Not sure if I will be as happy with Umbridge (haven't seen the movie yet), because there's this chemistry teacher at my school who looks exactly how I picture Umbridge. It's scary.

I liked it a lot. I thought the actor for Umbridge overacted a little bit but she was mostly very good. (Hermione, on the otherhand, overacted constantly and horribly... ick.) It was simplified from the book, sure, but I didn't really miss the details since it's been a while since I read the book (need to reread 5+6 before the 7th comes out...) and it was a movie anyway, so I expected it to have stuff cut out since there just wasn't time.

I think I need to get my friend on here, she would list every single thing they cut out... from memory

It felt rather flat. The effects and the music were nice, and the actors for the new characters were good. But it didn't concentrate on the same things the book did. Some things took too long. And others were glossed over entirely. Without comparing it to the book, the movie still doesn't feel complete.

I thought the movie was VERY enjoyable and I definitely did not make a list of things I didn't like about it... I'm just pleased that I get to see visuals of most of my favorite parts in the books. I expect things to be left out in book -> movie films so that doesn't bother me too much.

Sidenote, I absolutely ADORED Luna Lovegood. Thought she was perfect. Nice visuals too, good duel at the end.

Just got back home from seeing it with Raiha.

By far my favorite in the series, even topped the third movie, which I thought was very good also.

I pretty much watched the entire thing in a state of shock...It was everything I wanted it to be, and a bit more. Really, I can't believe people are being so picky about it. Movies -never- contain everything that the books do, that's just the way it is and the way it always will be, so don't go in expecting that. Personally, I love the way that the movies cater to the people who -have- actually read the books. The storyline isn't very linear, it jumps around a lot, but it shows just about everything you would like to see. It's the books manifested in visual form, for viewing pleasure. I don't walk in hoping that the movie "flows". I've read already the books, I don't want to see any of the filler, just show me the coolest aspects of the book on the screen. I'll always prefer the books to the movies, but I think this one got everything perfect.

It had a nice bit of character development (I think Sirius was better developed in the movie than the book, I felt more sad after the movie was over than I was after the book was over), but it also contained everything else I was dying to see, the Ministry of Magic, the Occlumency lessons, Grimauld Place, the thestrals. Also, Luna was played by the -perfect- actress, and the magical combat in this movie was superb. The fact that they changed the color of the spells wasn't even a thought in my mind...although I did like how they finally got Sirius' head in the fire worked out right.

There were just so many little things that I got to see that made it worth it, like seeing everyone's Patronus.

Also, if you're still watching the movies and you havn't read the books, you deserve to be confused. They aren't stand alone movies; they are more of a montage to the books. That's just the style that they are, and have been since the beginning, and I love them for it. I just hope that the last two are on par with the one I watched tonight.

That actually annoyed me. I know that they didn't really get the Sirius in fire thing right the first time, but to actually go and change it is even worse IMO. It makes the movies a little more connected.

I also thought the first movies were less jumpy than this one, too.

In terms of visual fx/movie style and what not this was probably one of my favorites, but I still think the first movie is my absolute favorite because I'll never forget that feeling of awe at seeing hogwarts and the characters for the first time.

Plus Richard Harris is by far the better Dumbledore . The new dumbledore is still too rough and loud for me.

Well, other than the first two, all the movies have a different director...so certain things changing is more than bound to happen. I guess it's just what you go in expecting. I go in expecting to see something that highlights the books, and gives me something to look at, and see, and I appreciate that the director fixed the flu communication. Maybe it does break down the continuity of the movies, but I'm not watching the movies for continuity, that's what the books are for.

I remember that feeling from the first one too. I loved the big sweeping camera shots of the castle with the owls flitting around it.

I thought that the Fourth one was jumpy -beyond- belief. It was the only movie where I realized "wow, you -had- to read the book to have -any- clue what is going on." The third one was a bit jumpy, especially where they never explained Harry's patronus, but other than that it was okay. The first two were probably the most linear, but like I said, I'm not really watching for the story, because I already know it.


edit: Forgot to mention, Fred and George's escape was probably the best part.

I saw it last night, and though as expected it wont go anywhere near the book quality it's definately best amongst the three, finally got to see more wand action (though i wouldve wanted more though). I agree I was disappointed with the "white" Stupefy projectiles how they seemed to make Ginny use Reducto most of the time (which freakingly looked strong) And yes most of the spell efects were similar flashes of white except for the few special ones. I loved the water ball-prison however.

@Sylphas:

You've got to be ing kidding me. That's ridiculous. I really, really, hope that 100% of the people seeing the movie have read the book, because that one scene has a trememdous amount of development for both Harry and Dumbledore.

I have just come from seeing the movie, I really liked it, although there are some things in it that annoyed me. I found it to be very jumpy in some parts, and I agree with a lot of the previous people in that, anyone who has not read the books is going to find it very difficult to follow. Although I also agree that that is their own falt as they should have read the books by now.

I have always thought that the casting in these movies has been spot on, and have to agree with this one too. Sirius is PERFECTLY cast and I have always thought that from the moment I saw him in screen. He is EXACTLY how I picture him to be, and I cannot think of anyone else that they could have used. I think Umbridge was perfectly cast, and her wardrobe was suitably revolting!!!!!!! I do however think that she over acted quite a bit. I thought the additional casting for the Order of the Pheonix was well done, but I thought that their relationships to the situation, and the simple fact of WHO THEY ARE could have been explained.

I thought that the scene where fred and george escape was brilliant, and I like the way that it moved directly into Harry's vision ( I think the cinematography in that was great!!) I also really liked the battle scenes at the end in the Deparment of Mysteries.

Harrys dreams were handled and directed well, although once again, to someone who has not read the book, they are going to be confusing and I am not sure that they have been adequetly explained.

There was one tiny scene in the movie that annoyed the hell out of me, and that was when all of the aurors and minestry staff arrive in the Ministry and Fudge says "he's back". My immediate reaction to this was "well DUH!!!" (which I said out lound in a gold class cinema, and the other 20 people in their cracked up laughing) But it then just cut straight to the montage of newspapers etc. This really annoyed me, I think this was the one thing that they threw in just for the sake of throwing it in.

However, with all of that said I still really enjoyed it, I am just being particularly picky. I really do think it is a hard task to try and fit a book of this size into a 2 hour movie. And all in all I think they have done quite well.

One last thing - I LOVED the score, I think the music was much darker and more what I expected it to be. I loved it to the point that I am actually thinking of buying it, which is really unusual for me with movie scores.!!

I'm all for them splitting the next two movies into four, or just making them each twice as long, so they can actually fit some plot in.

QFT. Anybody who says that us who are complaining about the movie's shortcomings are 'picky', take a look at that. If you still can't see how silly that is, you haven't really read the books or you're simply have too much of a fanboi in you.

I'll probably won't go to see it, unless some crazy girl drags me along. Personally, the movies haven't quite as good since the third one.

Then I have too much fanboi in me.

They -cannot- show everything in the movie that is in the books. They can't make the movies 6 hours long, and they can't make four movies out of two. As great as that would be for those of us who can't get enough Harry Potter, it will just never happen, for a multitude of reasons.

I think that they do a great job with the amount of time that they are given. They could -easily- fill these movies up with the amount of conversations and character development that is in the books, but it would make one hell of a boring movie. Obviously, you have read the book, so you know what actually happens during the conversation between Harry and Dumbledore. Why do you want to watch it again? They would just be restating the same lines that you already know from the same book.

Really, how many people watch these movies that havn't read the books? Very few, and if those few people are still watching them, then they obviously don't care about plot anyway, so why cater to them? Like I've said before - I've read the books, I know the characters, I know the story developments, I know the lines and the conversations. Now just take those characters and take that world, and put me in it. Let me see the things I've been imagining for the last 8 years or so. Don't fill the movie with lines that I've already read before, flesh out the world. Which is what they did, and I thought it was perfect.

They have to leave things out, sure. Leaving out hugely important bits that are the entire conclusion of the story? Uh, no, that's not usual. dying is probably the climax, sure, and it's a nice bit of action they know audiences will like. But to leave off the resolution of Harry's emotional turmoil is to neuter the point of the entire book. Without that scene, they may as well have not made the movie, in my opinion. Without it, it's just a bunch of pretty scenes that go nowhere.

As an aside, I totally hate when I misconjugate my censor smilies.

And I didn't think Umbridge was over acted! Hermione... yes. Course, it almost sort of fits really, if you think about it. But Umbridge was perfect, in my opinion.