In fact, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think it would have worked better if it had been a half hour longer.

Heh, someone on my flist said the same thing! I have to get through a whole day of work before I can see it toniiiiiiiight.

Sorry to do this in all fits and starts, but Boss seems content to remain in the office ALL DAY today.

Spoiler-ish:

Things missing from the movie that I didn’t mind:

Quidditch
S.P.E.W.
Rita Skeeter and the story in The Quibbler
St. Mungo’s
The massive cleaning of 12 Grimmauld Place
The rift between Percy and the rest of the Weasley’s

Things missing that I didn’t mind being missing, but wished I could have seen:

Aunt Petunia getting her Howler
Horrid girl with SNEAK written on her face
Ron and Hermione being Prefects
Harry’s career meeting with McGonagall and Umbridge

Regarding Aimee's whitefont:

Aww, I'm a little sad about no Percy conflict. I thought him going against the family was such a realistic touch.

I'll get over it, though. SQUEE!

Ailleann, He was there, in the scene where the DA gets caught and also at the hearing. They just didn't get into the conflict which was kinda dissappointing. Also? No Bill Weasley, which makes me think that they're going to do away with that story line for Half-Blood Prince. No Phlegm. Poo.

But, Fred and George's exit from Hogwart's was AWE-SOME.

Regarding the same whitefont:

I hope that doesn't come back to bite the filmmakers when the last book comes out. That's a shoe that may yet drop (since if memory serves, it never got resolved in any manner in Half Blood Prince, did it?) I already think they are going to have problems making Snape's killing of Dumbledore in HBP be as resonant as it was in the book, and who knows what she'll do with Snape or Percy in Deathly Hallows.

Frank, No, it wasn't resolved much in HBP. But then, they might do a bit of backpedalling and sneak it in there somehow. As long as they do the stuff with Scrimogeur, it should be ok.

But, [whitefont]

is more excited

More blank space:

That's one thing that's sadmaking about the movies... there's a lot that needs to be left out (understandably), but 1) it's a lot of the side stories, which are very good, and 2) because everything is interconnected, it might seem like a bit of an asspull if they need to randomly bring it up again without covering it in an earlier movie. But as long as Snape ends up being a good guy, I'll be happy.

I've only seen the first hour so far. Gah! It's so great! I agree with the reviewer (I think it was Moriarty on AICN) who said they didn't cast Luna Lovegood, they held a copy of the book upside down and shook it until she fell out.

I just read a review this morning that said that Luna Lovegood was "a Dakota Fanning coshed on the head a few times."

I'm going to to go on Friday!

And the Weasely Twins are going to be there!!

Why they're going to be at a movie theatre in suburban Chicago is a completely different matter.