Totally uninteresting

Rating: 5/10 (1 June 2004)

****possible spoilers****
I will admit beforehand that I have not seen the other 2 films, or read any of the books. Also, I went into the cinema fulling expecting not to like this film at all (but then again I thought that with Lord of the Rings and ended up loving it.) However, having just got back from watching the film, my over-riding emotion is one of confusion.
Even my friend who's read the books agreed that the film made no sense. One moment Black is an evil scheming baddie, the next he's a hero. Eh? What was the point in that glowing horse? How did Black manage to escape and remain undetected in the first place? Does that bully actually have anything useful to do? If you've read the book then you'll know the answers. If you haven't, you'll sit there wondering just what the hell is going on.
My main gripe against the film is that nothing ever actually happens. A few under-developed plot strings amble on towards the (anti) climax, with an especially lame werewolf making its not-so-scary appearance towards the end. Put simply, the film goes nowhere and has nothing to say - characters are barely developed at all. By the way, its blatantly obvious who the werewolf is - just listen out for the characters surnames.
Being boring is perhaps the worst crime any film can commit, especially one that is aimed at kids. Yes I know I'm a 21 year old male and hence not in the films target demographics. But the secret of good kids movies is that they are enjoyable to all ages (for example Finding Nemo or Ice Age). Harry Potter is just plain dull. Poorly scripted, poorly acted (apart from Alan Rickman - who is always brilliant per se) and poorly edited. If you're a 10 year old Harry Potter fanatic I guess you might enjoy it a bit more, but then again you'll see the movie regardless of what anyone says. I wish I could've spent my money seeing Troy or the Day After Tomorrow again. I'm sure Harry Potter and it's inevitable sequels will do just fine at the box office though. Now, where did I leave my Return of the King DVD........