Playtime's over, now it's serious business

Rating: 9/10 (8 January 2008)

After the first 15 minutes, I could sense that this wasn't going to be like the other HP movies. This one has a dark, gloomy mood about it which isn't helped by Harry's frequent temper outbursts. As Dumbledore put it towards the end of Goblet of Fire (HP4) "Dark and difficult times lie ahead", so this installment says it all. That means that for Harry, Ron and Hermione and their friends it's no longer enjoyment and pleasure as usual.
However, despite the dark mood of the film, it was great entertainment as the main actors have shown that they have matured with experience. Radcliffe, despite his dark moods, has matured with his age and shows that he could be a great star in future. Grint is no more the usual inferior Ron but has also matured with his age. And Watson? She simply gets better and better and is now growing into a real English rose with her looks. Ralph Fiennes (who I regard as a very handsome guy in reality) looks better as Voldemort and meaner too. Matthew Lewis is more assured as Neville and Bonnie Wright is also making her character Ginny more likable.
As for the new characters, Imelda Staunton is really mean as Umbridge and played her so well and I think that Helena B. Carter was quite good as Bellatrix Lestrage. But for me, among the new characters the one who really stands out is Evanna Lynch, who plays Luna Lovegood. Lynch is as pretty as the character she plays and I think she portrayed Luna almost exactly as Rowling described her. I believe she can get better in the next HP movie.
I heard people complaining that the film was not exactly true to the book and, in truth, I have a few complaints. But it doesn't take anything from this movie. The complaints of most people are mainly that several scenes in the book were omitted from the movie and not that the acting was terrible. If the acting was terrible then I would have cause to complain. But it wasn't and that's what makes this installment tick. For those of you who are complaining, you should not have expected everything in the book to be cramped into the movie, otherwise we may have gotten a 5-hour-long bore instead of a 137-minute flick. See the movie as a movie that it is and you will enjoy it. But if you are going to whine about the plot, then here's my verdict: If you think that because of the omissions, this movie is rubbish, then NO MOVIE (AND I MEAN NONE AT ALL!!) WILL MAKE YOU SATISFIED, AND YOU SHOULD NOT WASTE YOUR TIME TO WATCH ANY MOVIE AT ALL!! Because I know that several good movies in the past have thin plots.
Overall I give it a 9/10 and despite the dark atmosphere, there is a lot about it that is worth remembering. And that's great!