Needs a better director.

Rating: Null/10 (22 July 2007)

This is a movie that only people that have read the book will understand - and, unfortunately, it is obviously these people that will be let down. The plot moves along at an exceedingly fast, cut-and-snip pace that leaves simple cinematic nuances on the cutting room floor, going at a pace that would be more suitable to a bomb-filled action movie than a magical one.
This movie could have benefited by a little bit more time, and a different director. The beginning, which though not necessarily important to plot is actually quite important to the cinematic experience was completely left on the cutting room floor. I couldn't even figure out who was talking - Harry or Dudley; it went too fast to tell. Even the beginning credit sequence was cut short - silenced in mid-overture. The ending seems like an after thought - many plot pieces that should have been much more coddled were left to simple half minute scenes. The high point in this film is not the end, but the middle - when Umbridge is making all her ridiculous rules. It's kind of sad - that isn't really the most important part of the plot but it is given movie-star treatment, and is done well. Nearly the entire middle of the movie is quite enjoyable - though, obviously, cut short from the book. Had the rest of the movie been like this, I would have given it a much higher rating.
This director could do to learn something from the Lord of the Rings director - how to compact a very long, drawn-out book into a well-paced movie that EVERYONE can understand and enjoy.