Just keeps getting better...

Rating: 10/10 (7 June 2004)

Although I've posted bits of this in a thread, I thought I'd like to leave a comment.
Wonderful film, much better, in my opinion than the first two, no offense whatsoever meant towards Christopher Columbus. He filled the more whimsical, juvenile feels of the books when Harry, Hermione and Ron were younger, and now they're aging, Cuaron was more than good for this more mature installment of the series.
I feel the critics have been right to hail this film, simply because they are viewing it from the proper perspective - they look at it and judge it as a film - not a retelling of a book. That is the way it should be. I am not saying that loving the book's content and feel is wrong - I am one of the millions of fans of the books - I am only saying that the film should stand completely separate from the book, and be judged as such. In this way, it succeeded painlessly.
Bear in mind both Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz were adaptations of beloved children's books, and though in many ways both had stark differences from their novel counterparts, they remain to this day as film classics.
Anyhow, on the film itself, many huge improvements from the Columbus films:
The film had a much better flow. I just watched the first two films recently, and I noticed more than ever how extremely choppy all the scene transitions were. In the third film, the flow is much more liquid, and when Hermione, Harry and Ron are talking - albeit this DOES have some part credited to better acting skills with age - the direction and sequence of the movie's direction allows interaction between characters to seem more... natural. As if they really are at school, going about daily life, however disrupted by adventure and mishap though it may be. I found that to be very redeeming, right off the mark.
Digital effects were noticeably better as well, although that's a technical improvement.
The characters are aging in the series. Cuaron did a magnificent job of channeling this new age of the wizards in both the writing (albeit they still kept some humor, just the right amount, I think) and the flow.
The plots get progressively darker as the series moves on. Many, MANY things were changed, yes, but you have to look at it from a movie scriptor's point of view - if there have to be minor changes in the plot, which involve characters being in different places than the book tells, you have to go back in the script and re-write to make sure that they logically get there. In the end, with all the cutting they had to do, due to time restraints, that involves a lot of stepping back and tweaking, and I feel that was also handled very well. Yes, it is a bit odd that suddenly dementors can fly, but that again harkens back to the need to have characters in place for plot advancement.
Scenery and set changes, I felt, were for the better. Some large parts have been left out, but the whole still remains intact and spared from too much confusion, though there is potential for some if you aren't listening carefully.
Chronological order (according to the novel) be damned - many people are seeing this film without having ever read the books, and that is how it should be viewed. Even if you have read them, I think if you try and empty your mind of prejudices and expectations in light of the books, and just view it as a film achievement, you will hardly be disappointed - you will be delighted.
I myself thoroughly enjoyed it, and can't wait to see it again.