Could have been better

Rating: 5/10 (23 November 2005)

A very entertaining film, but my feeling is that it fails to bring all the threads together in the end. There are several glaring omissions in the storyline, which will be readily apparent if you have read the book. I thought that it was a complete waste of time introducing the character of Rita Skeeter (Richardson), with whom very little was done. Dumbledore (who should really be called Bumblebore by this time) is very superficial throughout, leading me to wonder if it's directing or just Gambon's performance. I know the book is very extensive, but in all fairness to the film, in order to sell the story, maybe Warner Bros. should not be so afraid of giving it the Peter Jackson treatment and stretching it to over 3 hours instead of 2.5. I was left wanting more in the end, feeling a bit dissatisfied.