First, it's important to remember that the books were wildly popular not just for the good stories, but also for the suspense between them - what adventures were to befall Harry in the next book, fans wondered; who is going to be in a relationship with whom? Rowling said that the "shippers," as they were called, were the most disturbing aspect of her fandom, espeically the Harry/Hermione vs Ron/Hermione contingents. I read meta stuff about this conflict, with the most interesting aspects about if people's own personal desires (the smart girl should get the hero, for example) appeal over the foreshadowing that Rowling offered as early as book 3. In any case, it was the time between books that mattered just as much as what was contained within them, and future readers won't have that experience. That might mean that the Potter books don't age well, but the missing ingredient - ignorance - can't well be put back into the box.
Second, the books were unique in that Rowling had a lot of space to work with, and had a consistent vision of Day 1. I don't know if I'm completely convinced that she had the whole series exactly worked out - she planned once, I think, for Petunia to cast a spell under desperate circumstances, which didn't happen, but the elements were there and plotted alongside Book 1, which apparently had 10 different iterations of an opening chapter. Consider these quotes: "the books do explore the misuse of power, and there's an attempt to make some sense of death" (1998), "Harry has been born to shoulder a certain burden. (1999) & "Book Seven will see him face his destiny" (1999). '99 is also the year that Rowling wrote the epilogue that ends Book Seven. Also, Dumbledore's possession of the needed cloak was revealed in the first book.
So, the point is that a person who confesses to spending hours on plot construction had seven books to consistently work towards a focal end - a final confrontation of Harry and Tom, circling each other in the Great Hall as all assembled watch in trepidation and silence.
Except (and third), that's not what happened in the movie. Warner Brothers took a wonderful, dramatic scene of Harry's reveal and drew it out into a non-dramatic awakening, coupled with a pointless Harry/Voldemort fight juxtaposed with a needless Ron/Hermione/Nagini battle. Neville's original scene would have saved more time and been more interesting, but I'll bet the exposition at the end bored test audiences.
But fourth, there was really no reason for them not to have the Elder Wand fix Harry's original, or to spend more time on the Weasley death. The points of the movie that did hold true - especially Harry's entrance to the forest - certainly had the greatest impact on me.
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