Harry Potter 5 is easily the best in the series to date. While it is not without the usual divergences from the novels, the first half flows remarkably smoothly; the only disappointing ones occur at the end. Most of the movie felt like a movie, not merely the film version of a book. Still, some scenes make one wonder if the film producers truly understand the magic of the story.

Book 6, which I found disappointing compared to the other novels, might ironically be the best of the films; it seems it would capture the movies’ strengths while having the least expectation to overcome.