Good, but could've been better - new director please for the next one

Rating: 7/10 (7 November 2007)

I know, there's already nearly a thousand comments on this film.... however, I wanted to add my minor quibbles on the things that disappointed me a bit and could be improved for the next few films.
1. The movie from fantasy to 'realism'. I dislike seeing the wizards in their 'street clothes'. I don't want scenes from England (other than the uber-conformist opening scenes with the Dudleys). To me this is an enchanted other world and it should be made to be very different than the Muggle world. This may seem very minor but I found the clothes to be incredibly jarring and it ruined the feel of the film for me.
2. Cutting subplots/maintaining the focus/point of the books. Like many fans have mentioned, I would happily have sat through a longer but more complex film (a la LOTR) -- but given that they made a regular feature length film --I don't mind them cutting some part of the book out(like the Quidditch matches or the hallway monitor issues). However, I thought one tiny subplot should have stayed in (and it would've taken all of 30 seconds to add). The focus of the books has always been that it's actually NOT ALL ABOUT HARRY - that he always triumphs because they are a combined force. This film captures that a bit but left out the part of the prophecy where it's revealed that this could have all happened to Neville instead. This was such a revelatory moment in the book for me - so I was strongly bothered by this being cut from the movie. I think this fits into the message that Harry (while certainly talented and special in someways) is not a super-power charged indestructible one man army.
3. One tiny miscast (Amongst such excellent casting). I'm a huge fan of nearly all the British actors (esp. Maggie Smith & Emma Thompson). Imelda Stauton did a tremendous job of conveying cloyingly sweet but insidiously deadly menace! She displayed the sort of intense understated brilliance as in "Vera Drake". I think the kids are growing into their parts nicely. Luna was a nice addition. The only person that didn't work for me was Helena Bonham Carter. In this film, she seemed to play the same sort of Tim Burton film character - vaguely goth/creepy. All the other actors became their characters for me, but every time she appeared I thought "oh look it's Helena Bonham Carter being Helena Bonham Carter". Please rethink her casting for the next film or find some