Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II [2011]

The buildup is extremely exciting, even if you’ve already read the novel, but the payoff is pretty much nonexistent. The cast brings their A-game, particularly the lead trio of Radcliffe, Grint and Watson, as well as Maggie Smith, but their obvious talents and those of director David Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves cannot make up for J.K. Rowling’s lazy, condescending and ultimately cowardly ending for the beloved saga. You see, what didn’t work in the book (namely the climax and epilogue), doesn’t translate well onto film, but the action set pieces alone are enough to place Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II among the top four films in this legendary franchise.