I saw it a few days ago and outside of little comments here and there haven't really been able to comment. But here are my thoughts:
The Good:
- Imelda Stauton, Alan Rickman, Jason Issacs, Gary Oldman hell, practically all of the adult cast.
- The visuals are absolutely stunning throughout.
- Dumbledore vs. Voldemort. Granted, I wish Dumbledore dueled with a bit more elegance and made use of his surroundings (i.e. The Fountain) instead of just shooting water, but none the less...it was great.
- David Yates' directing style. It is unique, it is very pleasing to watch.
- I loved the way they used the newspaper segments to display various plot points and move the story forward. It seems to be going very under appreciated but was one of my favorite parts.
- Radcliffe, god has he improved since Goblet of Fire. Though I must say, his comedic timing is still pretty horrible...but never the less, his dramatic acting has jumped greatly.
- Luna...my god, that actress absolutely nailed the role.
The Bad:
- The movie just cut out so much of the heart of the book. Fred and George's escape was meaningless as all they did was fly away. They didn't really make a point, they didn't really incite a rebellion...which brings me to my next point. The fight Molly has with Sirius over Harry, it shows how much they both love him but in different ways. Molly's boggart even. They just took out so much of what made the book good. The character development.
-The Hogwarts scenes were too short. Where was the rebellion against Umbridge after Dumbledore left. Would it really have been hard to build up to it? Let Harry use the floo network once after Snape's worst memory curteousy of Fred and George then get caught the second time when he went to check on Sirius.
- Speaking of, why didn't he go to check on Sirius? Did Kreacher have a point in the movie?
- Dumbledore, again. Gambon once more fails to impress. When he tells Harry he cares for him at the end, it is just so gruff and casual...it is hard to actually believe it. But this time it was the scripts fault as well. He was given practically nothing to work with. The sacking of Trelawney could've been so much better if he brought in Firenze. We wouldn't have had to see Firenze again, but at the same time it would've showed Dumbledore for what he is, a bad ass. Instead he just yells at the students to go study. Very disappointing. It made him come off as if he was defeated throughout the movie. Why would any Order rally behind this man if he isn't even going to try and put up a fight? Same with the escape scene. It would've been so much better if Kingsley did wipe Cho's memory into saying Dumbledore was behind it like in the book, then Umbridge could've shaken her and Dumbledore could've threatened Umbridge at wand point. It just would've shown so much about him. Hell, even his throw away line in the book about being able to escape Azkaban if he wanted to...it would've just shown him as more than an old man who was running from the Ministry. Ever since Harris left, I just feel like Dumbledore has left so much to be desired.
- A little explanation would've gone a long way. Who was Mrs. Figg? Why did they name it Dumbledore's Army? What was the relevance of the prophecy (it never stated that Harry MUST fight Voldemort or was the only one with the power to defeat him)? A casual movie go-er must've been entirely lost throughout.
- Cho selling out D.A. was a horrible choice. It wouldn't have been hard to incorporate Marietta. Hell, even have Cho do it to secure her mother's job as Hermione mentioned. But under the influence of vertiaserum? Why wouldn't Harry just get back together with her then? Why was she immune from punishment if she only confessed under coercion? None of the character's reactions really seem justified in the situation.
- David Thewlis, was criminally underused. He had one line by my count. Lupin deserved better. Hell, so did Tonks and Moody now that I think on it.
- Who cared about Sirius' death? Firstly, the character has been in a total of five scenes throughout the series because he was unused in Goblet of Fire, so that doesn't leave us with much. Second, pretty much no one grieves him. Harry is absolutely fine by the next scene. All they would've had to do is add in either the scene with Nearly Headless Nick or the mirror and the death would've had such a greater impact.
- Why did everyone on the staff give Umbridge such a hard time? She fired an incompetant professor, made the children obey the dress code and not make out or listen to music in the halls? OH NOES! NOT THE PAINTINGS! Harry should've had more detentions with her (and the Quibbler interview would've helped greatly with this), plus she should've fired Hagrid, been more intrusive during her High Inquistor role, and cursed McGonagal. Little things would've made the movie so much better. As it is, Umbridge just came off as a sort of mean teacher
- Ron gets the shaft again. One of the best moments in the book of Order of the Phoenix is when RON (read: NOT HERMIONE) finds Harry's cuts. As it is, the filmmakers in their never ending hard on for Hermione and Emma Watson decide to give his most poignant scene to her, all the while Grint gets to sit in the background like an idiot and act as if he doesn't really give a damn. Why does he keep getting screwed? Maybe in the next movie Hermione can be the Quidditch Keeper. Or oooh! Here's an idea! Let Hermione get Ron's gift from Dumbledore, have the fight with Harry, and run away! In fact, why even bother to pay Grint? Just cut him out entirely!
- The battle of the ministry was such an utter dissapointment. Did we really need to just see mist flying around? I liked it better when it was the dementor attack in Prisoner of Azkaban. Such an utter dissapointment. That scene should've been far more intense and violent like in the book. The children should've been absolutely destroyed by the death eaters. If I remember right, Ron breaks his leg, Ginny is knocked out, Luna gets hurt pretty badly, Neville bites off part of his tounge, and Hermione is nearly killed by a slash across the chest. These are children versus death eaters. The brutality of the scene was meant to show that. Why did the writers feel the need to completely cut it out?
- Can McGonagal please have something to do in the next movie? Her scenes are among the best of the book in Order of the Phoenix and none of them were in the movie.
The Ugly:
- What was the deal with Nigel? Who the hell was that kid related to in order to get a bigger role than Ron? And is it me or was he essentially just a poor man's Colin Creevey?
- Gary Oldman dressed in nothing more than a bath robe, hugging a child in a private room that he whisked him away to in a train station...not creepy at all
- Luna looked so friggin' weird after she gave Levicorpus to the death eater.
- Why did Neville discover the room of requirement? The twins while running from Filch would've made far more sense.
Misc:
- This movie should definitely be renamed "Harry Potter and the Bad-Assery of Ralph Fiennes".
Over all, I get it about a 7/10. It was good...but it lacked so much of the heart and little things that made the book GREAT.
Still though, last duel in 3D was mindblowing.
