No one can accuse it of being too short.

Rating: Null/10 (23 November 2002)

This is a beautifully-filmed movie. It matches the first in its quality. Also, Dobby was one of the most believable CGI characters I've ever seen -- compared to Jar-Jar Binks, Dobby is Olivier. Having said that, HP&COS is a movie for fans of Harry Potter, meaning primarily younger viewers. My kids argued about the parts that were left out, but my main concern was if I was going to be able to stay awake until the end. SPOILER ALERT: Don't read past this point if you haven't seen the movie. A few things that bothered me: 1) There was no character development. Harry, Ron and Hermione had adventures, but there seemed no movement from the beginning of the story to the end. 2) The villain had no logical reason for the writing on the walls. It seemed to be an excuse for something ominous to happen. 3) It seems to be a common device for there to be a "mystery" in which, for misdirection, the wrong person is accused. It's happened in both HP movies. 4) My kids explained that only Harry could understand the "snake language" from the walls...but why couldn't anyone else hear it, even as gibberish? Seems like someone would have called for a plumber because of the noise in the pipes. For parents and those who haven't read the books, it's tempting to start working on a "to-do" list about halfway through. At two hours and forty minutes, the movie is way too long. But for HP purists, it may be just the right length.