How 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2' Concludes Decade-Long Franchise

FIRST PERSON | More than 10 years ago, I was one of those who read the first four engaging Harry Potter books and finished them in a week. It didn't surprise me that the series' popularity led to the first movie adaptation of this J.K. Rowling literary opus in 2001. For that first installment, it was clearly a children's fantasy movie. Wave by wave, each of the seven books got adapted into a blockbuster phenomenon. Interestingly, each movie, along with its characters, matured appropriately with time.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" delivers a remarkable cinematic spectacle on its own. Yet, for viewers to really appreciate its ultimate values, they need that familiarity of what really transpired way before the things that happen in its story. While not necessary to appreciate what the film mainly offers, watching the prior seven films is essential to having an all-encompassing grasp of the scope of the Harry Potter movie canon.

Through the years, Harry, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and the rest of the characters have grown in real time, just like how their audience has grown as well. Perhaps this is one of the major factors that make people really embrace the story. People see beyond the magic of the plot.

People become witnesses to the reality of how a child sees the world in a fanciful way. As the kid grows, darkness slowly creeps in and he starts seeing the gruesome sights in the world. Innocence wanes as the body's hormonal changes lead to significant physical growth. Even more darkness sets in, and in no time the fancy of childhood is a mere past. Finally, on the verge of manhood, there is that realization that darkness conquers the idealism of the youth, that the world is full of grays, and that even respected people have their dark sides and deep secrets.

The award-winning Harry Potter movies communicate not only through plotting but also in how the visual and thematic treatments for each film showcase that literal and figurative growth of a man and the rest of the people in his midst. Top those with brilliant directing, acting, and production values, and the charm of the books truly extend through their movie renditions.

Bringing a worthwhile end to this literary and cinematic masterpiece, director David Yates is a master storyteller not overwhelmed by the magnitude of his work material. He capably chooses the right shots, scenes, and moments to make the film work. At the same time, he tells a faithful story from the book and creates a breathtaking finale from it. In sending off the franchise on a high note, he is able to conjure many heart-breaking moments from the short screen times of lifeless war heroes to the meandering emotional moments of Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Endless familiar faces who may or may not have speaking lines have their own short but striking moments to shine and take their final bows.

For this grand and satisfying finale to one of the greatest coming-of-age saga ever committed to cinema, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" impressively infuses humanity with epic spectacle. The minimal hindsights encountered along the way are acceptable -- these are just parts of how imperfect things in the world really are. This film is proof of how a dedicated franchise can make the ultimate form of movie magic that many people will care about. Indeed, the thrilling and touching story of the boy who lived -- 10 years worth of telling -- will forever be chronicled in world cinema history.