REVIEW for the final film

[brigrove]

After hating most of film 6 and loving most of film 7, I was really
looking forward to the conclusion.
And for most of the film, I was more than pleased, I loved it...

Until, the return to Hogwarts.  Of course, script written by an American, he didn't understand British irony and understatement so out went McGonagall's great line about "the professors are quite good at magic, you know."

The rest went okay, although it was disappointing not to see the brief
reconciliation between Percy and Fred and then Fred being killed.

But the real disappointment began when Hagrid arrives carrying Harry's
"body".
The final part of the battle is so well written in the book, the hat,
Neville challenging Voldmort and killing a snake with a cry to arms, the short battle finishing with Molly killing Belatrix (even if it is
unbelievable) and then Harry revealing himself by protecting her from
Voldemort's revenge and the final confrontation with everyone watching.
So why did he feel the need to re-write it totally, and completely ruining some of the best dramatic scenes in the final book?  We lost Harry's protection of Molly (though thankfully kept the controversial line "Not my daughter, you bitch") and the final confrontation (with NO witnesses to verify that Voldie is finally gone) was cartoony and, to put it bluntly, crap.

I quite liked the epilogue although I felt that they didn't look old
enough.  I've been reminded that wizards age more slowly, but it still
looked like kids playing dress-up to me.

So an overall enjoyable series of films, and an otherwise great final
film, ruined by the final Hogwarts scene and simply because they tried to top the book in a scene which didn't need it, ripping the emotion out of the scene at the same time as we lost the sense of tension followed by exhilaration as every sees the final battle Harry v Voldemort, except, in the film, they didn't.

Maybe, if we're lucky, in fifty years, when I won't be here, they'll
remake the series with a British scriptwriter who understands British
humour and understatement and doesn't see dramatic action as the answer to everything.

Up to Hagrid's return with Harry's body  FIVE stars
>From there on ONE star
Overall, as he final scenes at Hogwarts were the most critical, a
disappointing TWO stars out of five.
I won't bother seeing it again in the cinema, even though I was planning on breaking my boycott of Warner Bros to see this one a second time.
I certainly won't buy the DVD

It's over.  Warner Brothers can't screw us or the story any more...  or can they find a way?