The movie starts with a bang - literally. Viewers experience flight and witness the fear that has trickled over to people in the "Muggle World" (non-magical folks). Not bad for an attention getter. Students at Hogwarts are dating and hormones are raging. The fight against Voldemort and his supporters is reaching a heightened pitch.
The comic relief scenes were hilarious. People in the theater I was at laughed frequently at these scenes. It was a rare glimpse into the personalities of students and was a welcome relief to the otherwise darker tone present throughout. I'll be seeing it again in IMAX 3D