THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS POST. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED, DON'T READ.

I also saw it last night, and came here as quickly as I could to share my thoughts. First off - the 3D isn't QUITE needed, but added some nice effects to the film and I found it bearable. Other than that... this film wasn't great. As a movie independant from the book it was classically made, with lots of action sequences and little bits of humor and romance here and there. The battle scenes were EPIC and stunning to watch, and the little funny parts that they inserted literally made the film (there's a nice one with McGonagall that I enjoyed). In regards to the romance: Ron/Hermione kiss was AMAZING, while the Ginny/Harry one was severly lacking.

But if you take the book into account, then I cannot count HOW many times I was all "ZOMG NO WHY DID YOU CUT/CHANGE/EDIT THATT???!?!! ". One of the things that I LOVE about the book was that, amidst all the chaos of the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry's search for the diadem still has elements of subtleness in it while they completely destroyed that in the film. He just kinda BURSTS into Hogwarts, does his bit and you know the rest.

Snape's part impressed me, I have to say. The young actors (apart from James and Sirius - but they already botched up their teenager actors so I wasn't expecting too much) were REALLY good and I found myself tearing while all of that was going on. When he died... *sniffles* I thought that was the best bit in the film. They cut out all of Dumbledor's past - and also Kreacher's, now that I recall - although Aberforth was brilliant and I enjoyed the small references. Ariana's portrait was good too.

Ron and Hermione were AMAZING. We actually got to SEE the chamber of secrets bit, unlike the book, which I was really happy about and although they kiss there and not in front of Harry (so no, no "OI! there's a war going on!"), I thought it was perfect and oh so adorable and cute. From that point onwards, they were an absolute treat to look at whenever they were onscreen. Not that they weren't before, but you know...

Anyways. Snape's memories, Harry's realisation and that whole bit in the forest was COMPLETELY different but I thought it was ok, considering the rest of the alterations made in the movie. The scene after Harry "dies", in King's Cross, was excellently made and I enjoyed it. After that... Well, lots of booms and bams that weren't really in the book (like that bit from they trailer when Harry sort of puts his arm around old Voldiepants and they fall down - made me giggle and go "SEE?! PHYSICS PREVAILS - GRAVITY DEFEATED THEM!" ...) BUT Molly's SS-inappropriate line was there and well excecuted.

The deaths. OH MY ROWLING the deaths. POORLY done, and that's an understatement. I was expecting to have to use a bucket for my tears, but honestly they made such a little deal out of all of them (Tonks, Remus... Even FRED) that I didn't. I swear, I felt a bigger snag inside when Crabbe/Golye - I can never remember which one's which in the movies - dies than when Fred did. Snape's death hit me the most, out of all the ones in the film as like in the book, it's the most heartbreaking. And Voldemort's death was just WRONG. WRONG WRONG WRONG.

Oh, and the bit before they got to Hogwarts - with Gringotts and the goblin and all of that - was ok. They missed out some parts but generally it was acceptable.

OVERALL - after all the ranting and whining and that which I have a lot more of - it was a good film because I reckoned it captured the ESSENCE of the book. The nineteen years later part was cute and I was left with a bittersweet taste in my mouth, just like when I finished the book. I can't believe it's all over, to be honest... This is the LAST film. The LAST potter-related thing that had yet to come out. After so long, it's all over. The end of my childhood, the end of Harry Potter...

Now I need to go watch it again. XD <3 Love you all!