Just calm down. It's good.

Rating: 9/10 (22 November 2005)

Let's start off by saying it is not the book. No movie ever will be able to contain all of the glory and wonder of a book, particularly J.K. Rowling's wonderful literary gems. What is managed in the movie, and I would say more so in this than the previous three, is all of the essences of the story are present, even if a great deal of the text is cut.
This has by far the most perfect special effects that have been seen in the industry thus far. The dragon scene is much longer than in the book, granted, but I could have sat and watched only that for an hour. It was beautiful. The Dark Mark is awe-inspiring, and for once, when a person is made into a CGI creation, they actually still look like a person.
The acting is brilliant, as the three kids have become marvelous young actors. Rupert Grint has finally learned to stay in a scene when he is not speaking, and Emma Watson has gained a mastery over high emotion. The additions of Miranda Richardson, Frances De La Tour, Brendan Gleeson, and David Tennant (The new Doctor Who) were fantastic. Mad-Eye Moody may not be what you expected, but he grows on you after his teaching scene. Rita Skeeter is exactly like the book portrays her, but unfortunately her character does not get the resolution of the book. I would say she is still a valuable addition, and I am glad they kept her in. Madame Maxime is perfectly gigantic, and was amazing to boot. As for Michael Gambon, it is not his fault that he is not Richard Harris, and if you are still expecting that you will not get it. His Dumbledore is different, and I would use the word edgy. The thing to take into account with his actions is indeed that the times are getting dark, and he has a great deal on his plate.
As for problems with discrepancies in the book, here is my one big spoiler: neither Winky, nor Dobby was in this movie. I know the reaction, "How is the plot possible then?" Simply trust me in saying that it works despite their absences. I was as upset as anyone about their lack of appearance, but the movie works very smoothly anyway.
You will see that a great deal has been cut, and for that I cannot bring myself to give it a prefect score, but I believe it is by far the best of the movies, and I look forward to seeing it again.
Also, if you have the opportunity, go see it in IMAX, it is unbelievable.