Don't believe the fan hype

Rating: 7/10 (14 July 2007)

This movie is a solid 7 out of ten. The acting was good. The plot was extremely choppy and hard to follow. The visuals were mostly great, but there were a couple of terrible CGI creations. There is some character development and decent amounts of action, but this isn't an "edge of your seat" experience. I am a fan of the Harry Potter books. I think they're well told and a lot of fun. That said, most fans I know who have seen this movie were like "It's the best movie of the century" or "I hate that they didn't include ___________, it ruined the entire movie." They are both wrong. The fanboys and fangirls are eschewing it or lapping it up based on their feelings love of the books. This is a decent summer movie. I'm glad I didn't que up to see it on some midnight show, because it isn't worth a ton of money or a large time investment. It is a pleasant diversion if you have a block of free time and feel like going to the movies. That said, if you haven't seen Ratatouille or Transformers, I'd recommend those first as they have better visuals, better acting and a much more realized plot than this. Just my opinion, but that's about how I see it.