After eight films over ten years, which already earned over six billion in box office worldwide, the Harry Potter series finally ends with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. This swan song made a record-breaking $169 million opening weekend so that total will continue to grow.

It’s been a magnificent run, and generally speaking, the series has maintained quality as well as quantity in bringing the popular and enjoyable books to the screen.

If you’re a Potter fan there are no big surprises in Deathly Hallows as the forces of good led by Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) battle the forces of evil led by Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) in the final confrontation, which takes place at a somewhat redesigned Hogwarts.

Harry and his friends Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint), who share their first screen kiss, have to find the last of the horcruxes which give Voldemort his power. And there’s that stunning regular cast of supporting characters played by a magnificent list of talented English actors ranging from Helena Bonham Carter to Emma Thompson.

There’s a touching epilogue at the end of the film that could be seen (if one was cynical enough) as the set-up for another film in the series, although author J.K. Rowling says no.

It’s too long, and there’s an overreliance on special effects, but the action-filled final Harry Potter film is a fitting conclusion to the series and should be enjoyed by all Potterheads.

Rating: four deer out of five

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Alf Cryderman is a Red Deer freelance writer and old movie buff.