Hits and Misses in acting

Rating: 7/10 (25 July 2007)

As far as plot goes, it matches exactly that in the book, though only the essential plot is portrayed. Most of the details which made the book so popular has been edited away, which is understandable. One of the reasons why I saw this movie was to see how they manage to cut the book down to a 2 hour movie. But, fraid not, the plot still manages to keep you in your seat throughout the movie.
That said, one of the best way to measure this movie is in terms of acting. For those who read the book, all the characters are very colourful and diverse. Unfortunately not so in the movie. Albus Dumbledore for one is entirely flat throughout the movie. Michael Gambon never did manage to portray him as magnificent as the lead character should be. Each time his scene comes on, I was praying that it wont last long.
The other 3 main characters, the young students, was really just so-so. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe)'s acting has not much substance, though I must say it was better than the previous movies. Rupert Grint wasn't that much better too. And Emma Watson didn't have enough screen time to show off her potential.
There are however, excellent characters in this movie. Such as Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) and Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch). Their acting matches the character and maybe even surpasses the book, at least in my opinion. Emma Thompson as Sybil deserves an applaud too. And yet another character that stands out is Helena Bonham Carter's Bellatrix Lestrange. Though she comes in late in the movie, and has very little on screen time, her acting alone more than makes up for the loss of all the other main characters. Here's one character to look forward to in the next movie.