At Last - A film to do the book justice

Rating: Null/10 (31 May 2004)

As good as the first 2 Harry Potter films were, there was always something missing for me. It's hard to know what exactly, but the first two films felt a little like 'Famous 5' even if there were 3 main characters. Too much unlikely dialogue.
With this film Cuaron has allowed the kids to be themselves. They joke about, fidget and fall asleep in lessons the way kids do and they kick out and argue just like teenagers. In the first two films the kids spoke just to get the plot across, but here you see them marvel and suffer and it draws you in.
The film has no single jaw-dropping sequence. The whole tone is darker and murkier, which suits the books perfectly. Quidditch is played out in the rain, flowers die as the Dementors pass.
If like me you thought the first two films were too overpolished and simply OK, go and see this. It's the first film that shows how good these books are to read.