lacks the depth of its best predecessors. It’s both a compliment and a criticism to say that getting here was more than half the fun. – Matt Semansky