Both the books and the movie feed the imagination. Books are more intense and detailed, which means you can go back and reference all or part of them at any time. If you go to a movie and come away feeling as though you've been somewhere, then the movie has served it's purpose. I felt that way about Movies 1 & 2 but not Movie 3. Movie 3 had me groaning every time Dumbledore II was on screen and the Time Turner sequence was the equivalent of watching a long instant replay. Okay for sports but boring in a movie.