Action-packed

Rating: 8/10 (13 November 2005)

Saw this at an advanced screener today. Good points: acting is much improved (save for a few characters like Cho), good veteran cast (Rita Skeeter esp stole the scenes she was in), lots of scenes from the book were crammed in so lots for Harry Potter fans to cheer for, great CGI work and good soundtrack.
Not so good points: humor is mostly accidental and absent, character development within the film do not progress smoothly and everything feels rushed, Dumbledore is also a weak point (he has almost no gentleness and has no redeeming features).
Bottomline: as a Potterhead, I enjoyed the film but it just feels too rushed. I read they were thinking of doing a "Kill Bill" with this movie and splitting it into two. I think that would've been a much better experience and I hope they pack the DVD with LOTR-style enhanced length versions.