My Expectation Bubble Burst and it wasn't good

Rating: 5/10 (16 July 2007)

Our family had high expectations for this Harry Potter movie. I had thought the last one was over the top in story, action, cinematography. I was on an adrenaline high when I left it and couldn't wait to see it again when it came on video. My daughter has read all the Harry Potter books, more than once. I read the first one so I am coming toward this not as how true to the book, but from the pure entertainment value. It was a good movie and we'll worth attending to see on the big screen, but not near as good as the prior Harry Potter movies from action and cinematography. Maybe they were trying to be true to the book so they included some of the chit/chat sequences...They were so staged and seemingly irrelevant all that did was make me feel that these actors were doing it for pay check with no heart in it at all. We bought tickets in advance for Friday night thinking it will be packed out. Our theater was empty...maybe 20 people in it at 8:30 on a Friday Night. Granted, that was probably the exception than the rule, but still, I don't think you are going to have a lot of repeat attenders and word of mouth won't be as positive as in the past. I can only think the change in directors caused this outcome. It seemed so staged, as the kids, Harry & Co, lined up to walk in a V formation across bridges, through doors, not like they were on a mission to save their world, but because somebody told them to line up this way and walk in place while we move the computer animation behind you. It would be so obvious that the background was computer generated....of course a lot of it is in fantasy movies, but let us think it is real like it was in the goblet of fire. What I liked: Scenes with Harry teaching the kids (when he finally gets his chip off his shoulder) magic, the revelation about Snape being picked on by Harry's oh so nice dad...but why leave that hanging, the fight between Dumbledorf and Voldemort, the sense of this secret order that has all the people that Harry trusts and the old picture of all the folks that were against Voldemort, some having turned to his side. BTW, my husband liked it and my daughter the reader loved it!