(Once again, disclaimer: if you haven't watched the anime series and/or the first movie, you're really in trouble here. No spoilers, of course, but really, go watch the other two. ;) )
Story (10/10): I can't be unbiased when I say this, but this movie recaps my favorite part of the whole damn show. Episodes 9-12 are hard hitting and this movie adapts that excellently. Since we get an unbroken line throughout, you realize how much really happens in the last 4 episodes and how great the story can be.
The heartbreak of episode 9, the tear-jerking realizations of 10, and the action, heartwarming sadness, and ultimate description of hope of 11 and 12 are all here. It's honestly hard not spoiling what happens (though with the internet being the internet, you might already know what happens), so I'll end the story section with this: PMMM is a great example of tragedy and the strength of hope. It's a story that started simple but spiraled out into a take on the magical girl genre that won't be forgotten for a long time.
(If there's one nitpick I have to talk about, it's similar to what I said in my review of the first movie- they removed Madoka's dream sequence from the first part, so the full impact that it should have brought never really gets felt like in the original series. I know it was probably just a measure of having to cut something, but it is a slight flaw.)
(Also Kyubey sucks at describing entropy. Sorry, but the physicist in me hates that part.)
Art (9/10): Everything here is great. The fight scenes look awesome, the barriers and witches as damn creepy as before, and the whole atmosphere draws you into what the characters are feeling. The last half hour of the movie is easily the best animation I've seen in a while and it just pushes the awesomeness of the climax even further into my memory.
Sound (9/10): Again, the sound for this is wonderful. We finally get a reprise of Connect (in it's original spot in episode 10s place in the movie) and at the end with a new mix done to an orchestra. (Really, I like Connect, so I have to gush about it. I know, I know.) We also have all the wonderful classical music that just adds to the movie in a way that I can't put my finger on. Lastly, we have the reappearance of the Ave Maria, which is always a wonderful song, and really strikes a chord with you in it's place at the end.
Character (10/10): With the original quintet of magical girls down to three (my favorite three, if I'm being honest), there's more solid character development that just pushes the story along. And it's amazing. With how Kyoko makes her final impact, the revelations of Homura's past, and the difficult decisions that Madoka has to make, it's really no wonder why they make the movie as strong as it is.
Kyubey also comes into his...it's(?) own here, showing how alien it really is. It comes out as one of the most fascinating things of the whole show, with how it holds the system that its race adopted. Again, spoilers, but Kyubey comes off as close to the villain as we get, yet when the end comes, you get an interesting reversal that I can't wait to see again in the third movie.
Enjoyment (9/10): This was the movie that I was most looking forward to watching, and it succeeded in that. If you couldn't tell, I liked this movie a lot, so I don't think I need to elaborate further huh? ;)
The only thing I can say that I didn't like is that, like every other recap movie, it was long. But since it was only concentrated on 4 episodes as opposed to the others 8, it just flows a lot better and makes for a better watch.
Overall, the Madoka movies are a real treat for prior viewers and newcomers alike. The second movie is where the real heart of the show is and it comes off that way. You won't be disappointed after watching this and you may have a new outlook on what it really means to be someones hope.
Catch you guys after we finally get to see the third movie!
