So far, the best of the Harry Potter films!

I think people are forgetting that the book is a very complicated one to transcribe to screen, but the film, bearing in mind that it changed the overall structure of the book, missed some very dramatic scenes out, and characters like Rufus Scrimgeur and Rosmerta were left out entirely is definitely the best of the Harry Potter films. The climax was good, but compared to the book's climax, which was much more intense, I felt it could have had more action, and perhaps more explanation. Visually, it is a marvel to look at, especially with the Cave Scene with the dark brooding cinematography and the splendid special effects. But somehow Steve Kloves managed to not only make some genuine scares, namely when the arm of one of those grey creatures comes out the water and grabs Harry, (this made me jump violently) but there were some really funny bits. Like when a student is sick in front of Snape, Snape says "you have just earned yourself a month's worth of detentions", and Ron and Lavender's romance. My favourite has to be Harry and Ron's hilarious conversation about girls' skin, and when Dumbledore is seen holding a Woman's Own magazine! Not to mention, Luna's dress in one scene, what was she wearing? I am just wondering though, whether I was the only one who wept buckets at the end, sorry, seeing Harry crying over Dumbledore's body and everyone staring on helplessly, just started me off on an emotional drainage. Back to the film, the music was beautiful and very haunting as well as noticeably darker in tone to the scores by John Williams and Patrick Doyle, and there was some splendid looking scenery. The acting was excellent, Daniel Radcliffe is likable as Harry, Rupert Grint hilarious as Ron and Emma Watson giving her best performance as the character. Robbie Coltrane was good, but it is a shame he didn't get that much screen time. I never cared much for Michael Gambon as Dumbledore, Richard Harris was more my idea of the character, but Gambon like Watson gives his best performance (as the character that is). Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith were solid as rocks in their roles as Snape and McGonagall, and Tom Felton was remarkably good as Malfoy. Helena Bonham Carter was brilliant as Bellatrix, nobody could play her better. But for me, the scene stealer was Jim Broadbent as Slughorn, maybe not what Rowling intended in terms of figure, but the the performance is wonderfully electric. The direction was competent, overall, the film is no masterpiece, but it is the best of the series, so I thoroughly recommend it. 9/10 Bethany Cox.