For all its portentousness, this is the best Harry Potter picture yet. In some ways, it improves on J.K. Rowling’s novel, which is punishingly protracted and builds to a climactic wand-off better seen than read.
100
New York Daily News
New York Daily News
It's action-packed, darker, more epic and thankfully schmaltz-free. And it's the best "Harry Potter" film yet.
90
TimeRichard Corliss
TimeRichard Corliss
Not just a ripping yarn but a powerful, poignant coming-of-age story.
88
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Rolling StonePeter Travers
It will hook you good and keep you riveted.
83
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
Yet, as good as it is in so many ways, there's no getting around the fact that this briefest Harry and first directed by an unknown filmmaker (David Yates) is the least substantial of the bunch.
80
Empire
Empire
It won't win new fans, but as Potter movies go, this is the most filmic of the lot, suspenseful and action-packed.
70
VarietyTodd McCarthy
VarietyTodd McCarthy
Considerably grimmer and grittier than the previous pictures.
60
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
"Phoenix" might go down as the problematic film, full of plot but little fun.
50
NewsweekDavid Ansen
NewsweekDavid Ansen
The storytelling seems occasionally disjointed, but more important, for all the special-effects wizardry, that touch of film magic never surfaces.
50
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
Taken as a motion picture, the new "Harry" comes up short. But taken as a visual aid to the experience of reading a book, the new "Harry" does its job.