This edition of the Harry Potter franchise lives up to the book. Where critics seem to pan this movie for not being at Hogwarts, they are missing the concept of the final book.
This movie delivers in capturing the essence of book seven. Ron, Hermione and Harry are the hunters who are hunted. There is tension among the characters and there is the struggle of carrying heavy responsibility while still growing up.
The adaptation of the first half of book seven combined with the acting and cinematography make this film well worth the wait. It makes the final installment of the franchise that much more anticipated.
In short it is a wonderful film. But it does (rightfully so) assume that the viewer has either seen the previous movies or read the book. It delivers an excellent story.