Too Gloomy and Several Critical Aspects were missing

Rating: 3/10 (6 June 2004)

I am a huge HP fan, and I admit I am not his target audience. However, I just have to agree with the previous review about the lacking in this film. I understand that you have to make certain transitions or adjustments between a book and a film. However, there were MANY things about this movie that could have been much better.
The film definitely had a much darker feel to it than previous HP films. I understand that the characters are older and the situations are darker than previous books. However, it was so dark, (especially the cinematography) that it just became a dreary movie. For example, any HP fan knows that Harry was very happy to stay at the Leaky Cauldron. However, the set was so morbid and ugly, it makes it difficult to believe he would really feel "at home" there. The same goes for the way Hogwarts appeared in this film. Harry always says he "feels at home" when he's at Hogwarts much more than with the Dursleys. Again, that was pretty hard to believe given how dark and cold and dreary all of the scenery was.
Lastly, I think a few critical parts of the plot were left out of this movie. For example, it's pretty important to this and future books that Harry (and the audience) understand the relationship between Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail and Prongs. NO explanation is given in this movie of who they are or what their history relevant to the map is. Also, although the stag was shown briefly at the end, explaining that he was actually Prongs was also missed. I can appreciate the intensive tone towards the end of the movie with the werewolf, but it isn't true that the werewolf would have tried to kill the black dog. According to the book, they were amicable as animagus(es).
Other examples include...how did Snape find them in the shrieking shack? Why did Sirius bark at Harry back on Privet drive ?
Lastly, the character development was lacking. It wasn't very believable that Draco Malfoy would go from total arrogance to a whining, sniveling wimp just because Hermione hit him with the wand. There are several other examples but I will stop with those.
Overall, I enjoyed the movie somewhat, but I really hope the future releases will not have the same dreary, gloomy tone. Or if they do, they at least need more humor, better character development, and better explanation of critical aspects such as those mentioned above. Personally, I think adding 45-50 more minutes to the movie for the sake of better flow and development, would have been worth it.