Good, great, OK, bit disappointed (spoiler)

Rating: Null/10 (1 June 2004)

Went to see this with great anticipation, as a massive fan of all the books so far. Left feeling somewhat satisfied, somewhat bemused and slightly outraged - they have butchered some of the most crucial parts of the book.
Although I enjoyed the first two films, I was pleased at the improved direction, and performances from the young cast. I felt Cuaron captured the dark and dangerous feel the book had once Harry had finished with the Dursley's! He also managed to make Hogwarts appear even more beautiful, despite the dull dark atmosphere.
The choice of replacement for Dumbledore worked well in the film but he seemed to have lost some of his imposing manner (I'm not convinced Voldemort would have feared Dumbledore as portrayed here). The casting of the additional characters was spot-on though, as was the humour in the film (altho I do admit I was howling with laughter at some parts which the rest of the cinema didn't seem to find quite so funny!)
What perplexed me the most was how rushed certain parts appeared to be and how what I believe to be crucial explanations were missed out. As others have commented, the Moony, Padfoot, Prongs and Wormtail connection (or who these alias's belong to) was not explained at all, neither was Lupin's knowledge about the map (are we to assume he is psychic??) By neglecting to explore this we do not see how important Lupin, Black or Pettigrew once were to Harry's father, or indeed that Harry's father could transform into a stag (which is an inexcusable omission - the patronus Harry conjured to save him is a stag, and it is this that is used to show him his father is always in his heart!) Also the film fails to mention Harry's heartbreaking disappointment that it was not his father he saw on the other side of the lake. Given his love for his parents, and his grief, it seems strange that he is just shown as being pleased it was himself.
I think that by spending an extra 10-15 minutes explaining these things the film would seem far more "complete" to all those who know and love the books, and the character of Harry would be far closer to that of the books, and more likable. Despite this though I did enjoy the film for what is was - a seriously entertaining action fantasy film.