Not bad with a limited time frame.

Rating: 9/10 (3 December 2005)

As most people I'm sure felt, I walked into the theatre wondering how are they going to put that entire book to the screen? I was impressed.
They managed to get the bulk of the story while cutting some of the fat from the written word. The movie was non-stop, kind of like a car chase that doesn't end for two and a half hours, but people who haven't read the book will have a general idea of what is happening. In other words, it caters to the masses.
The effects were incredible and I especially liked the underwater scene as well as the climax with Voldomort which was very close to the way I imagined it while reading the book.
There are, for me, two points that I found a little disappointing. First was Mad Eye Moody. It's not that he was horrible he was just not the way I envisioned him. I guess that falls under the category of 'to each their own'.
Second was how Dumbledore presented himself. He was a little too harsh for my taste. Again, I always saw him as a patient and calm man, not aggressive and curt.
Now with that said, the only other problem I had was not with the movie but with the 'attendees', THIS MOVIE IS NOT FOR SMALL CHILDREN! I was in the theatre surrounded by some as young as three and four; besides not understanding a thing that is going on, there are some definite points which made me even cringe.
Some people are stuck on the idea that Harry Potter is for kids, but what they fail to realize is that with each passing year they grow up, and so do the plot lines. An advance word of warning...when the next one comes out, leave the kiddies at home...please?
All in all I was happy with the product. I do, however, highly recommend reading the novel. As with most movie adaptations...the book is better