In a bleak and haunting prologue, the once joyful students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are marched through the grey courtyard like prisoners in a concentration camp. Darkness has fallen, and the wondrousness and magic of the castle has all but disappeared. Then the title card floats through the clouds, along with a sombre musical cue, as director David Yates draws us back into the world of Harry Potter for the very last time. It is the final act of a final chapter; a magnificently dark and ambitious conclusion to a cultural, literary and cinematic phenomenon. In that regard, despite proving the mistake of splitting the series’ final book in two, this final Harry Potter film is an undeniable success. Who could have predicted that when Joanna Rowling put pen to paper more than fifteen years ago that this would have been the end result? Grand; dark; exciting; heroic – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is a spectacular piece of epic fantasy more than worthy of the legacy of its creator and the hopes and expectations of its fans.

The film picks up directly where the last one left off: with Ron, Harry and Hermione on a mission to destroy the remaining fragments of Lord Voldemort’s soul. As such, rewatching Part 1 is essential before viewing Part 2. This is not a standalone film or even a sequel. Rather, it is the second half of a single movie, one that for reasons of running time and profitability was separated into two. Unfortunately, while this decision gave Yates and company the chance to fit more content in, it has come at quite a cost. Deathly Hallows is more heavily steeped in Potter mythology than any of the other films, and as a result less diehard viewers may find themselves confused by the frequent references to earlier events or unseen characters. But beyond that, Hallows Part 2 is also missing a lot of the character nuances that have been the strongest part of the franchise since Yates took over with Order of the Pheonix. In his hands, Ron and Hermione especially have gone from sidekicks to fully fleshed-out human beings. But here, the non-stop action of the film comes primarily at their expense.

But despite the sidelining of some of the franchises ancillary characters, as a conclusion to Harry’s journey and to the series as a whole, this film could hardly be better. While the other characters may go short changed, Harry himself is given all the time he needs; Daniel Redcliffe’s performance has gone from bad to good to great as the films have progressed, and he can look forward to a bright future as an adult actor now his obligation to the series has ended. As for his final showdown with Lord Voldemort, the action in Deathly Hallows Part 2 is of the highest possible standard. Not only are the special effects immaculate (and often quite beautiful), but they exist in a way that feels completely real within the world of the film. The movie is also unflinchingly brutal at points. As with all his Potter films, Yates never shies away from showing blood or carnage when appropriate, and the emotional kick the film delivers in its more intense and upsetting moments is all the more potent because the violence goes unsanitised.

Just as important to the films’ emotional core is the often underutilized but never the less wonderful ensemble cast, all of whom do themselves proud with the moments that they are given. Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are both strong in roles they have come to embody, while Tom Felton shines in his all too brief scenes as Draco Malfoy, and Matthew Lewis finally gets to impress as the courageous Neville Longbottom. In terms of the adults, a special shout-out must be given to Maggie Smith’s ever-stern Professor McGonagall, whose duel with Snape cements her status as one of the all time elderly bad-asses. But there are three male actors to whom the film absolutely belongs. First is Daniel Radcliffe, who I have already praised. Second is Ralph Fiennes, who has clearly relished his role as one of this centuries’ most gleefully evil and iconic bad guys. Finally there is the man who since day one has been this franchises most valuable assett. After seven movies of playing Severus Snape with slimy and malevolent aplomb, Alan Rickman is finally given the chance to imbue his character with some genuine emotion – the flashback that reveals his tragic history is easily the most moving sequence in the film, if not the entire series.

Theatrically, Deathly Hallows would work better as a single three to three and a half hour film (there are certain subplots – most notably, the “deathly hallows” themselves” – that could easily have been exorcised). But in future years, and with many home viewings, I suspect I will come to appreciate the separation more and more. Were they one film, Deathly Hallows Part 1 would no doubt have been missing much of its emotion and character work; likewise, Part 2 would have lost the little it has, not to mention at least some of it’s magnificent action. As it stands, alone or together, Deathly Hallows is the grand finale that Potter fans the world over have been waiting for. It is intense, it is faithful, and it will leave them wanting to revisit the series – books and films – again and again and again.