Watch this on a flat screen!

Rating: 6/10 (22 November 2005)

I saw Harry Potter at an IMAX theatre. Bigger, better, right?
Apparently not so.
First, the IMAX experience. I now believe that IMAX screenings should only be for IMAX-shot movies, not merely reformatting feature-length Hollywood types. IMAX movies are projected onto a 5-storey dome screen. While this makes natural landscapes awesome, the curvature distorts images e.g. buildings. And after 2.5 hours, this reviewer is also left nursing a stiff neck.
Next the movie. Visually, Mike Newell uses beautiful sets and the right measure of special effects at the right time to create a breath-taking and magical movie. He also balances the foreboding grays and damp mood with apt interjections of humour.
My biggest disappointment is that the movie merely follows the episodic structure of the book but lacks the pacing, rhythm, defeats and climatic showdown of a quintessential hero movie.
My second disappointment is that Newell's character treatment is sorely lacking. Hero movies hinge on the audience's ability to empathise and root for the characters (think Rocky, Frodo, Bruce Lee). This is a pity as Rowling is gifted at bringing characters to life. As the fourth instalment, this is a watershed moment for Harry. The Tri-Wizard competition offers Harry a series of tests before he takes on Lord Voldemort, the baddest mutha in the human and wizarding world. I'm all for Harry who triumphs with courage, respect for human life and choosing the right decision over the easy decision. However, I feel that Newell should take more than a page off Rowling's Harry  a hero who struggles (genuinely).
With the right ingredients, The Lord of The Rings trilogy has shown us that great books can be made into great movies. Let's hope that this can also be said of the Harry Potter movies.
Ratings: IMAX Experience  1/5; Movie  3/5; Book  4.5/5