I'm doing this review out of sadness, mostly. It's just now hitting me that now this remarkable series will fade away from my life. Of course, I'll be able to reread them, and I'll always remember the impact they had on me, but it won't be the same knowing nothing new is coming my way. So anyways, here's my review.
Overall, there's nothing to complain about. Yeah, everyone knows the scenes they skipped, focused on too long, or executed poorly. I, not having read the 7th book in a year, didn't have any problems. I could tell there were definitely parts missing (*please comment on what scenes were left out or done badly*), but what was left out was made up for in the key plot points. The beginning of it, though still riveting, was a little slower than the second half of the movie. They made sure to put plenty of time aside for the battle at the end. The battle was probably the biggest difference from the book. There were way more death eaters than I expected, to start. Also, hardly any magical creatures made an appearance to aid the battle. Trolls and spiders were the only ones who showed up, and they helped the already large Dark Side forces. The battle lacked a push and pull. It was mostly background noise to Harry, Hermoine, and Ron. The battle between Harry and Voldemort(the most obvious difference) was changed to a one-on-one run around the castle. Most people didn't like this change, and I half agree. It might've been better for it to have been surrounded by everyone so that you could get more of emotion in it. Then again...it was more visually appealing and gave a better sense of the lifelong struggle between the two by isolating them from the rest of the people. But all of these changes were made up for by the simply stunning effects and Snape's memories.
I had an indifferent opinion about Snape for a while. I didn't love or hate him, I just wanted him to be on Harry's side. This changed when he died in the book. I realized what an effect he had on me. Of all the casualties in the war, his was by far the most tragic. The movie perfectly reflects this. I was surprised at my reaction. Watching him die was an equal torture to the book, if you can imagine what growing up with a character, then, for the first time, he is killed before your eyes. What sealed the deal was when he told Harry he had his mother's eyes and that final tear slid down his cheek. I'm still depressed over it. The memories he gave Harry were the worst, though. To see this actor who isn't even an actor playing Snape anymore - he IS Snape - show more emotion in 15 minutes than I had seen him show in over fifteen hours was simply heartbreaking. Cradling Lily's dead body in his arms, sobbing, was the pinnacle of the desperate sorrow I felt for him. I wanted him to have been with Lily instead of James.
I really wished they had done every last detail od this scene. They cut some of the parts with Lily and him that I wished had been in there. But I cried, so I guess mission accomplished.
And, much to my delight, there were some funny moments. Mrs.Weasley's famous line against Bellatrix was hilarious, and there were a few other one-liners.
Finally, the 19 years later. I was SO glad they did this. Even though Albus looked like a little Bieber and Ginny looked about 12 years old compared to Harry's effortless adult look (36/37 years old), it was still immensely satisfying to see.
All in all, it was probably the best movie of the 8 total. It was visually appealing, the acting was spot on, and created a wave of emotions. There were little complaits, and though there was nothing surprising as far as the movie's plot (my impossible wishes for an extended epilouge dashed)
it was captivating.
