Summary from the premiere in Germany

Rating: Null/10 (4 June 2004)

Its been more than a year since I read the book that was made into this film, so I can't count point by point whether this film followed the book exactly. That being said, the narrative was beautifully done and conveyed the full impact of the story to the screen.
With the change in directors comes a slight change in feel of the HP series of movies. The film is faster paced, and warmer feeling. The dialog is snappy and smooth, with genuine interactions between the now veteran actors who have had 4 years to work together on the series. They truly act like old friends and the situations are believable and real. This film still maintains a sinister edge. Where the first two were pensive and gloomy with lots of languid scenes and many shots of cold winter skies and enclosed dusty old spaces, this film is shot much more in the open skies.
Yes, the big story in the news is "my how the kids have grown." That misses the point. The real story is how you can take a set of actors and make (approximately) one movie per year of their life and use it to chronicle each year in Hogwarts as they grow. This is a golden opportunity, and one that some sociology student no doubt will use as the subject for their dissertation.
The film is excellently shot and well scripted. The dialog rarely felt forced, and most characters had some depth, with the surprising exception being Draco Malfoy, who was a one note solo of scared running and sneers. Much of the Potter-Malfoy banter and traded jibes of previous movies is gone, replaced with the other characters coming into their own to defend themselves and their friends. The film focuses much more of its time on the three primary characters, sacrificing the development of the ancilliary characters (the professors, other students, relatives who barely rise above cameo status). This is OK, because by now many of them are fully formed after the first 2 movies, as far as they are needed to support the background of the series.
This film introduces two (three really) new characters to the screen, that of Professor Lupin (David Thewlis) and Sirius Black (Gary Oldman). Nobody plays crazy like Gary Oldman (Leon, 5th Element), so I thought he was an excellent choice for the part, as his moving "WANTED" poster shows again and again. However, Thewlis as Lupin was less of a good choice. While a fine actor who played the part with sufficient gravitas, he lacked the physical look and presence that I would have expected of Lupin. His demeanor and carriage did not convey his significance as a character. Picking up the role of Dumbledoor (a mighty tall wizard cap to fill) is Michael Gambon, who plays the role with the right attitude. He is less distant, and more open and engaging than in the previous movies, his short screen time we a delight.
The action of the film is well done, with sweeping views and interesting effects that don't grow stale. The Quidditch match in the rain was a delight to watch, as is the lovely flight of BuckBeak.
There were a few misfires. The CGI characterization of the werewolf was cartoonish and totally unlike the established (clichéd?) stereotype of what a werewolf should look like. The transformation scene from man to beast reminded me of Michael Jackon's "Thriller" (ooOOH!) video, and that is not a kind comparison. There is much more realistic CGI work out there, so to see this was disappointing. Also the costuming of Peter Pettigrew was too cliched and a bit silly.
All in all, this is a thoroughly enjoyable movie. It is well paced, with no dull moments. It does not move so fast that you miss the details. Less time was spent immersing you in the magic of the environment (pun intended) and more on getting the story (and it is a long story) moving. I think it stands out slightly from the first two films as the best of the breed. Given the success of the first two films I would say that is a high compliment indeed.