Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 stars, from left, Matthew Lewis, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe. (Warner Bros. Pictures)

What a long, strange journey it's been.

It was November of 2001 when the cherubic faces of Harry Potter's three magical musketeers first hit the big screen -- the same month Amélie and Monsters, Inc. were released. J.K. Rowling's hit book series arrived onscreen in a media blitz that offered a taste of things to come. The first film was cheesy, clunky -- and charming. As the series matured, so did both the audience and the actors.

For the Potter generation, watching the films became an almost-annual rite of passage. Slowly, we saw boy wizard Harry Potter grow into a teen and then a young man. Hermione Granger stepped into her role as the true brain of the bunch and Ron Weasley, well, kept being steadfast Ron.

Now, nearly a decade since he first apparated into our imaginations, Harry Potter casts his final spell. The Deathly Hallows - Part 2 chronicles an epic battle of massive magical propositions. Tying together so many plot threads from the series, the final two hours burst with information. However, after the frustrating experience of Deathly Hallows - Part 1, the finale provides a satisfying release.

As has been the case with many of the films, the finale groans under the weight of compressing the reams of intricate detail from Rowling's novel -- if you haven't read the books, consider bringing along a friend who has. Harry, Ron and Hermione teleport about Britain at a pace that would impress even the X-Men's Nightcrawler. There is some business about the destruction of the final horcruxes containing the soul of He Who Must Not Be Named. Then there's the titular Deathly Hallows: a trio of magical objects that make their holder unstoppable. Lizard-faced Lord Voldemort already has his hands on the powerful Elder Wand and, as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry prepares for siege, the future looks grim indeed.

The darkness swirling around the final instalment has built up as the series evolved: each novel and film became bleaker. Here, with the final battle essentially waged in a schoolyard and blood caked behind Harry's iconic glasses, the film could be subtitled: Life During Wartime. Magic is no longer a skill, a language to be taught and refined. Wands have become weapons and the screen crackles as bolts of deadly energy zap back and forth. Inside the hallowed halls of Hogwarts, students live in makeshift tent cities -- emphasizing the serious stakes.

The films feature many veteran British actors, including (from left) Miriam Margolyes, Gemma Jones, Jim Broadbent and David Bradley. (Warner Bros. Pictures)

In the end, what sticks in my mind is the constancy of craft. Built in part on the backbone of the British film industry, the world of Harry Potter has become a refuge for gloriously old-fashioned faces. There's the ever-captivating Alan Rickman, who elevates Professor Snape's dialogue into pure poetry with his prolonged pauses, or the stately Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore. Dapper twins James and Oliver Phelps are a delight as Fred and George Weasley. Maggie Smith, as Professor McGonagall, gets some long-overdue screen time and makes the most of it.

Of the three central heroes, I've found actor Rupert Grint the most interesting to watch. While fans may not find his Ron as dreamy as Dan Radcliffe's Harry, his character's anger and frustration at this chaotic wizard world seems to burn the brightest. Still, in the transformation department, Matthew Lewis nearly steals the show as the cardigan-wearing champion Neville Longbottom. He is the Thomas the Tank Engine of the Potterverse, who just keeps chug-chug-chugging along, regardless of the stakes.

With its enchanting ending, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 ties a final bow on a series that has demonstrated the movie magic Hollywood is capable of creating, when properly inspired.

RATING: Four-and-a-half smoking wands out of five.

Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2. (Warner Bros. Pictures)