What should have been left in...(minor spoiler)

Rating: 6/10 (14 January 2008)

Visually, OP is stunning. The special effects are socko. The acting is good, especially Evanna as Luna Lovegood. All that works.
Yeah, OP is the longest book. As such, the writers and director should have done a little more work on it. Some things should never have been left out. We only get a small sense of the Black Family's history. The writers should have taken just a few more seconds for Sirius to explain that Bellatrix and Narcissa are sisters, and they grew up at 12 Grimmauld Place. Since Narcissa is Draco Malfoy's mother, this would have been vital information. It is also essential to understanding why Kreacher is such a mess and resurfaces later in the series. Family ties are such an important theme for Rowling, and this should never have been omitted.
The Order photograph was a brilliant piece of cinematic shorthand, but Sirius should have gone into a bit more detail about who was who. Such as, "Of the xx number of people in this picture, only xx are still alive. Voldemort killed the rest." That's a line that would have really brought home the scope of his evil.
Also, Sirius is such an essential part of Harry's life, he really should have had a couple more scenes. One reviewer said the movie felt rushed, and perhaps that's my problem with it.
The other bit that should have really been stressed was the importance of the Order of the Phoenix. We never really get the idea the OP was more than a few adept dissidents.
That said, Gary Oldman turns in a performance that, for all it's brevity, is memorable. Sirius Black is an excellent fit for Oldman. Tormented, betrayed, full of bad memories and dysfunctional background. Tailor-made for Oldman. LOL. However, Oldman brings a wonderful tenderness to his scenes with Harry that really makes the viewer love this Black sheep of his family. And his savage joy in fighting the Death-Eaters is unmatched. Sirius has always been a warrior with no battles to fight. In this, his first and last battle, he acquits himself brilliantly.
For the next movie, the writers and directors need to look for those details that may only add five minutes to the movie, but pay off in big leaps in character development, as well as plot devices.