The new Harry Potter film, like the book, is a stark departure from warm, fuzzy Hogwarts, with a shifting landscape of danger and pain.

Wonderful in every respect.

The young, but no longer so young actors, have matured and grown, along with the franchise.

They’ve become fricking amazing actors. The subtlety and depth of characterization and performance is startling, skills having matured markedly since the last movie.

Four wands up for this one.

Walt

Looking forward to it with "anitipationus Highess"

And they would become better magicians if they read your book Tales of Enchantment!

Shhhhh Eddie!

Someone has already threatened to gouge out his eyeballs and send them to me if he sees another pitch for the book.

Just that I'm so darned pleased with the outcome I want to share it, no author makes any royalties to speak of, the just want their work to be valued.

Then again, maybe a pair of eyeballs would save me having to by Higley's.

As for the Potter magic, these guys have it down!

I wish I could make my wand do a quarter of what they can, and they just let those arcane magic words slide off their tongues.

Now not another word Eddie <grin>

Walt

My greatest joy in watching this movie is that they finally gave Rupert Grint (Ron) some proper direction so that he is no longer a whiny little wimp but more like the gutsy, reasonably competent young man he was in the books.

My greatest displeasure was the handling of Dobby. As in previous movies, still a bit too annoying; his triumphant speech ("Dobby has no master!") didn't come off well, and they left out the moving bits from his burial in the book (Ron putting socks on the body).

Still, though, quite a good movie.

I was glad I had prepared myself for this one by reviewing all of the other movies in order, from 1 to 6, and then re-reading the book (Volume 7). Others in my company who had not so prepared themselves were asking me questions throughout and all the way home. I highly recommend a good review before you see this one, and of course, if I live long enough to see the final movie, I will probably have to go through another review period once more.

So far, all the movie critics whose reviews I have read that were unfavorable to the movie should have used the same course of preparation I undertook so they would know what they were talking about. I recommend that you don't read the critics' reviews, just prepare yourself by your own review of the previous movies, and then go and enjoy it thoroughly as I did.

I have not seen the movie yet.
I live in Manhattan and my wife is terrified of the bed bugs rumored in local cinemas.
I suspect the media has overhyped this however.
At least I hope they have...

Bring a big glad bag to put over her chair....

I was totally thrilled with this film. There is a huge difference between telling a story on paper and on film and I found their version just as I wished for and imagined in my mind's eye.

From other adult Potter fans, I hear that the Dobby sequence was pushing the sad envelope as/is, so adding the rest of the details, which made me cry when I read the book, may have thought to have been to much for the big screen.

Kari and I worked Friday and Saturday and Katelyn was sick on Sunday, so we didn't make it to the first screenings. We hope to go and see it sometime this weekend when just about every other family in the US goes to the movies, too. (AAAAARGH!)

Chris

I just got a call from the G/F. She wants to go see it tonight. Looking forward to it and the next. We were planning on taking her niece and nephew, but her son thinks they are too young for it. We'll do the recon on it and decide about them seeing it.

The niece (9 yr old) has read them all and knows what is coming, but reading it and seeing it happen theatrically with the special effects are different sides of the coin.

Cheers
Frank

I just saw the film this afternoon and I'm delighted. Darker, slower, far closer to the atmosphere of the last book than other films.
Just love it.

Frank,
Thhe did cut some of the more upsetting things in the book, but a few are still there. It's great storyrelling and if she got through the book I don't think harm will be done, and that's also why there are trips to the consession stand...
Walt

Walt

Just got in from seeing it. While there was the one scene after the Horecrux was opened (Hermiony and Harry) that was borderline, we feel she will be alright with it, so a second viewing is to come. Her brother on the other hand is not ready for it (to young to keep up with the story and bored easily) so we'll make another outing to see "Tangled".

My opinion on it is, that it is the best of the films so far, and I can't wait for the finale.

Cheers
Frank

"Tangled" was the concession among coworkers with younger children today, too!

I loved the books and I am excited to see the movie soon.

Saw it last night with the daughter. She says that she liked it but also did say that parts were scary.

My opinion: dark dark dark dark dark

Then again, the books go from lighthearted near-innocence to this level. For the most part, I like the progression of the movies, too.

It was very intense, and they handled the "heroes in the woods for months" portions of the book very well when it could have been very boring.

Chris

Speaking about wans, you probably remember those.
http://www.thewandcompany.com/
I bought both the Kymera and the Kandela. They work perfectly well and have far more possibilities than one may think at first... Especially for a wizard.

The new Potter flick is very, very good. Much better than Order of the Phoenix, even better than Half Blood Prince. I also like the new composer better than the one who did the past two flicks, and soundtracks are important.
But what surprised me was, my son even said it was one of the best Potter films -this, from a 9 year old, on a movie without one single scene of Hogwarts in it! That says something.
The actors have definitely come a long way too, I totally agree.
My favorite of the three though is Emma Watson. She's a class act, and has grown from an adorable little girl to a beautiful young lady, and apparently, her real life persona is closely aligned with her character - she's pretty brainy too.
Rupert Grint, as usual, provides good occasional comedy relief with perfect timing. And no doubt it's a challenge for an actor to get choked up over the death of a silly CGI character, (I'm not saying who, spoilers an' all) but Dan Radcliffe managed to do it so well I felt a knot in my throat.
Can't wait to see Part II.

BTW, Curator, I have a couple of Kymeras too, I love those things! I don't really need a Kandela, though I like the whitewashed look, so I might just get one; the amazing thing is that candle it comes with; both remote control AND blow off control, wow. Can you blow it ON too? What I like to do with those type of candles is snap my fingers above them, actually, and turn them on that way - quite magical looking.

I enjoyed it quite a but.