Critics’ reviews

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

23 reviews from 23 publications. Critics’ score 82: 15 positive, 3 mixed, 0 negative.

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82
Positive
15
Mixed
3
Negative
0

Most critics find Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 a satisfying farewell, with action and emotional weight given room to work together. Praise centres on David Yates’s handling of large-scale battles alongside quieter character moments, and on an ensemble that makes limited screen time count. Alan Rickman draws particular attention, while Daniel Radcliffe earns strong notices for carrying the story’s heavier demands.

The reservations concern how well the film stands alone and whether its closing passages deliver the expected feeling. Variety admires the urgency but finds the climax hurried and emotionally muted; HeyUGuys argues that the abrupt opening and insufficient buildup make it work better alongside Part 1. Den of Geek also questions Radcliffe’s handling of the dramatic weight, bucking the broader praise. The spread is predominantly positive rather than sharply divided, with even the mixed reviews finding worthwhile performances or sequences.

Radio Times
★★★★★ · Alan Jones
100

The fantasy franchise comes to a hugely satisfying and teary-eyed conclusion as Harry and Voldemort clash for the last time. Every beloved character gets their moment, with the Snape backstory and revelation about Harry's destiny packing an emotional wallop.

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Time Out
11 July 2011 · ★★★★★ · Joshua Rothkopf
100

The final film supplies Daniel Radcliffe with gravitas from an epic story's completion and real dramatic heft. Stewarded by director David Yates, this fleet, triumphant sequel puts people first.

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Empire
12 November 2010 · Helen O'Hara
85*

The final film is a worthy farewell that packs in spectacular action and emotional beats without stinting on either. It excels in human moments, particularly the revelations around Snape, and gives Daniel Radcliffe his strongest showcase as Harry faces his destiny.

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Screen Daily
8 July 2011
85*

Bowing out in 3D, the film is a magnificently entertaining movie brimming with energy and excitement, allowing screen time for the cast to bid farewell. Part 2 is all about thrills, spills and action in the final showdown with Voldemort.

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The Hollywood Reporter
6 July 2011 · Todd McCarthy
85*

The film provides a satisfying and exciting conclusion to the franchise, fully justifying the split of the final book. Yates orchestrates the massive events with impressive finesse and dramatic composition.

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The AV Club
14 July 2011 · B+ · Tasha Robinson
83

The shortest entry delivers epic scope and final payoffs after dispensing with side quests. It mines the book for excitement and pathos with grand dramatic moments and strong supporting performances.

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Evening Standard
10 April 2012
80*

The finale is a great British triumph, twice as good as Part 1 and highly recommended as a genuine action movie buoyed by a sense of occasion. It succeeds through its war-footing pace from the Gringotts raid to the Hogwarts battle, with strong performances from the leads and standout turns from supporting cast like Helena Bonham Carter.

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Slant Magazine
13 July 2011 · Jaime N. Christley
80*

Yates balances large-scale chaos with small, still moments and emotional abstraction in familiar images. The direction finds perspective and elegance amid the bombast, highlighted by strong performances like Rickman's.

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The Independent
2 December 2011
60*

David Yates honours J.K. Rowling with an ashen-faced, unrelenting final chapter that draws franchise-best work from the three leads and features a highlight wand-off with Voldemort. It is solid and occasionally moving but suffers from being merely the third act of one story, resulting in an oddly unheroic climax.

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The New Yorker
14 July 2011 · David Denby
60*

The critic describes the film as a battle movie that is dismal and death-ridden but a fitting conclusion to the pop epic. He notes David Yates directed the most powerful of the last four entries, though ultimately expresses relief that the long run is over.

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Los Angeles Times
13 July 2011 · Kenneth Turan

The critic finds it one of the best in the series and a satisfying storybook finish worth the wait after the franchise's ups and downs. He singles out the deep bench of British acting talent, especially Alan Rickman as Snape, for making the strongest impression.

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The Guardian
14 July 2011 · Peter Bradshaw

The critic praises the film as a dramatically satisfying, spectacular and terrifically exciting conclusion that restores the essential magic to the series. They single out the superb set-piece scenes, including the Gringotts bank sequence and the confrontation involving Snape, for their power and originality.

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The New York Times
13 July 2011 · Critic's Pick · Manohla Dargis

The critic calls it a grave, deeply satisfying final movie in the series. She praises the way it handles the apocalyptic events with focus, somber tone, and beauty, highlighting strong performances especially from Ralph Fiennes and Alan Rickman.

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The Telegraph
5 July 2011

The critic calls the film monumental cinema that overcomes deficiencies in the source material to deliver a genuinely terrifying battle spectacle at Hogwarts. They single out the elegiac tenderness in human relationships, the wit from characters like Neville, and the overall message about overcoming inner darkness for particular praise.

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Variety
6 July 2011 · Justin Chang

The critic praises the tremendous urgency, superb spectacle, and powerful emotion in the first 90 minutes but faults the hasty, emotionally muted climax and sendoff. He highlights the inventive siege at Hogwarts and strong supporting turns, especially Alan Rickman's Snape reveal.

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Collider
14 July 2011 · A- · Matt Goldberg
90

The critic calls the film an exhilarating, emotionally powerful and beautiful conclusion to the series. They single out the tremendous pacing of the battles, the emotional weight of the montages and revelations, and standout performances especially from Alan Rickman and Matthew Lewis.

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Eye for Film
16 July 2011 · ★★★★½ · Amber Wilkinson
90

Yates and Kloves deliver a strong send-off with skillful tension between menace and action, superlative battle scenes that emphasize poignancy over triumph, and excellent handling of emotional notes and characters grown familiar over the series.

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The Playlist
13 July 2011 · A- · The Playlist Staff
90

The finale succeeds emotionally, dramatically and cinematically as a satisfying conclusion, with strong performances especially from Radcliffe, gorgeous battle sequences, and effective direction from Yates that makes the audience feel something beyond spectacle.

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/Film
16 July 2011 · 8.5/10 · Germain Lussier
85

The film lives up to the hype as a gratifying close to the franchise with layered emotions and a sense of gravitas, delivering a near-perfect cherry on top that fans and even non-fans will find satisfying despite some minor shortcomings.

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The Wrap
6 July 2011
85*

The final Harry Potter film brings its A-game from start to finish and delivers a cathartic conclusion for devoted fans. The critic singles out the strong performances, particularly Alan Rickman's multifaceted Snape and the ensemble's ability to make the most of limited screen time amid the epic battle sequences.

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Den of Geek
7 July 2011 · ★★★★ · Louisa Mellor
80

Praises the film's visual wizardry, action set pieces and fidelity to the source material but criticizes some emotional scenes and Daniel Radcliffe's performance in carrying the heavy dramatic weight.

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Digital Spy
7 July 2011 · Simon Reynolds
80*

Calls it a spectacular closing chapter packed with breathtaking action sequences and moving performances, highlighting strong set pieces and emotional payoff while noting minor pacing issues in some scenes.

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HeyUGuys
7 July 2011 · ★★★ · Ben Mortimer
60

The review finds the film struggles as a standalone entity due to its abrupt start and lack of emotional buildup after Part 1, making the finale feel flat despite strong character moments and sequences. It works much better viewed as part of a double bill.

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Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate