Our impressions

[David]

No, not the Royal we (or the Royal piss, as Rupert Grint might say), 
but we went as a family last night, and I will give their reactions.  
I won't chip in with mine as I have only skimmed this list, and I 
have a nasty case of check-the-archive-itis.

They all liked it a lot - intend to get the video (or even the DVD - 
Ruth is going into aspirational mode over the kit below the telly).

James (13) thought the Dursleys weren't nasty enough - at one point 
Vernon agrees with Harry (why Sunday is good)

Ruth (age withheld) thought that Dumbledore's twinkliness came 
through, especially in the hospital at the end.  (I had ventured that 
he is a bit humourless, and she disagreed)

She had expressed a fear beforehand of not being able to follow it, 
because she can't remember the book very well, but that was fine - 
the early part kept all their attentions.  (Again, I ventured that 
the early bit is more like a documentary for prospective parents -
 "here's a typical flying lesson, buying your child's things is easy, 
etc" - she would have none of it).  She loved Diagon Alley - just as 
she imagined it.  She loved the violent chess game, too.

Ben (9), to whom I'd just read the book, spotted a number of missing 
bits, but in the spirit of "Look what I spotted", not 
disappointment.  All three (Sarah, 11, is the other) noted that some 
of the tests were missing at the end.

Ruth thought Rickman was brilliant.  (OK, one comment from me - he 
did well, but he conveyed, except for that first lesson, a 
misunderstood good guy, not someone who hates Harry - the script's 
fault, not AR's, IMO)

Overall lesson: being a member of a list like this makes us very 
demanding and perfectionist - for them, the movie did the dual job of 
recapturing the book and providing an evening's first class 
entertainment.

Oh, BTW, I went to Starbucks for the first time ever beforehand, as 
part of the entire package (Christmas shopping - coffee - movie - 
Italian restaurant).  I thought the muffin was delicious, but the 
coffee was unpleasant.

David