Good as a film but missing some crucial details

Rating: 7/10 (9 June 2004)

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. But the director had a monumental challenge in adapting a book that most fans have read dozens of times and memorized down to the tiniest detail. Of course, even the slightest deviation from the book was going to be met with aghast cries from the Potter-obsessed. So instead of trying to cram everything into the movie, Cuaron went for style instead and tried to transplant his own vision, instead of Rowlings's, to the screen.
For the most part he succeeded. I especially liked how the three main characters - wearing street clothes - had more natural interaction and seemed more like regular teenagers. And the visual effects and scenery were stunning.
But there were some major plot holes that weren't explained, namely, the history of the Maurauders' Map everything that goes along with that, including the friendship between Harry's father and the other three. I found that that alone stopped this movie from being as good as it could have been.