I wouldn’t say that there is a bad Harry Potter film as it is one of my favourite franchises and I grew up watching and loving them. I am also evaluating them purely on how much I enjoyed them and not how much they stack up to the books.
So here is my countdown of favourite Potter movies, but I do have to preface this list by saying that my opinion changes all the time. Ask me to list them tomorrow and they may be in a very different order!
8. DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2
I have always thought the ending of the entire magical series was, well just a bit disappointing. For one, Harry shouldn’t have ended up with Ginny. There is no chemistry between them, he should of either ended up with Luna, Hermoine or Cho. I am not the only one of this opinion as JK Rowling has spoken about this and has agreed with much of the public who wanted to see Harry with someone else. Apart from the Battle of Hogwarts, the story seems a bit contrived and obvious, and they cut out the best scene which is when Draco throws Harry his wand in solidarity before he fights Voldemort. Another complaint is Hagrid, and other regular characters are hardly in it, it all feels a bit rushed.
Maybe I am a bit biased as it is the end of my favourite film’s series, so I am always a bit sad.
7. DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1
I do really like this film; I just think the earlier movies have so much more to offer. There are a few dull moments such as Harry, Ron and Hermoine going back to Grimmauld Place for safety and just sitting around talking. They are being hunted and are also on a quest to find the horcruxes that would help them defeat Voldemort, which you would think would make for exciting cinema. It doesn’t. Even the gorgeous locations they find themselves in can’t make up for scene after scene of them pointlessly bickering with each other. It all makes sense in the finale, but there is too much setup for Part 2, and it all drags a bit. There should have been more magical action to keep you engaged.
6. PHILOSOPHERS STONE
Hear me out, I love this film and it’s the one that got me hooked, but it’s aimed at children, so maybe I have just grown out of it, or become too familiar with Harry’s first trip to Hogwarts. It’s not as flashy as some of the movies that followed and maybe I take it for granted. It’s just bang average. The child acting is a little silly, which is understandable because it was their first job, but it does set the scene for the other movies to follow and much of what we know about Harry’s world visually comes from this movie’s conception. Chris Columbus is a brilliant director and every time it comes on, I watch to the end.
5. CHAMBER OF SECERTS
I really don’t understand why people don’t like this film and say it is one of the worst. I think it is massively underrated. Maybe the beginning could be a bit snappier, but I like the whole premise. Professor Lockhart is an underappreciated character as he is very funny and dipsy. I think it has some great action scenes, such as when Draco and Harry duel and Ron throws up slugs. Also, one of my favourite lines in the whole series is when Draco says to Harry disguised as Goyle, “why are you wearing glasses … I didn’t know that you can read.”
4. PRISONER OF AZKABAN
When I was little, I was really scared of this film, but as I have gotten older Sirius Black (who first appears here) has become one of my favourite characters. Alfonso Cuaron is the Director, and I liked how he made a darker version of the Hogwarts world. Lupin is also one of my favourite professors and the relationship between Harry and him is like a father and son. It’s the point where the movies become more mature and sinister. The production design and photography are atmospheric and creatively superior to the first two movies. I loved how the Director asked Daniel, Rupert and Emma to write him an essay about their characters as he was interested to see their perspective. Emma wrote a four-page essay, Rupert didn’t write one and Daniel just wrote a little bit.
3. GOBLET OF FIRE
This has stunning action, romance and everything in-between. David Yates has done wonders with this movie, its brilliant from beginning to end. Voldemort properly comes into view as his evil plan begins to grow to fruition; Brenden Gleason is Mad Eye Moody and David Tennant has a small, but vital role. What is there not to love about that! How they built the sets from the maze to the underwater scenes are amazing and I don’t think the CGI has dated at all. The storytelling is exceptional and what I liked about it is that it is about the pressures of growing up. Not as a wizard, but as a teenager.
2. ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
This film takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. Imelda Staunton gives an unbelievable performance as the evil head teacher Umbridge. The return of Sirius Black adds more depth to the storyline and brings an emotional impact to Harry’s story arc. The moving battle between Voldemort and Dumbledore in the Ministry of Magic is unexpected and is deeply impactful. The set pieces again are good, and it all makes for a great movie. It’s a Gooden.
1. HALF BLOOD PRINCE
This is the funniest movie and in parts plays very much like a romantic comedy. It does have dark and scary moments too to keep with the more grown up feel of the series. You have the quirky Professor Slughorn, who is pure comedy gold and never goes over the top, but it is the quiet moments where it is just Harry, Ron and Hermoine together facing the growing threat to everything they love, that really shines through. There are some quite shocking scenes, such as Snape’s apparent betrayal and Dumbledore dying. What I thought added to the storyline was the Voldemort backstory and it is the first time that we get introduced to the horcruxes.
The balance of light and dark works brilliantly; it is David Yates best directed film in terms of storytelling, and he gets great performances from the cast. Cinematographer Bruno Delbonell is ambitious with the visuals and all in all it’s a hard act to follow.
Must be my number 1.
It will be fascinating to see how they develop the books in the new HBO adaptations, and I remain sceptical that they can live up to these movie classics.