We were pleasantly surprised at how much the movie stayed with the gist of the book. There were added and amended scenes but they were not distracting and established the mood of the book as well. The character development was the most enjoyable part of the movie. This particular movie was the best at giving you more of what the characters were like in the book. And, of course, wonderful special effects were on hand to wow the audience. It was great hearing John Williams' musical score again. He is the best at establishing the mood of Harry Potter. The movie was 2.5 hrs. but went by quickly. ****1/2