amazing.....truly stunning!

Rating: 10/10 (16 January 2005)

First of all let me say that i am a 32 year old man who has never read a harry potter book before, but i love sword and sorcery stories so i've seen all the potter movies. This movie was amazing...the cinematography was the most stunning work i have ever seen on film(and i'm a movie buff and photographer)! It was a visual feast for the eyes...the other potter movies never gave the feel of a magical environment,this did.The night scenes were so beautifully shot that that you felt immersed in an outerworldly realm of magic both good and bad every second.The overall story telling was brilliant and well paced, and i found the story to be very dark and mature.Some moments are a bit too scary for small children ,but everyone should find something to like.This one was about maturing as people and wizards.....and the 3 kids have matured as actors as much as there characters have on screen.It is a travesty that this director doesn't continue with the series. To the potter fans that say this doesn't closely resemble the book, get over it!!! No movie can ever match what you visualized in your mind. As a stand alone movie this was a masterwork.