Not too great.

Rating: 4/10 (7 August 2008)

In my honest opinion, if you're an only-HP-movie fan and see this movie before reading the book(s), you wouldn't understand it. It sums up everything from the book pretty shabbily, and you won't be able to understand what's happening where. I have read the books, and had no difficulty understanding the movie, but I was highly disappointed by this.
First of all, the director. Mike Newell disappointed me. It seemed as though everything was hurried and rushed on the sets. I'm glad they found Yates for the fifth one, and even happier that he'll be staying for the sixth and both the seventh films.
Secondly, the acting. Rupert Grint and Emma Watson showed the best performance, IMO. While others were also pretty good, I was most disappointed with Daniel Radcliffe, and now, after a whole year passed after the FIFTH movie, I've come to the conclusion that his acting skills have gone DOWN since the fourth movie. He was actually pretty good in the first three movies, but I have no idea whatsoever about what's happened so suddenly. And second to Daniel would be Michael Gambon. Gambon is actually pretty good, but he will never beat the level Richard Harris went to. Harris was the real Dumbledore, not Gambon. While Gambon does a good job, Harris definitely did a better one.
And lastly, the script. What on EARTH made Kloves make Dumbledore grab Harry and shake him? That isn't Dumbledore, it's some randomly inserted alien clone. Dumbledore would never do that. And besides that, what the HELL was with the Harry/Hermioneness? The whole book was practically filled with Ron/Hermione moments (only second to Half Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows), and the movie was simply Harry/Hermione. It seemed that the row between Ron and Hermione (which was supposed to be the main R/Hr bit) was simply put there because it was in the book. Being an avid Ron/Hermione supporter, I have my rights to say that the Harry/Hermioneness was completely uncalled for.
I shouldn't be rating this 4 on 10, but 3 on 10, but I added an extra point because it was part of my favorite book franchise.