I saw the film last night, and was annoyed at a couple of the scenes where they changed from the book. Then my son (who's 20 and has seen the film twice now) pointed out that this, the last film, was shot for 3-D, and many of the changes were made to take advantage of the 3-D effect. So when Neville Longbottom kills the snake, Nagini, it's done when the snake is attacking Hermione and Ron, not while Voldemort is belittling Neville in front of the school. In the book, that was the satisfying part of Neville's change from klutz to Gryffindor hero; in the film, it's just more action.

And we noted that Percy's change of heart is left out, too. Not good. Just as that they cut Dudley's change in the first half of the two-part "last book" film, they left out character development that is central to the complete book. Two different times, they take out character's growth and leave them hanging, in arrears, as it were, when it wouldn't have been that hard to keep them in. So Neville, Dudley, and Percy are all given short shrift, and the theme of change of heart and forgiveness or growth (in Neville's case) are just snipped from the stories.

And, to mention another missing person, where was Bill during the battle? There at shell cottage in the opening, missing in the climactic scenes at the end (where he lost a brother). Odd.

And how did Goyle (or Crabbe, I can't remember) change to an African student? All those movies where Malfoy's buddies are two bumbling white guys, and now one of 'em is black? Weird casting. The continuity department fell asleep on that one.

Okay, quibbles aside, it was a good film. I in particular liked the back-story on Snape, with his memories in the pensieve (having them come out in tears was hokey, though). At least they kept one of the character-growth themes of the books intact.

The show-down between Harry and Voldemort was not as tense as in the book, and Harry's demolition of Voldemort's "elder wand scheme" was too abbreviated. They could have made that much more forceful, as it shows Harry almost visibly becoming the stronger of the two as he goes through the 'master of the wand' chain that shows that Harry is the true master of the wand in Voldemort's hand. AND he didn't taunt you-know-who with Snape's role, another example of taking V down a notch that's in the book but not the film.

It looks like I'm kvetching, and I'm not, but then... Okay, it's a good film, but not a great film. It follows the book enough (and the book, of all the series, is the weakest, being all exposition and keep-the-action-going) and stands up. I'll surely see it again, and will also surely buy the DVD. But I will still see where they could have done it better.

Bob