Decent condensation

Rating: 7/10 (8 March 2006)

.....and, short of making a 6-hour film, a condensation is what this film is. The script must have been absolutely rotten to write. What to leave in? What to leave out? JK Rowling's books are so full of totally imaginative magical things and creatures. But they left in enough magical moments to make the film work. The film is executed beautifully. Some of the art department's work, particularly the Yule Ball set, is stunning. Wardrobe also did a fantastic job on all the finery for the ball. The young main characters, now seasoned actors, are coming along in their acting abilities. The adult actors, as usual, are terrific. Alan Rickman as Professor Snape scares me every time I see him! The direction is first-rate. Overall, a very enjoyable film. I'm not going to complain about what was left out. When you try to make a 2-1/2 hour film from a 700 page book, some things just gotta go. I did want to see what a blast-ended skrewt looked like, though! Very little of real import was left out of the film vs the book. I believe that anyone who follows just the films should be able to keep up. Left in, and so importantly so, is the young wizards growing up. Their relationships are now taking on more adult-like characteristics. They are (in some cases, rather reluctantly) discovering the opposite sex. They're moodier than before. They're, well, they're Teenagers! I did think that the special effects in this film left me feeling that they should have been much better, and that's my major complaint about the film. The mood of this film, while having a lot of lighter moments, turns very, very dark toward the end. Death is now reality for the students of Hogwarts. Readers of the books can just fill in the blanks and embellish the film with all the little goodies that there just wasn't time for. I'm looking forward to the Order of the Phoenix! I just wish they wouldn't make us all wait so damned long between films!