“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” became the highest domestic opening of all time at the box office this past weekend, and for good reason.

The David Yates-directed film—based on the second half of the final book of the beloved series by J.K. Rowling—conclude ten years worth of film adaptations that defined a generation of fans worldwide.

Not only was this film the last of the series, but in this viewer’s opinion it was also the best.

It was a bittersweet yet long awaited farewell as fans watched Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) race against time to destroy the horcruxes—objects that contain pieces of the villian’s soul—of the much-feared Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and put an end to him once and for all.

It was a visual definition of war as lives are lost and sacrifices are made, all for the sake of bringing peace back into the world.

While the film has a primarily serious feel to it, humorous moments were cleverly incorporated that made it all the more enjoyable to watch.

Another creative aspect was there were some moments that, while only briefly described in the book, were elaborated much more in the film.

Despite the creativity of re-working the plot, it was disappointing to see that there were important moments from the book that did not make it into the film.

While timing is essential when adapting a book for the big screen, it would have been wise to cut down on the rather lengthy final action sequence to incorporate other important, yet smaller moments.

In addition, the absence of a big finale definitely left the midnight premiere attendees a little lost and confused, resulting in another disappointment of not enough impact at expected moments.

That also goes for the underdeveloped romantic relationships; the audience was left expecting more.

The weak plot points aside, the strong and believable acting definitely made up for it. The actors’ performances were definitely a strong contribution to the film’s overall success.

In particular, the performance of Alan Rickman as Professor Severus Snape left a lasting impression as he goes out of his way to reveal the complexity of his character—made up with emotions and thoughts that really show the condition of human struggle.

Special effects, as always, played an important role when it came to wand duels, magical creatures and other acts of sorcery and they were as amazing as ever. They not only created impressive graphics and sequences but they also complimented the storytelling and performances very well.

A tip of the hat to Alexandre Desplat, the composer and conductor of the film’s score, is also in order. Desplat—who also did the music for the predecessor last fall—played a big role in bringing the intensity and setting the tone, right from the opening credits.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” is a film that ought to not be passed by anyone.

For those who never were fans of the series, it’s a display of not just special effects at its finest, but also an adapted version of Rowling’s interpretation on the hardcore reality of loss and sacrifice when it comes to war.

For the fans that have grown up reading the books and watching the movies, it’s an apocalyptic, fulfilling finale to the franchise they know and love.