Strike three

Rating: 4/10 (19 December 2004)

The third of the Potter films is, by far, the visually most impressive one. The not-so-great effects from previous films are all gone, and replaced by some top notch work. Also, the overall look and feel of the film is darker and more interesting than before. That said, there are still huge problems.
The plot is still virtually the same as the other two: Potter at home, mean foster family, some magic, meet up with Ron's family and off to school, a couple of new teachers, some new mysterious danger, nobody telling Potter anything, evil Malfoy brat bullying people, more talk about Harry's parents, Quidditch, and some incomprehensible talk leading up to yet another anti-climax. As before, it seems vital to have read the novels if you're going to get to grips with what's happening on screen.
The acting is a bit better in this outing, but it's still far from perfect. And, the script is pretty messy, making little or no sense, and with some annoying things as well (Potter's fainting grows tiresome real fast). Now that they've got the film to look good, I'm just waiting for someone that dares to really adapt the book for the screen, making a "real" film out of it, rather than just an illustrated version of the book aimed squarely at the die-hard fans. [4/10]