On the plus side:
The execution was beautiful in almost every respect. Kudos to whoever dealt with the special effects.
The acting was also uniformly good, with special commendations to Hermione and Snape.
The predominant use of white matches well with John Grangers theory of literary alchemy in Harry Potter.
On the minus side:
The story just didn't flow well. Everything felt rushed, even though they cut several much lamented story lines. I will now vilify myself to the entire Harry Potter fan base and suggest that they should have cut even more ruthlessly. I think that basically only the Horcrux and the Malfoy story lines ought to have been preserved. One of the main problems with how they cut the film was that they lost a lot of the clues for finding the six Horcruxes. It is hard to know how they will continue the story without them.
Everything was much less subtle than in the books. You always know that Malfoy is a death-eater, he is trying to repair a vanishing cabinet that opens a doorway into Hogwarts, and even that Snape is really good.
Overall, the film was fun to watch with some really excellent acting and cinematography. I am hoping that the extra time that they gain by splitting the last film will give them the freedom to allow the film to breathe.
