What can a mediocre director do for Harry Potter? Obviously, nothing

Rating: Null/10 (19 July 2007)

I too have not read any of the books, so I will be judging the movie only on its merits as a film. It felt like a strangely anti-climactic film, in contrast to the story itself that was filled with excitement (one can tell that, even without prior knowledge of the book). The expectations were kept high all along but great disappointment ensued after the most important final scene - like something was missing, or failed to materialize. It was muddled, and somehow the dramatic importance of the events did not sink in at all. On top of that, there were countless secondary incidents and characters introduced here for the first time, while others (older characters) hardly got the attention they deserved - inevitable with such a production where stellar actors like Emma Thompson only get a scene or two at best and mostly serve as decoration. The fault lies entirely with the director. I came away feeling that the movie had no economy, no clear progression, no climax, and no distinct personality (as a film). Far too much time was spent on incidents that could have been compressed for the sake of the film's economy, which also created the impression that the director was trying not to disappoint the readers attempting a far too literal adaptation of the book (at least that's how it felt). I also heard others comment that the final scene was badly edited - to the point that some of the things that happened seemed incomprehensible (in how they came about). By far, the best Harry Potter film was no. 3 and I have no idea why they would let such a brilliant director as Alfonso Cuaron, walk away from the series. What is worst, I saw on IMDb that David Yates is to direct the next Harry Potter film! How that is to be prevented, I have no idea - but certainly it will be unfair for viewers and readers alike to be left with mediocre movies towards the end of the series. The only bright point in the film was the performances: Especially the delicious Imelda Staunton, the wonderful Gary Oldman, and the infallible Alan Rickman. Of course, people will see the movie no matter what anyone says or writes about it (I would), but is it too late to change the director of the next installment?