15 Most Disappointing Films Of The Decade (So Far)

14. Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows should have been one movie. The moment the totally corporate decision to split the final book in two happened there was really no coming back. Predictably, Part 1 wound up being an aimless road movie that had to reposition the death of a character who hadn't appeared since Chamber Of Secrets in 2002 into a big emotional finale, while Part 2 was a few key plot points strung out by explosive action. The overarching narrative of the series closer was lost in the split and we're now left with two overlong parts that don't even fit that well together as a four hour experience.

Neither film is without merit (after all, Harry Potter as a film series was always greater than the sum of its parts); there's moments of wonder and the film handles the nostalgic resonance very well. And yet because it's so stretched out it's hard to get fully involved in the final stages of the great wizarding war. Such a shame given how J.K. Rowling had provided a story that really ties the series together.

This is amplified by a bizarre decision to remove much of the subtext from the climax. The final battle, a symbolic moment where Harry finally matures and becomes the man he needs to defeat the Dark Lord through wits becomes a zip-zapping lightshow with clashing spells and puffs of smoke that contains all the satisfaction of a earwax Every Flavour Bean.