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Parents' Guide to

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Spectacularly epic, poignant end to a magical series.

Movie PG-13 2011 130 minutes
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 91 parent reviews

Jesse M.
Jesse M. Adult
October 13, 2022
age 14+
Definitely an older teen/adult film. The quality of the move is very good. There are some great themes about bravery, friendship, and self-sacrifice. Do not recommend for early teens/tweens. This is the most violent in the series. It has serious themes (pieces of Voldemort's soul hidden in different objects, Harry is preparing to accept death, etc.). The Battle of Hogwarts is depicted, and corpses are shown with eyes open. Death Eaters, dementors, spiders, etc... are faced by the characters. Bodies burst open. A character is bitten by a snake multiple times and you can hear the body jerking and slamming (and horrible sounds of the person dying). Very gruesome. I know tweens that could sit through this and pretend it didn't bother them, but their brains are still forming and there's is a lot of evil/darkness in this movie to process. I would recommend for High School age or over.
n8lhg
n8lhg Parent of 18+, 18+ and 9-year-old
July 24, 2011
age 13+

Role Models? Not a chance.

I took my entire family to all the Potter movies. I'm not sure what some parents consider Role Models, but Hollywood should never be a role model for any child, or adult. They are good movies with an escape, but keep the Role Models to real people who have morals and ethics. Not Hollywood actors, or movie characters.
See all 91 parent reviews

What's the Story?

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 2 begins when we last saw Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) convalescing at Shell Cottage after Dobby died rescuing them from certain death at Malfoy Manor. Harry enlists injured goblin Griphook (Warwick Davis) to help them break into Bellatrix Lestrange's (Helena Bonham Carter) vault at Gringotts in search of more missing horcruxes. But after a death-defying escape, Harry realizes that they must return to Hogwarts to find the final items they seek. With aid from Aberforth Dumbledore (Ciarán Hinds) and Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis), who's assembled all of their friends, the central trio goes back to a Death Eater-run Hogwarts, now led by Headmaster Severus Snape (Alan Rickman). Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) declares all-out war on Harry, whom he's desperate to kill before Harry can destroy all of the remaining horcruxes and render him mortal again. Thus begins the climactic Battle of Hogwarts, in which Harry makes life-changing discoveries, while his friends take up wands to help him save the wizarding world.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (91 ):
Kids say (468 ):

Director David Yates has been at the helm of the Harry Potter series since the fifth film, and he sends it off with a spectacular finish. He switches from Part 1's sparse, atmospheric tone to a relentlessly intense war film in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Grint and Watson add some much-needed levity with their sweet romantic overtures, but while they're off fighting Death Eaters hand-in-hand, it's Radcliffe's big moment to propel the action to Harry's final confrontation with Voldemort. Also shining brightly are Lewis' Neville, who, after years of being the class wallflower, proves just how brave a Gryffindor he is, and Kelly Macdonald, who plays a ghost with fiery intensity. Rickman gets his best scenes ever in a series of flashbacks that explore his true nature, and Maggie Smith is surprisingly gleeful as Professor McGonagall in warrior mode.

For once, Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves' adaptation could have been even longer to properly represent crucial moments like Molly Weasley (Julie Walters) taking on Bellatrix Lestrange, or Ron and Hermione finally admitting their feelings through a kiss (neither scene is quite as heart-stopping in the film as on the page). Other sequences, like Harry's momentous walk in the Forbidden Forest, the Weasley family convening in grief, a look through Snape's memories, and even the controversial-to-readers epilogue, are all handled quite beautifully -- poignant moments of the heart to punctuate the nonstop action of the battle. Much of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is either a tearjerker or an epic battle scene -- sparks flying, wizards dueling, creatures crushing each other. It all builds up to a last indelible shot ... one that reminds us while all may be well, it's sad to know that the Harry Potter series has ended.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is age-appropriate for young kids, even if they've already read the books or are familiar with the characters. How does the tone and subject matter of the series change over time?

  • Which characters reveal different parts of themselves in this movie? Why did they make the choices they made? How do those decisions affect Harry?

  • How does the development of Ron and Hermione's relationship contrast to most other teen love stories? Is a slow-burning romance as believable or exciting to watch as love at first sight?

  • Did the final movie live up to your expectations? Are there any other book sagas you'd be as excited to see turned into movies, or do you think it's unlikely another franchise would hold as much magical appeal?

  • How do the characters in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 demonstrate perseverance, teamwork, and courage? Why are those important character strengths?

Movie Details

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