Won't disappoint true believers

Rating: 6/10 (24 May 2004)

Saw it in a preview yesterday. I'm no HP fan, but I've accompanied my daughter (now 10) to all three movies. Hoped this one would have some (chaste) "Y Tu Mama Tambien" teenage exuberance, but it's not much different than the other movies. This one is better--and probably scarier--but not much better. It's slow-paced until near the end, and, if you haven't the read the book, somewhat incomprehensible. Most fun is spotting familiar English actors--Emma Thompson, David Thewlis, Gary Oldman, Julie Christie, Dawn French, Timothy Spall. Daughter complained that important elements of the book were omitted. Tried to explain that as Rowling's books keep getting longer and movies needed to stay more or less the same length, something had to go. She remains unpersuaded.