No 'O' but solid 'E'

Given J.K. Rowling’s books as their source, those in charge of translating “Harry Potter” onto the screen are blessed to have such fantastic material to work with. Her stories are too compelling, her world is too developed, and her characters are too relatable for accomplished filmmakers to make a bad movie out of them.

Unfortunately, they are also cursed by this, for it’s downright impossible to condense 700-plus pages of epic, in-depth, complex story writing into 140 minutes. 

For those reasons, it’s almost unfair to judge “Harry Potter” movies for what they’re not, or for what they lack. Instead, the films can only be judged on what they are: undeniably solid entertainment. When you embrace this, they are infinitely easier to enjoy.

True, there are things from the book I wish I could have seen on the screen in this latest installment. It would have been nice to have seen more memories involving Voldemort; without them Harry doesn’t have a real clue where to start his assigned task for the next film (in the book, he has a very good idea of what he might encounter). I also wish the final battle at the end wasn’t cut out, rendering Draco Malfoy's  task throughout the entire movie essentially meaningless.

However, I simply loved every performance in the movie, especially Jim Broadbent’s hilarious Professor Slughorn. It was great seeing Dumbledore brought to the forefront, creating a meaningful relationship between him and Harry. 

Alan Rickman’s Snape is perfect as always, David Yates’ color scheme and cinematography is nothing less than beautiful, and for the first time, Harry seems like someone who would be fun to hang out with. Finally, the climax with Harry and Dumbledore at the lake is as creepy and chilling as I remember it was in the book.

Yes, this “Potter” has the least amount of action sequences of them all. But the film’s pacing is such that it’s never boring, and the subplots are as enjoyable to watch as any wand waving. Plus, for us readers, it’s nice to know that an orgasm of intensity and action is headed our way in “Deathly Hallows,” parts I and II.

No “Potter” movie will ever be close to perfect or Oscar-worthy like its “Lord of the Rings” counterpart was. But unlike other series’ such as “The Matrix,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Terminator” or the god-awful “Transformers,” they’re consistently captivating and fun. And, for readers of the tremendous series, that’s all you can ask for.