Interesting...

Rating: 9/10 (4 June 2004)

Seems like there are already two camps forming around this movie; the people who like the changes, and the ones who end up missing Columbus. I, for one, do not approve of all of the things Alfonso Cuaron has done but I still think it's a good movie.
Well, good if you are familiar with the book. Some of the nuances in the script are likely to be lost to people who haven't read it. There are a number of things left out, so I ended up using what I knew to fill in the holes. Also, some transitions were really awkward. The one that got me the most was a sudden switching to the Hagrid/Buckbeak storyline in the lake. I was a little disoriented.
Visually, this movie tops the other two. The redesigned sets are wonderful, just like what I imagine when I read the books. The placement of Gryffindor tower is bothersome, along with the placement of the house tables. However, the castle as a whole is great. While I felt the castle from the first two had a but of a...plastic...vibe to it, this one didn't. You can really get a sense of the kids growing up-different hairstyles, for one thing. It underscores the time theme running through the movie.
I've always had problems with the casting choices in the Harry Potter movies, and this one is no different. Perhaps they'll eventually come to grow on me, perhaps they won't and I'll just grudgingly accept them. I can't decide whether I like Micheal Gambon as the new Dumbledore, but I'm glad he put his own spin on the character. Emma Thompson as Professor Trelawny, however, was brilliant. Quite dead-on.
Dan, Emma and Rupert get more and more comfortable being the trio with every movie, I think. Their acting is loads better, and it's easy to see the compatibility of the three. They way they interact is very cute and natural. They share lots of really good friendship-type moments, but they are noticeably split into Harry and Hermione or Ron and Hermione...it makes a love triangle easy to realize with the later movies.
The ending left something to be desired. It was so...unresolved. The final scene was cheesy beyond words, as if they suddenly ran out of ideas and just put something together to meet the deadline.
Favorite line: "My way, I'm Head Boy!" Haha...such a Percy moment.

Biggest peeve: The patronus, also Harry practicing magic in his room, only to have it made quite clear ten minutes later that it's not allowed.