The best things about the movie were the art direction and photography. Like the "Ring's"NewZealand views the Scottish vistas of lochs and so on are breathtaking. The interior views have good continuity wth previous outings in the series. The Blair witch type rapid motion scenes were distracting and lent nothing to the sense of suspense or character development. The cast was good as usual except for the incessantly over the top Helena Bonham Carter: she is but a caricature of a villain. Overall I felt the narrative was choppy, with more attention given to cameos by the series stars than advancing the action. Some of the best bits in the film were the humorous moments. A caution for parents of young children: don't bring them. Some of the snake scenes will give them nightmares for a long time. I would recommend this for Harry Potter series fans but it is not a stand alone film that would be understood well by those with no Potter experience.