So, here it is, the one we have all been waiting for (and by 'we' we mean those who love the Potter and those who don't): the end. This second part to the Deathly Hallows marks the eighth and final appearance for Harry and his spell-casting chums in this magical, money-making franchise.

In one sense, it hardly needs a review. It's difficult to believe that anyone who has seen the previous seven titles will just decide not to see the last instalment. And for those who haven't been fussed about Potter and co, well, it's unlikely to suddenly pique their interest and have them queuing outside their local multiplex.

But if you are one of those that have been dragged along to these films in the past, either in the company of excited children or, rather more disturbingly, excited adults, you'll be pleased to know that despite taking its sweet time, they've saved the best to last.

Unsurprisingly the film begins where part one left off with Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) in possession of the powerful Elder wand, and Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) seeking safe sanctuary.

The race is still on for the trio to discover the last remaining Horcruxes; for they believe that the only way to defeat Voldemort is in their destruction. Time is against them though, as Voldemort, with Elder wand in hand, is preparing his final push to take down and destroy Hogwarts once and for all.

As Harry's path draws ever closer to that of his evil foe's, he learns that if he's to truly defeat Voldemort, he may well have to make a great sacrifice.

The trio of wizards finally head off to Hogwarts; it's only fitting then that the place where their magical adventure began sets the scene for the final encounter between wizardry good and evil.

Hell's bells, where's Indiana Jones when you need him?!

It's safe to say that this is easily the best chapter in this long running series in years, if not the best. Whether this statement is born, in part, from a huge sense of relief that the franchise has reached its climax is unclear, the fact remains that the story goes out with an enjoyable bang.

Director David Yates (who directed half of the entire franchise) pulls out all the stops to give Potter the sending off he deserves. The action is full of pace from the off, and unusually for a Potter film, rarely lets up. And even though there's an obvious air of conclusion, he bravely refrains from letting it become overly sentimental.

In this episode, he allows the story to be king, and it's this that gives the film a welcome momentum driving the action forward to the very end.

All the cast do their bit too; the young leading trio sign off in style, as do much of the British talent involved, however briefly some appearances are for some of them.

It's still a little disappointing that Radcliffe, Grint and Watson are seemingly dressed as if they're advertising the autumn youth wear range for M & S, but as they're no ordinary youths, this point can be overlooked.

Another niggle is the 3D; the first part of Deathly Hallows was supposed to be released in 3D, but was cancelled by the studio due to time constraints. Sadly the 3D version of part 2 is yet another conversion job, meaning that it wasn't shot natively in 3D but had the extra dimension added post production. This conversion provides more fuel to the growing fire that adding 3D to a film doesn't enhance the overall enjoyment in any way. In fact there are possibly only two scenes in the entire film that remind you why you've got the glasses on in the first place, and even then they're far from impressive. So if you're on a tight budget, do yourself a favour and see the 2D version.

Overall though, everything else just seems to come right, just when the series needed it the most. The music is suitably rousing; the special effects are undeniably impressive; and the story remains gripping throughout. It feels epic in every conceivable way. In short, Harry Potter does himself proud.

The best news for all the die-hard fans of the film series is that if you've fallen under the franchise's magic, you won't be disappointed with its very last spell.