Perhaps where I'm going wrong with the Harry Potter films is [watching them - Ed.] hoping that they'll tell something resembling coherent stories (whether or not those bear any relation to the stories in the books -- I'm not a purist about this)

Hahaha! hic. The possibility of Rowling I'd check the spelling but I've given all my Harry Potter books to charity shopes) writing a coherent plot is akin to the possibility of Pullman writing something that isn't pustulantly arrogant and patronizing to anything middle class or the possibility of Rowling writing anything that isn't choc full of cliche and, oooh.

I may be exhibiting some prejudice here