Truth be told, I don't know why I get so worked up over the movies. I have been disappointed almost everytime. Consider.
Sorcerer's Stone: This one was actually true to the book. Also, the movie contained the late great Richard Harris as Dumbledore. I frankly think the franchise lost so much with the passing of Mr. Harris. He was the perfect Dumbledore. Michael Gambon does not have that twinkle, that slyness, that makes Dumbledore the character so fascinating, but Harris had it in spades. In fact, while almost no movie images translate to my imagination while reading the books (and rereading them, I should say), I do have the faintest outline of a Richard Harris-like Dumbledore pictured. He was perfect. Alan Rickman is also the perfect Snape, but I digress. This movie suffered from stunted pacing, no thanks to the limitations of director Chris Columbus, but was otherwise very good. The kids were cute. It was less dark. The scenes, such as the chess scene, the Mirror of Erised, Quidditch...all were fun to watch. This movie was magical, but due to time constraints, the magic of Harry discovering his true heritage was lost. It all just felt like, "ok, now we're doing this, ok now we're doing this..."
Chamber of Secrets - This film I felt has been the truest to its source. It was almost, pound for pound, an exact translation. My only disappointment in this movie was the fake looking basilisk. Everything else was great fun to watch. So, I really wasn't disappointed in this film. Kenneth Branagh was a perfect Lockhart, the dueling club was fun, everything had its place. This is the best adaptation, but it is based on my least favorite book in the series.
Prisoner of Azkaban - Under Alfonso Cuaron's direction, this film was visually stunning and did have some of the emotional undercurrent which makes this entry in the series so poignant and a fan favorite. Yet, there were some major plot points overlooked that may have used another 5 or 10 minutes of film. All they had to do to make the picture complete was link the Marauder's Map to Moony (Lupin), Wormtail (Peter Pettigrew), Padfoot (Sirius), and Prongs (James Potter). All they had to do was explain that, as friends, they had become unregistered animagi. All they had to do was explain that Prongs, James Potter, changed into a stag. All they had to do was explain that that was why Harry's Patronus is a stag and link that to the confusion of seeing himself versus seeing the ghost of his dead father during the dementor attack. There weren't even added special effects to be had, and these are the most important details of this book, which is the backdrop for Harry to connect to his lost family. It was disappointing.
Goblet of Fire - At 750 pages, the book to film was bound to suffer cuts and liberties. Fortunately, none of them were that dire. The Dursleys didn't make it in, and the World Cup didn't go on forever like it did in the book. That was alright. Apparently, house-elves are too expensive a visual effect for, from here on it, there is no mention made of them at all. The trials during the Triwizard Championship were all masterfully filmed except the maze (it was cheaper to have the hedges attack the contestants than to have a sphinx tell a riddle or different magical creatures call for different defensive spells). The most disappointing part of this movie was the hurried ending. Yet again, a few more minutes could have been expended, for example, showing Harry in the hospital wing, the Weasleys coming to comfort him, Harry giving Fred and George his prize winnings. Some more correspondence from Sirius might have been nice, because this book shows how Harry forms a close relationship and confidence with his godfather, though he's on the lam from the Ministry. Still, I thought it was a decent adaptation.
Now we come to this film. The longest book at 870 pages, the shortest film. They did well with what they have, but this is my other favorite book, and so many liberties were taken. Some of it felt rushed. Ron was window-dressing. Ginny had two lines (and she's gotta start talking soon, Harry starts reciprocating attractions in book 6). Snape - so underdeveloped! Snape has been reduced to a minor character in all films but the first one, but now is the time that they should have made him more prominent. Connected him with the Order of the Phoenix. Really emphasized his enmity for Sirius and James Potter. He becomes so important in book 6 (and anyone who's read it knows it). The last conversation between Dumbledore and Harry could have been a bit longer and a bit less one-sided. In the book, Dumbledore has to connect the dots for Harry and also calm him down. Harry's furious, hurt, terrified at his loss. Dumbledore also has to explain the prophecy to him. Harry apparently didn't need him in the movie, but this conversation between them forms the basis for everything they do together in book 6.
The moral is, I understand cuts and liberties, but plot continuity is still key (especially when the source material is SO famous). If cuts and liberties affect a plot point earlier that becomes important later, then the screenwriters have to dig themselves out of a hole that they could have just easily done better to set up earlier. Case in point: Sirius between the 4th and 5th movies.
I know, I'm rambling on and on about this, but I guess I'm finding it hard to say I liked this entry in the series. I liked parts of it. I think, however, that it left me feeling a bit perplexed, knowing what I know about subsequent books.
This was an unusual review, but I'm still going to close it out with a rating and a test. It passes the test on sheer reasoning of me owning the first four. Plus, I will probably watch it again. I think I have to rate this movie has a 6.5, somewhere between cute and shaky. There are major flaws (see the fantasy group discussion), but it's a touch better than mediocre. David Yates did a good job. It's just hard for me to be truly neutral about the thing because I love the books so much. Though, I think Half-Blood Prince will be a good entry. I have high hopes for it. It's shorter and much more movie-friendly.