Originally posted by: Nanner Split
Well, I finally saw it today. Much better than I was anticipating, I have to say. MY only gripes:

1. We don't get to watch the Quidditch World Cup

2. It pretty much gives away Tom Riddle Jr. from the get-go.

3. The music. John Williams's absence is far more painfully obvious than "Prisoner of Azkaban". The birth of Voldemort scene could have used much better music.

Other than that, very well done. I give kudos to Mike Newell. His directing sort of has a Terry Gilliam-ish feel to it.

I've seen it twice already. Definitely the best HP movie so far! None of the stuff they cut out was necessary to the plot, unlike POA, and it was all tied together very seamlessly. If I may address your gripes, Nanner...

1. The first time I saw it, I almost wished they had cut the whole World Cup thing since they seemed to rush through the entire sequence. The pacing seemed too fast. But on second viewing, maybe I'm more used to it, but it didn't bother me as much.

2. Don't you mean Barty Crouch, Jr.? If so, I totally agree. There's no mystery to it this way. Plus, he was very much different from the character in the book. And, finally, even though it would probably make the movie lag to do so, I kinda wished they would have explained his backstory more. What with him and Sirius in the last movie with neither of their escapes being explained, Azkaban seems like a very easy place to escape from in the movie world.

3. Um... unless I'm mistaken, which I very much doubt in this case, John Williams wasn't missed in Prisoner of Azkaban because he composed the music for it. But I have to disagree. I loved the soundtrack for this movie more than the other three, and I want to snag a copy of it as soon as possible. I love what they did with Williams's existing Hedwig's Theme, though.

**SPOILER**

This is really embarrassing, but Cedric's spirit's line of taking his body back to his parents has always made me a bit misty every time I read it in the books, but that whole sequence is so sad in the movie that I actually did cry, as did my girlfriend. Not vocally or anything... it's a theatre, it's dark, nobody has to know. ^_~ But when Harry comes back to the maze and the band is playing its cheery tune, that's the most effective part for me. Just... chilling.

**END SPOILER**

I love how this movie prominently featured more of the minor characters, like Fred, George, and Neville who had already been amply developed in the books by this point, especially Neville, but who had been tucked away to the sidelines as much as possible in the previous movies, especially Neville. My only problem with that is that I wish there had been a line between Harry and Dumbledore that Frank Longbottom was Neville's father and what his and Alice's fate had been. After going to that much trouble of setting it up (Moody showing the Cruciatus Curse, Neville next to the stained glass window), Karkaroff's reveal seemed to be a bit too quick for the casual fan to get. I'd like your opinion on this, DAYV, as you've only seen the movie.

And I liked all the stuff at the Yule Ball. It just does so much to show that, magic as they are, they're still teenagers with normal teenage concerns. Made me miss the torture that was high school.

But awesome movie. I'll probably go see it a third time.