Harry, Ron and Hermione set out on their perilous mission to track down and destroy the secret to Voldemort's immortality and destruction -- the Horcruxes. On their own, without the guidance of their professors or the protection of Professor Dumbledore, the three friends must now rely on one another more than ever. But there are Dark Forces in their midst that threaten to tear them apart. Meanwhile, the wizarding world has become a dangerous place for all enemies of the Dark Lord. The long-feared war has begun and Voldemort's Death Eaters seize control of the Ministry of Magic and even Hogwarts, terrorizing and arresting anyone who might oppose them. But the one prize they still seek is the one most valuable to Voldemort: Harry Potter. The Chosen One has become the hunted one as the Death Eaters search for Harry with orders to bring him to Voldemort...alive. Harry's only hope is to find the Horcruxes before Voldemort finds him. But as he searches for clues, he uncovers an old and almost forgotten tale -- the legend of the Deathly Hallows. And if the legend turns out to be true, it could give Voldemort the ultimate power he seeks. Little does Harry know that his future has already been decided by his past when, on that fateful day, he became "the Boy Who Lived." No longer just a boy, Harry Potter is drawing ever closer to the task for which he has been preparing since the day he first stepped into Hogwarts: the ultimate battle with Voldemort.

Much like the books I have felt the Harry Potter films have gotten better with each sequel and each progression of the story. That is partly due to the fact that the films have better source material to draw from but also because they seem to be better executed as well. The first installment of the last book the Deathly Hallows is easily the best Harry Potter film to date and makes the first movie almost seem a little childish. Just like our young heroes of the film the movies have grown up and are more serious, more action packed and a lot more mature. The seventh film is an action packed, drama driving marvel and one of the best films of the year.

One of the reasons Deathly Hallows comes together so well is that the series finally gained some balance by having the same director direct his third straight Harry Potter film. David Yates has taken the last three films and transformed them from the uneven mess the first four films can be at times. He has added that serious undertone to each film, added scenes to increase the pacing and tension of the films and has just brought balance to the movies. Some might question his direction at times like including a naked dream sequence of Harry and Hermione but for the most part he has led the films to feel like a continuous story that will draw you in time and time again.

At first I was very adverse to splitting the seventh book into two movies as it seemed like nothing more than a cash grab but they actually do a fairly good job of finding a good breaking point for the two movies. I am still not sure if the film needed to be split because the seventh book always seemed like the one book that had too much filler in it with all the camping but I am not so adverse to it after seeing the film. It also allowed for us to say goodbye to these characters that have been gracing the big screen for nearly a decade now and that is a very good reason to have two movies instead of just one.

After nearly a decade all the main characters and actors fit like a old worn sofa that one has come to love. One can not imagine anyone other than Daniel Radcliffe as Harry or Emma Watson as Hermionne Granger or Ruper Grint as Ron Weasley. They have each grown into the role so well and have improved their acting talents over the last decade that their performances are so sharp and so great that this is easlly their best performances of the entire series. One can’t but wait in anticipation of the revelation of Alan Rickman as Snape in the next chapter and be sad that the story has to finally end. Harry Potter is as always a must see.

Grade: A