Something darker this way comes

Rating: 7/10 (1 March 2006)

I've generally not been too thrilled with the Harry Potter franchise as I simply cannot connect with the story, but, at the behest of my other half I sat through it and was pleasantly surprised.
While out of the storyline myself I found that this installment in the series was much more entertaining than the previous Harry Potter movies due to its sinister, dark nature. Being a sinister, dark person myself I find it easier to connect with such movies. The previous Harry Potter films felt childish, silly, and fun, while this one definitely grips you in several key spots.
At points sometimes grim, it might scare the younger among us, which is quite a large turn for the Harry Potter franchise -- which, generally, has been kid-friendly. That being said, a fine piece of work, and they're even starting to slip a little sexual tension in among the characters, which I knew was bound to happen sooner or later.
Another point: from watching the first couple of films I accrued a small image of Albus Dumbledore, and Richard Harris portrayed the character quite well. I felt his private, more lighthearted side and fondness for Harry came across very well on screen. With that in mind, the performance of Michael Gambon as Dumbledore is a radical shift. His character feels a lot darker -- which follows in step with the movie, I suppose. However, at times he felt like a completely different character, and actually somewhat disconnected.
That said, nobody particularly stands out, but nobody falls short, either. An overall decent performance (personally I'd like to see more Snape; I'm a big fan of Alan Rickman).
A fine entertainer for the not easily-scared in your family.