Potterology: A Seven Part Harry Potter Retrospective

[PG Cooper]

In just a few weeks, the final Harry Potter film will hit theaters and in effect, put an end to the almost ten year film franchise. In those ten years, there has been a total of seven films (not including Deathly Hallows Part Two) which have grossed over $6.3 billion dollars worldwide. With numbers like that, it’s hard to deny the cultural impact these films have had, whether you like them or not.

Fans now eagerly await the final installment in this record breaking saga, and for many people (myself included) The Deathly Hallows Part Two is the most highly anticipated film of the year. Because of this, I’ve decided to go back and review the entire series from beginning to end. I want to say that while I have read the books, my recollection of them is hazy at best, so there won’t be direct comparisons to the novels very often. I’m judging the films almost solely as films.

I also am putting out a disclaimer regarding spoilers now. In all my other reviews, I do my best to not give away spoilers. These reviews will be different though. I’m not going to hold back when it comes to revealing potential spoilers. I want to have a thorough analysis of all the films. If you’ve already seen the films, no problem. Otherwise, read at your own peril. With that said, I will put an effort in to not spoil the details of the succeeding films. So without further ado, let’s dive into the film that got this all started; Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

http://www.moviegoods.com/Assets/product_images/1020/142961.1020.A.jpg

Release date: November 16th, 2001

Written by: Steve Kloves

Directed by: Chris Columbus

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, and Ian Hart

Philosopher’s Stone is kind of a hard movie to judge. At the time it came out, the series wasn’t known for being nearly as dark as it is now. As such, the early films, this one especially, are lighter and lean towards being kid’s films. For the purpose of these reviews though, I’ve decided not to go easy on them as “kids films.” I’m going to rate them just as I would any other film.

If you’re reading this, then chances are you know the story. Harry Potter is a young boy who upon his eleventh birthday is informed he is a wizard and has been accepted to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. When there, he meets Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, two people who would eventually become his best friends. He also learns about Voldemort, the powerful but dark wizard who killed Harry’s parents and tried to kill Harry as a baby, but for some reason, couldn’t. The main plot of Philosopher deals with Harry trying to find the philosopher’s stone before Voldemort can use it to restore his life.

Watching this again, I didn’t expect the acting from the child actors to hold up, but surprisingly it does. As good as the actors are in their roles now, whenever I thought back to the early films my memories of their acting wasn’t too good. But all three do a good job, and they’re all pretty likable. They all play pretty classic archetypes. Harry (played by Daniel Radcliffe) is one of those classic heroes chosen almost by destiny. He was just living a normal life, and then the next minute he’s a hero who everyone expects great things from. Radcliffe does a good job bringing confidence to the part, yet it’s still clear he’s not quite sure what’s expected of him. Radcliffe also brings out the kid in Harry Potter. The side of him that’s just completely blown away by all the magic around him. All in all, Radcliffe does all that’s expected of him, but wouldn’t start to really shine until later entries.

Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) is the faithful best friend. He may not be the smartest or most effective, but he’s loyal and would do anything for his best friend. Of the three leads, Grint is the one who’s received the most criticism. I understand why, of all the characters, he’s the one who’ll likely get on your nerves the most. But that isn’t really Grint’s fault so much as it is the script. Grint does the best he can with the character, but similar to Radcliffe, wouldn’t be able to bring much more to his character until later on.

Of all the archetypes, the one who probably has the most depth in this entry is Hermione (Emma Watson). She may be the smart and bossy one, but her character does go a bit deeper then just that. We see that because she’s so smart and authoritative, people tend not to like her very much. A key example of this is a scene where Ron, Harry, and a few other boys are walking through the yard making fun of her, not realizing she’s right behind them. Hermione storms by, clearly upset, and later locks herself in the girl’s bathroom to cry. Watson sells all of this, and none of it feels over the top. She can be a know-it-all, but she’s also likable and you sympathize with her form time to time. Not only is her character more interesting than Harry in this film, but she’s also more effective. She’s the one who knows all the spells and how to handle most of the perils that come their way. Watching this film, you almost want it to be re-titled Hermione Granger and the Philosopher’s Stone.

The rest of the supporting cast is full of great actors, playing pretty small parts. Robbie Coltrane plays the lovable giant Hagrid. Hagrid is a very likable character and of all the adults in the film is the one you’d wanna actually know the most. The only problem I have with his character is he acts too stupid as the film progresses. The lovable but not entirely intelligent giant is a classic character, and Hagrid fits that category. Early on, I really appreciated how, well Hagrid isn’t very smart, he is competent enough that you understand why Dumbledore trusts him so much. But later on, Hagrid starts making several extremely stupid decisions that I just find frustrating. This makes me mad because it makes me question the trust that Dumbledore has in Hagrid.

Dumbledore is played by the now deceased Richard Harris. I don’t wanna speak ill of the dead, but I can’t say I was terribly impressed with his performance. He wasn’t bad or anything, but I found that for the greatest wizard of all time, the performance feels kind of underwhelming. You could make the argument that he’s suppose to feel underwhelming because it’s suppose to be surprising that he is so powerful. That is a good point, but I felt I should be more interested in his character then I was. I was far more interested in Alan Rickman’s Professor Snape. Snape is cold, menacing, and most importantly, he’s intriguing. You’re not quite sure what he wants, where his allegiance lies, or why he hates Harry. Snape’s ambiguity would be played with throughout the series, and it’s an element that’s been done well from the start.

While all the acting more or less holds up, the same can’t be said for the special effects. It’s not just that they don’t hold up by today’s standards either, since the same year Philosopher’s Stone came out, the first Lord of the Rings film was released. None of the effects are horrible or anything, but all the CG is noticeable and distracting. The troll, Fluffy, Norbert, all these stand out as being very obvious CG. On a budget of $125 million, I expect a little more.

That said, most of the heavy special effects set pieces are very entertaining. The scene where are protagonists fight the troll is entertaining, and the way they took him down is very believable. There are two set pieces that stand out for me. One is the Quiditch game against Slytherin. The flying is done very well, and the whole scene is a great energy to it, as well as a sense of danger. The other set piece is the chess game near the end, where all the pieces are giant and can move. The scene is dark and the characters really have to use their wits to win.

One of the film’s biggest problems is it’s run time. Despite all we are introduced to in this entry, the overall story is very simple and the characters aren’t tremendously deep. As such, I feel a two and a half hour run time is way too much. The film tries to get around this by introducing the audience to a magical world full of wonder. A world where you want to learn more about. This works to an extent, but not enough to justify two and a half hours. The problem is the world we’re introduced to doesn’t feel nearly as large or impressive as it should. At times it feels rather plan, and I think should be a lot more stylish.

A lot of this is the fault of director Chris Columbus, who I feel was the wrong choice to direct this film. His previous credits before this include Home Alone and Mrs.Doubtfire, hardly the résumé of someone qualified to direct a fantasy film. I think the small scale of the film can be attributed mostly to him. He also makes a lot of seemingly amateur mistakes. The scene that shows this the most is the scene where Hagrid tells Harry about Voldemort and what happened to Harry’s parents. We see sort of a flashback depicting Voldemort breaking into Harry’s home when he was a baby and killing Harry’s parents. But the way it’s shot and directed makes the scene feel, well, goofy. Babies watching their parents die should not feel goofy (there’s a sentence I never thought I’d write).

The last thing I wanna talk about is how Harry beats Voldemort. So basically Harry’s parents sacrificed themselves when Voldemort attacked, so Harry could live. When Voldemort attempts to kill Harry, it backfires and Voldemort, while isn’t exactly killed, is left drastically weakened. It’s implied that it was his parents love that allowed Harry to live. While that does seem somewhat silly, I don’t really have a problem with it because no one is really sure what happened. Plus, Harry’s parents did have to sacrifice themselves, so it wasn’t as simple as love being too strong.

This brings me to my final criticism, the climax. To get to the Philosopher’s stone, Harry, Hermione, and Ron need to go through a series of tests and traps in order to get through. These require intellect and skill. Watching the our heroes go through all this is a highlight of the film. The last test before the stone is the chess game, where Ron takes a fall in order for them to win. Hermione agrees to take Ron to the Hospital Wing, while Harry finally faces off against Voldemort for the stone. So how does Harry take out Voldemort? Critical and resourceful thinking? Keen knowledge of magic and spells? No, Harry just touches Voldemort…and he sort of melts. Um, okay? That’s really anti-climatic, especially considering everything else they he and the others had to go through to get to that point.

Things get worse when Harry awakens days later in the hospital wing and Dumbledore tells him why Voldemort burned when touched. Because of the love his mother had for him and the sacrifice she made. I could accept that when he was a baby, because she had literally just sacrificed herself, and there was a sense of ambiguity to that. But this is years later, and just makes Voldemort, the powerful and dark wizard, look like a pansy.

Despite all the problems and criticisms I have, The Philosopher’s Stone does hold up mostly pretty well. There’s a lot of little plot holes (why is Fluffy so easy to stumble upon?), but it’s all mostly enjoyable. What may hurt this film the most is the quality of the later films. To put it simply, we know this franchise is capable of more, a lot more.

Rating: B-

[MovieBuff801]

Awesome idea! I'm planning on doing something Harry Potter-related myself pretty soon...but I won't say what it is yet. All I will say, though, is keep an eye on MC's and my Top 10 thread. ;)

And for the most part, I agree with you here, but I'd rate the film a bit higher. I'm curious to see if your favorite of the series so far is mine as well.

[PG Cooper]

*Disclaimer: Review contains spoilers

http://www.movie-list.com/posters/big/zoom/harrypotter2.jpg
Release date: November 15th, 2002

Written by: Steve Kloves

Directed by: Chris Columbus

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, Toby Jones, Kenneth Branagh, Jason Isaacs, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters, and Mark Williams.

After Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone became such a huge critical and financial success, work soon began on it’s sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. When released, it received favorable reviews and mirrored the reviews the first film had received, but it seems now people consider it one of the lesser films of the series and not as good as the first film. Personally, I find it to be an improvement.

The film starts with Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) back with his Aunt and Uncle before the school year starts. On evening he is visited by a House Elf named Dobby (Toby Jones). Dobby warns him of terrible things that will happen this coming year at Hogwarts. Dobby begs Harry not to go to Hogwarts for the year. Naturally, Harry refuses. Some hi-jinx ensue, and the end result is Harry’s Uncle being so pissed off at Harry that he refuses to let him go to Hogwarts. He’s quickly busted out by Ron (Rupert Grint), but later on the two can’t get through to platform 9 and 3/4. They end up driving a flying car to Hogwarts instead, in the process they risk exposing the wizard world to muggles. Because of this, they fear they’ll be expelled from Hogwarts, but fortunately they are not. Later in the year, we discover the terrible things Dobby was speaking of. Students are being found petrified, and threatening messages are being on the walls. Messages talking about the heir of Slytherin and the Chamber of Secrets. So of course, Harry, Ron, and Hermione (Emma Watson) try to deduce who the heir is and how to stop them.

The first thing that really impressed me about the film is how much the effects had improved. Dobby is an entirely CG character, but the CGI holds up and he looks impressive. Dobby shows genuine emotion, and moves fairly naturally. It’s not as good as the CG on Gollum that was seen the same year in The Two Towers, but it’s impressive none the less. Like Gollum though, the most impressive thing about Dobby isn’t the effect, it’s the character itself. Dobby is a strange, quirky, and amusing creature. He’s funny, but he’s also a really sad and pitiful character. Toby Jones breathes more life into the character with his very memorable voice work.

Most of the major characters from the first film return. Of the three leads, there isn’t really any massive improvement from any of them. You can tell they have a year’s experience under their belts, but overall the characters don’t go much further than they had gone last film. I did like that Harry became more of a hero in this one. He seemed smarter, more resourceful, and more heroic in this one than in the last, and he and Ron don’t need to rely on Hermione as much. One thing I will say is Ron got on my nerves a lot more in this film. He seems to be whining in almost every scene he’s in. I find this the fault of director Chris Columbus. Columbus could have easily told Grint to pull back his acting in those scenes, but he didn’t.

One actor who had a major improvement, for me anyway, was Richard Harris as Dumbledore. It’s hard to explain why I liked him so much more in this, he doesn’t really change his performance too drastically from the last film. He just seems to be more alive, where in the last film at times he felt rather cold and robotic. He’s much more fun to watch than before. The rest of the returning cast are all more or less the same as before. Hagrid is still loving, Snape is still menacing, Filch is still creepy, etc.

New to the cast is Kenneth Branagh (who directed this year’s Thor) as Gilderoy Lockhart, famous for his books depicting his adventures and exploits. He’s become the defense against the dark arts teacher. Despite his fame and fortune, it’s clear from the beginning Lockhart is completely incompetent as a wizard. Branagh does a good job playing the character, he’s very pompous and overall amusing to watch. Branagh sells the character well, but the Lockhart character is one of the biggest problems in the film. While he’s fun to watch, I can’t understand why he was hired at Hogwarts. All the staff can see how useless Lockhart is, and I can’t fathom why the wise and powerful Dumbledore decided he’d be a good pick for defense against the dark arts. Another new character I didn’t like was Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy. Malfoy feels really over the top and there’s no subtlety to his character. I know Isaacs does a better job in the later films, so I’m going to blame this on Columbus as well.

A major issue I had with the first film was the run time. While I was worried, I was confident that this one would be shorter. The last film had to introduce all the characters, the wizarding world, general back story, and the film’s own story. But here, everything is established, so it’s gotta be shorter, right? Nope, two and a half hours yet again. I wanna say something about long films now. I have no problem inherently with films that are long. Heat, The Godfather, Goodfellas, The Dark Knight, any Lord of the Rings films; all these films have long run times, and all are among my all time favourite films. But they had enough substance to justify such a long run time. As good as Chamber is, two and a half hours is a lot, and the film does drag in spots, especially after the climax where you almost just waiting for the film to end.

With all my complaining about run time, I do feel it flows better than Philosopher’s Stone did. Steve Kloves script is pretty good, and the story here is more interesting. There’s a mystery you’re trying to sold, and the reveal that it was Ginny (under the control of Voldemort) who opened the Chamber of Secrets, is genuinely smart and surprising. The story is also a lot darker and more tense than in the last film, and I found myself more invested this time around. There are some minor plot holes, for instance, how did Ron no Harry needed to be broken out of his home? But overall, this is a much tighter script than in the last film.

Unlike last film, this one has a pretty good climax. Harry is in the Chamber of Secrets alone. Ron has been blocked off and Hermione is petrified. Harry finds Ginny, as well as the memory of Tom Riddle, who we find out his Voldemort. Voldemort then calls a Basilisk, a giant snake essentially, who kills people when they look into it’s eyes. The Basilisk has it’s eyes gorged out, giving Harry an edge, but the Basilisk can still hear Harry. This scene is really tense and you really feel like Harry’s in trouble. Harry ends up wielding a sword, and kills the Basilisk by stabbing it through the mouth. Harry then takes one of the Basilisk’s poison tipped teeth, and uses it to destroy Riddle’s diary, and consequently save Ginny from Voldemort.

This is a great climax and I actually think it’s pretty epic. It’s certainly better than the climax to Philosopher’s Stone. But after that, the film sort of loses steam. I will say the moment after where Harry frees Dobby from the Malfoys is great. What Harry did was pretty clever, and I doubt I’d of thought of that in the moment like he did. The way Harry reveals to Lucius what he did is equally clever. But for the most part, after the climax, the film goes on for an additional fifteen minutes when it could have gone for only five.

Overall, while Chamber of Secrets is an improvement over Philosopher’s Stone, it’s not as big a leap as I would have liked. It improves on several of the first film’s problems, but it also brings it’ on flaws to the table. Still, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is an enjoyable and superior sequel, and was the series first primitive steps toward darker story telling.

Rating: B

[IanTheCool]

I liked the first movie more than most of the others. I think its a wonderfully constructed kid's movie, and on top of that I think it captured the magic of the world far better than any other movie since has done.

The second film was clunky though.

[MovieBuff801]

I'm pretty much with you on the portrayal of Ron in this movie. However, rather than blaming Chris Columbus for it, I think some of the blame should be saddled with screenwriter Steve Kloves, because after all, Kloves wrote Ron that way in the script. If Kloves had dialed down Ron's "goofiness" in the script, then I think Rupert Grint's performance would've been a bit better. Also, it's interesting to note that in the books, Ron isn't so much the comedy relief of the trio. Well, he is, but not to the extent that he's portrayed in the earlier films.

As to Lucius Malfoy, I dunno...I kinda liked how Jason Isaacs embraced the snivelling nature of the character, and that's part of the joy in the performance here. For me, Isaacs has always been one of the most fun recurring actors to watch in this franchise, mainly because of the joy he takes in his role.

And the running time...Chris Columbus was so much of a book purist, that he felt everything had to be put in, and I agree with you, this is more of an issue in this movie than it is in the first. Some scenes in the Second Act could've been trimmed up just a bit. But the good thing about Columbus stepping down as director is that each subsequent film felt more linear than the first two.

Like you, I still really like Chamber of Secrets, but if I HAD to rank the films, it would definitely be at the bottom of the list for me.

[Fanible]

I didn't have much of a real interest in the series until the third one, which took a complete left turn. I have pretty much enjoyed them all since.

I only find the first one good as a character introduction. Don't care for the second, however I thought the bit with the spiders was done well.

[Neverending]

I need to re-watch all these films... but as far as I can remember, the first film did a great job of introducing the characters and capturing the world of wizards. But the main plot itself was pretty bad. As for the second film... I don't remember a single thing about it.

I will have more to say about the third film since I re-watched it on ABC Family a few months back.

[PG Cooper]

Reminds me, if people wanna join in with their own reviews of past films, feel free.

[MovieBuff801]

I guess I'll start doing my own mini reviews of all the remaining films. Here's the short write-up for Prisoner of Azkaban that I did back in my Top Movies of the Decade thread, which has been the only thing close to a review of it that I've written:

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

I’m gonna say it: forget "Lord of the Rings", "Harry Potter" is where the magic is in terms of fantasy this past decade. Easily the best family film of the decade, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" is a downright wondrous movie. It’s filled with endless ingenuity, uncontainable charm and a truly delightful sense of fun mixed with genuine emotion. Alfonso Cuaron takes the reins from Chris Columbus as director and gives the series what the first two movies were lacking: humanity. Much like the character of Harry himself, Cuaron’s "Azkaban" ventures over into teenage adolescence, a feeling reflected in the tone of the picture. These characters are no longer the cutesy kids we were introduced to; they’re finally starting to mature into the captivating characters all us "Potter" freaks know and love. Fortunately, this is where the acting capabilities of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson really start to bloom. Whenever they’re on screen here, you can’t help but smile. My fellow "Potter" fans, we owe the newfound quality of the franchise to Cuaron, whose step up from Columbus’s vision helped inspire Mike Newell and David Yates in turn. What the "Potter" franchise as a whole is adept at demonstrating is that you let the special effects compliment the story, rather than overshadow it.

There’s almost a Tim Burton-esque look to the way Cuaron has restyled Hogwarts, and I love it. This is pretty much how I picture everything whenever I read the books, so of course I was delighted. In this installment, you’ve got the additions of Gary Oldman and David Thewlis to the cast of characters and I have to say that I can’t imagine any other actors as Sirius Black or Remus Lupin; both embody their characters flawlessly. This is where the darkness started spreading for the films, and the third act in particular almost has a Gothic appearance that perfectly compliments the werewolf that shows up, as well as the Dementors. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" is that rare bit of movie magic that reawakens our inner child; the movie is an exhilarating fantasy adventure with humor, thrills and emotion. I love, love, LOVE this movie!

"Prisoner of Azkaban" is hands down my favorite of the lot so far.

****/****

[IanTheCool]

David Thewlis didn't capture my version of Lupin at all.Or Oldman my version of Sirius. Mind you, both were great in their roles though.

[shained]

I didn't have much of a real interest in the series until the third one, which took a complete left turn. I have pretty much enjoyed them all since.

I only find the first one good as a character introduction. Don't care for the second, however I thought the bit with the spiders was done well.

Basically my thoughts on the series. I was forced to take my little cousin to see the first one which I wasn't happy about, although it wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. The second I borrowed from my mates sisters DVD collection when I had **** all to watch haha and it was terrible! That bad I put off watching the 3rd for a good while.

This one was a lot darker and when I started thinking they were decent films.

My problem with the Potter films is that nit a lot ever really seems to happen. They're interesting characters but I feel like more could happen.

[JBond]

I'm one of the few who don't like the third one.

[MovieBuff801]

All right, POA fans, grab your torch and pitchforks.

[PG Cooper]

*Grabs fork.

[Neverending]

POA was a fun movie. Perhaps the most entertaining of all the Potter films. But the plot was ridiculous. At times, I felt like I was watching a Saturday morning cartoon. I mean... we're expected to believe that Harry Potter saves the day by going back in time? Really? REALLY?! The laziness in the writing is too much to ignore.

[JBond]

Thank you.

[MovieBuff801]

Prisoner of Azkaban is one of the very few movies where the time travel angle actually works for the most part. How they tie everything together there is pretty neat, and I didn't think it was stupid at all.

[PG Cooper]

Thank you.

[JBond]

We're all so polite.

Yes, worked nicely. Like how the second time around the axe convinently comes down on a pumpkin instead of the Hippogriff so the scene of the execution "makes sense" the second time through. Gee, if only one of the kids had been brave enough to watch the execution, then they would have noticed Buckbeak (I just now remembered his name) wasn't even there.

Take your pick: did the kids not notice he had escaped despite their eyes down on them, or was the movie very inconsistent on the idea that nothing was changed between the first time through and the second? Because remember, in both times through Harry got hit with a rock and saw the petronum stag.

[JBond]

I probably shouldn't bother with the idea that time travel doesn't even belong in fantasy and REALLY brings into question why that thing isn't used more in this world and in other movies.

And if you can't wait for me to have problems with other parts of the movie, how about Potter giving up on life when the werewolf is about to attack him and Hermoine when he's a frigging wizard with a wand.

[MovieBuff801]

We're all so polite.

Yes, worked nicely. Like how the second time around the axe convinently comes down on a pumpkin instead of the Hippogriff so the scene of the execution "makes sense" the second time through. Gee, if only one of the kids had been brave enough to watch the execution, then they would have noticed Buckbeak (I just now remembered his name) wasn't even there.

Take your pick: did the kids not notice he had escaped despite their eyes down on them, or was the movie very inconsistent on the idea that nothing was changed between the first time through and the second? Because remember, in both times through Harry got hit with a rock and saw the petronum stag.

You clearly don't remember the fact that there was a HUGE tree blocking their view of Buckbeak from the top of the hill, so obviously they would think that Buckbeak was killed instead of a pumpkin. And they chose not to stay down at Hagrid's hut because they didn't want to be caught on grounds after hours.

And it's "patronus". Geeeez. ;)

[JBond]

Even if there's some dumb tree covering just the right parts of the killing, that doesn't bother you? That's called ****ty writing because it requires little coincidences to make things work.

BTW, if Buckbeak never died, isn't it just a little bit weird that Dumbledore tells them to go save his life?

And another thing, I'm pretty sure he warns them about the dangers of time travel before they use it (since it's freaking time travel). So I'd like to know what irresponsible wizard gave it to Hermoine so she could take extra classes.

And I'm sorry, I'll work on my wizard conjugations more. ;)

[MovieBuff801]

No, it doesn't bother me because it actually makes sense. It's not ****ty writing, it's called using certain elements of a scene to create a false impression for the audience to believe. It's not uncommon, and it's used effectively here for anyone who hasn't read the book.

Dumbledore reasoned that the best way to save Sirius from the tower was Buckbeak. So yes, of course he tells them to save Buckbeak. And with Dumbledore being Dumbledore, I don't doubt he'd know about them sneaking down to Hagrid's earlier that night, and would therefore warn Harry and Hermione not to be seen by their past selves.

Hermione has proven herself to be a very responsible student overall in the past, so yes, professors would have that in mind while giving her the Time Turner.

[JBond]

Haha, she proved herself worthy for time travel. What do you need for that, a 3.5 GPA? ;)

[Tolkien]

I liked the first movie more than most of the others. I think its a wonderfully constructed kid's movie, and on top of that I think it captured the magic of the world far better than any other movie since has done.
What I love about this series the most is it's ability to mature. From film 1 to film 7, this film has aged in maturity significantly, and that's something truly amazing to see happen first hand. If someone were to watch Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone and then wake from a coma ten years later to watch Harry Potter & the Deathly Hollows, they'd completely freak out at how much the story has grown since then.


I'm one of the few who don't like the third one.
I remember when it first came out it was something completely different from the previous films, and I also found myself angry with the editing/scene changing and most of all, the ending shot. The other films all had endings, whereas this one cut to black in the middle of a scene, it use to feel anoying. I've moved past it as the years went by.

[JBond]

Oh right, the 70s sitcom freeze frame ending. Yuck.

[MovieBuff801]

Haha, she proved herself worthy for time travel. What do you need for that, a 3.5 GPA? ;)

Hey, better they give it to her than to Ron or some idiot like Malfoy. ;)

[JBond]

I think Malfoy would use it for good and productive reasons. No time-travel abortions at all.

[Neverending]

the time travel angle actually works

I know I've complained about this a few times, but the MAIN thing that bothers me about this franchise is that Harry Potter doesn't get his hands dirty. He's a wizard. They can have him shoot lightening bolts out of his fingers and burn someone to death. But instead he's playing chess games.

So, that's why the time travel plot bothers me so much. It makes things too easy for Harry.

POA is the first film in the series where the characters are clearly no longer children. They're teenagers now. They're not walking around in their school uniforms all day like Japanese girls. So, this was the perfect time to have Harry throw a punch, kick someone in the butt, or atleast b---h slap someone. But instead he hops into the DeLorean. Atleast the chess game in part 1 forced him to use his mind.

[PG Cooper]

I love coming here and wanting to argue a point, and then seeing moviebuff has done it for me already. Thank you moviebuff :)

[MovieBuff801]

POA is the first film in the series where the characters are clearly no longer children. They're teenagers now. They're not walking around in their school uniforms all day like Japanese girls. So, this was the perfect time to have Harry throw a punch, kick someone in the butt, or atleast b---h slap someone. But instead he hops into the DeLorean. Atleast the chess game in part 1 forced him to use his mind.

But that would go against his character pretty much. Harry would never be so aggressive...except maybe to Malfoy. What's interesting to note is that in the 5th book, Harry actually did punch Malfoy in the face (actually, that was Fred or George, then Harry joined in), but that was the book where his temper on the whole was very short. When he's his normal self, Harry is more in control of himself, and that works for him. Otherwise, he'd be just like Malfoy.

I love coming here and wanting to argue a point, and then seeing moviebuff has done it for me already. Thank you moviebuff :)

No problem, PG. Just lending some help in sticking up for my franchise. ;)

[Neverending]

But that would go against his character pretty much.

And that's why he sucks. Remember when Dumbledor got killed? That was bull s--t, man. Harry should have used his magic powers to create himself a shotgun. He would have sneaked up on Snape, shouted, "Abra Cadabra, b---h" in his best Jesse Pitkman impersonation and shot the bastard. Then, when Snape is laying on the floor, dying, Harry walks up to him, places the shotgun on his forehead and says, "class is dismissed." BANG.

Now THAT'S a Harry Potter flick that's worthy of my time.

Oh, and Harry should totally walk into Hermione's room, turn down the lights, put on Marvin Gaye on the stereo and say, "wanna see my magic wand." And, looking through the window, is that red-headed bastard crying like a b---h.

[PG Cooper]

And that's why he sucks. Remember when Dumbledor got killed? That was bull s--t, man. Harry should have used his magic powers to create himself a shotgun. He would have sneaked up on Snape, shouted, "Abra Cadabra, b---h" in his best Jesse Pitkman impersonation and shot the bastard. Then, when Snape is laying on the floor, dying, Harry walks up to him, places the shotgun on his forehead and says, "class is dismissed." BANG.

Now THAT'S a Harry Potter flick that's worthy of my time.

Oh, and Harry should totally walk into Hermione's room, turn down the lights, put on Marvin Gaye on the stereo and say, "wanna see my magic wand." And, looking through the window, is that red-headed bastard crying like a b---h.

I'm so glad you're not the one making Potter films.

[PG Cooper]

Looks like I'm gonna have to be out of town for the next few days (family issues), so it may be a while before I post again. I'll try to write my reviews while I'm out of town so I can just copy them when I get home.

[PG Cooper]

Okay, I'm not leaving until Thursday. I'll try to get some reviews out for before then.

[MovieBuff801]

And that's why he sucks. Remember when Dumbledor got killed? That was bull s--t, man. Harry should have used his magic powers to create himself a shotgun. He would have sneaked up on Snape, shouted, "Abra Cadabra, b---h" in his best Jesse Pitkman impersonation and shot the bastard. Then, when Snape is laying on the floor, dying, Harry walks up to him, places the shotgun on his forehead and says, "class is dismissed." BANG.

Now THAT'S a Harry Potter flick that's worthy of my time.

Oh, and Harry should totally walk into Hermione's room, turn down the lights, put on Marvin Gaye on the stereo and say, "wanna see my magic wand." And, looking through the window, is that red-headed bastard crying like a b---h.

And we wonder why you're not a fan.

Okay, I'm not leaving until Thursday. I'll try to get some reviews out for before then.

Great! Hope you can!

[JBond]

And that's why he sucks. Remember when Dumbledor got killed? That was bull s--t, man. Harry should have used his magic powers to create himself a shotgun. He would have sneaked up on Snape, shouted, "Abra Cadabra, b---h" in his best Jesse Pitkman impersonation and shot the bastard.

:funny:

[Neverending]

I'm so glad you're not the one making Potter films.

And we wonder why you're not a fan.

In all seriousness, I always wondered why fans don't find it frustrating that Harry Potter does nothing. He's one of the most worthless characters in all of cinema. The fact that he just stands there as Dumbledore is killed is ridiculous. In the early years... something like that would be fine because he was a stupid little kid. But in movie 6, with hair in his balls, he SHOULD be able to defend himself and others. If Dumbledore is gonna die... it should be in a blaze of glory not getting pushed down a tower by the villain from Die Hard.

Oh, and speaking of Alan Rickman, could they have been any more obvious with his character? Who was shocked by the revelation that he was evil? I mean, seriously. I saw that s--t coming all the way in movie #1.

[shained]

Ye Harry is a pussy.

2 redeeming features of the later films are Hermoinie and Luna .......

[MovieBuff801]

In all seriousness, I always wondered why fans don't find it frustrating that Harry Potter does nothing. He's one of the most worthless characters in all of cinema. The fact that he just stands there as Dumbledore is killed is ridiculous. In the early years... something like that would be fine because he was a stupid little kid. But in movie 6, with hair in his balls, he SHOULD be able to defend himself and others. If Dumbledore is gonna die... it should be in a blaze of glory not getting pushed down a tower by the villain from Die Hard.

Oh, and speaking of Alan Rickman, could they have been any more obvious with his character? Who was shocked by the revelation that he was evil? I mean, seriously. I saw that s--t coming all the way in movie #1.

To all of this, I tell you wait until you see Deathly Hallows Part 2. You'll find out more about Dumbledore's death, as well as Snape, and Harry, Ron and Hermione get **** done during The Battle of Hogwarts. Don't draw any conclusions about Snape just yet.

[Neverending]

10 years for Harry to throw a punch? YAY.

Call me when they make the next Pirates of the Caribbean.

[MovieBuff801]

These movies have never been about the action, so complaining that these films don't have enough of it is like saying the Fast & Furious movies don't have enough character devlopment.

And the charm of Harry's character is that he has aspects that a lot of kids can relate to; he's just an everyman put in the middle of this fantasy world, he's a school student who just happens to be a wizard. And his entire character development over the course of the series is that he finally becomes the hero he has to be. Excuse him for wanting to be a regular kid along the way.

[PG Cooper]

*Disclaimer’:Review Contains Spoilers

http://ca.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/18/MPW-9444
Release date: June 4th, 2004

Written by: Steve Kloves

Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, Alan Rickman, and Robbie Coltrane

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban sees Harry at his third year at Hogwarts. Before the school year begins, Azkaban prisoner Sirius Black escapes. Black is guilty of murder, and allegedly being a supporter of Lord Voldemort. Harry is frequently warned that Black may be after him, but he’s not sure why.

Azkaban would feature two changes that would forever change the series. The obvious change would be Michael Gambon replacing Richard Harris (who died a month before Chamber of Secrets was released) as Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. While that was an important change, and one I intend on talking about, the biggest and most important change would be the replacing of director Chris Columbus. Columbus opted to bow out as a director so he could spend time with his kids. Directors up for the part included Oscar nominee Kenneth Branagh (who played Gilderoy Lockhart in The Chamber of Secrets), Marc Foster, and future Oscar nominee Guillermo del Toro. Eventually when the smoke had cleared, Spanish director Alfonso Cuarón.

Before this, Cuarón had a few critically acclaimed films under his belt, of which I unfortunately haven’t seen any. While he may have seemed an unconventional choice given his lack of experience with blockbusters, Cuarón proved to be exactly what the series needed. Cuarón pushed the films into darker territory, delivering a film that was edgier and more tense than it’s predecessors. And yet in spite of this, he still made a film that kept the fun and adventurous nature of the series in tact. Cuarón is also a much better visual director than Columbus. Columbus may have been competent at capturing the world of Harry Potter, but Cuarón excels at it. Part of Azkaban‘s visual charm lies in the design of the set, costumes, and props. The other part is just the way Cuarón films everything. The camera work in this film is a significant step above the camera work from the Columbus films. What’s truly amazing is how Cuarón managed to put his own touch on the series, while still remaining faithful to the world established in previous entries. This would be Alfonso Cuarón’s only Potter film, and I am curious as to how the series would have turned out had he remained on board. Of course had he stayed with the series, we never would’ve had the incredible film Children of Men, so I suppose I’m not too upset by his departure from the series.

Once again our three leads remain the same, though this time there is a significant leap in the quality of their performances. They’re not little kids anymore, they’re teens, and they all seem more natural in their parts. Rupert Grint is far less annoying as Ron and Emma Watson brings a more mature Hermione to the screen. But the biggest leap comes from Daniel Radcliffe as the series hero. In the past two films, he sort of felt like the default hero. He was the person we were following, but only because his name is in the title. Harry himself wasn’t the most effective or interesting character. But in this, Radcliffe’s performance is a lot more interesting. He seems very comfortable in the role and I enjoyed his character a lot more in this film. Another important factor in this is because we go deeper into his character. In this film, we see Harry actually internally dealing with the death of his parents, as well as meeting people who knew his parents. Watching him deal with these things is central to the film, and really made me feel sympathy for Harry in a way I hadn’t before. Radcliffe also captures an element I felt lacking in the previous film; Harry as a loner. While he may be surrounded by great friends, their is a distance between them and him in some ways, and this was the first film that really brought that.

Of the supporting cast, the ones who return are just as great as always. Robbie Coltrane is still the lovable Hagrid, and his character always puts a smile on my face. Alan Rickman is also back as Snape, and gets more to do here than he did in the last film. I know Snape is pretty much a huge dick to everyone, but I just love watching him. More Snape is always better. Michael Gambon takes over from Richard Harris as Dumbledore. I know I was fairly harsh on Harris in my review for Philosopher’s Stone, but I do feel he grew into his own for Chamber of Secrets. That said, I still think Gambon is the superior Dumbledore. He doesn’t try to imitate what Harris did, and instead just brings his own portrayal to the table. I found him far more interesting than Harris, and I also believed that despite being quirky and strange, Gambon’s Dumbledore really was one of the greatest Wizards of all. The main reason for this is because in the previous films, we mostly just heard of Dumbledore’s genius. In this film though, we actually see it, just in subtle ways.

We also see two brand new characters: Remus Lupin (David Thewlis) and Sirius Black (Gary Oldman). Thewlis is very likable as Remus Lupin. Lupin is one of the few professors at Hogwarts who Harry bonds with, and watching their relationship develop makes for a lot of great stuff. At the end of the film, Lupin decides to leave Hogwarts when the fact that he’s a Werewolf is brought to light. It’s a kind of said scene, and I felt sorry for Lupin. Of all the professors at Hogwarts, he’s probably the most likable one. But the new addition I really love is Gary Oldman as Sirius Black. Oldman is an actor who always really sinks into whatever character he’s playing, and I love him for it. He’s awesome as Sirius Black, he manages being scary, but also charming and likable. Most importantly, Black is really interesting. He’s only in the movie briefly near the end, but you leave wanting to know more about him. Sirius Black might be my favourite character of the series, and Gary Oldman is the main reason why.

A big issue I had with the last two films were the run times. Each of them were two and a half hours long, and I felt dragged. This film was 2 hours and 20 minutes, but fortunately, this one actually warrants such a run time. The story never dragged and I was never bored. The story is paced much better, there’s always something happening to keep interests raised. The story itself is more interesting than the last two films. We get some big roles regarding Harry’s past, and their are a few twists and turns along the way. The film also shows the students just being casual with each other. There are moments where we see the characters just being themselves, hanging out. There only there in small doses, but they do help establish the relationship between the characters. It’s great that the film managed to balance heavy story, as well as casual character development so seamlessly. I have to think Steve Kloves script for this. It seems he really learned from his mistakes on the first two films.

This movie can also be praised for it’s individual scenes. Any scene involving the Dementors for example, is great. I really love the Dementors. They’re very menacing, and the general tone when they’re around is dark and effective. Their design is similar to the Ring Wraiths from The Lord of the Rings, but I think these guys are actually creepier. The action scenes are also at there best in this film. Like in the last two, there is a Quidditch game, but this one stands out with it’s dark and rainy setting. The confrontation with Lupin in werewolf form is also a great moment. But my favourite action scene, by far, is when Harry and Hermione are being attacked by the Whomping Willow. It’s a very thrilling and exciting scene, but also tense.

In all these reviews, I’ve frequently forgot to mention the score by John Williams. This was not deliberate, in fact, after publishing both reviews, I found myself saying, “Damn, forgot to mention the music.” It does seem fitting that this would be the review I’d finally mention it in, since it was the last Potter film John Williams would score. Most of the classic Potter themes that have been played in all the films were done by Williams. His score for this is probably my favourite of his Potter scores. It still has the whimsical charm, but there’s also a more menacing undertone, which is very appropriate for the film. It’s a great score, but you’d expect nothing less from Williams.

In spite of all my praise, I do have faults with the film, albeit small ones. One is the portrayal of Malfoy. I’ve had problems with this since the beginning, but this is the first time I’ve felt the need to mention, in part because those films had other, more pressing issues, and partly because now that the characters are teenagers, I can’t cut them as much slack. I love the idea of having a darker equal to Harry Potter. Someone who would serve as a rival. But it doesn’t work in the films because Malfoy does not feel equal to Potter at all. He’s always being one upped and humiliated by Harry and his friends. And he always takes it like a wuss, scurrying away and crying. I just see so much wasted potential in the character. Admittedly, it’s a very small part in this film, but in the grand scheme of the series, they do a lot with the character.

One thing on the film I’m sort of mixed on is the time travel element of the story. I do think it’s handled well. The rules, well they aren’t spelled out for the audience, seem clever and I like the way it works. I also like that you see the effects of what Harry and Hermione do with the time travel before you actually are introduced to the time travel element of the story. The only problem I have is just that it raises a lot of unanswered questions. For example, if Hermione was given one just to catch these classes, how common are they? How many other wizards are meddling with time? What effects are they having? What’s the punishment for being caught? Why is this never used again in the series? You could say that the film is a fantasy and just go with it, and you would have a point. Had this element been in either of the first two films, I probably could. But Prisoner of Azkaban is so much better as a film, that I feel it would be unfair to go easy on this.

Many Potter fans consider this film to be the best of the series. While I don’t want to make that bold of a statement yet (I want to finish my retrospective first), I understand where these fans are coming from. Alfonso Cuarón made a film that surpasses it’s predecessors in every conceivable way. The acting, effects, action, and tone are all better. And Prisoner somehow manages to be the most dramatic and tense so far, but also the most fun and adventurous of the series so far. I remember liking this film, but watching it again it played better than I expected it too. I feel kind of bad for excluding it on my best of the decade list. While the first two Potter films were good, this is the first one I won’t hesitate at calling great.

Rating: A

[MovieBuff801]

Obviously, I'm in complete agreement on all accounts with you, PG, especially the score, which is hands down my favorite Potter score so far. It's music that, like you said, just fits perfectly with the film.

zg__wAowsLs

[Tolkien]

Great review PG, keep up the good work (until you leave :)).


10 years for Harry to throw a punch? YAY.

Call me when they make the next Pirates of the Caribbean.
Transformers 3 is doing pretty good for itself, you should go see it...


and leave us potter fans alone.

[Neverending]

These movies have never been about the action

True... but when your so-called hero just stands there as his mentor is getting pushed out of a tower... that's just a pussy move.

I have to think Steve Kloves script for this. It seems he really learned from his mistakes on the first two films.

It's because the characters are teenagers now. They're easier to write. If you were to have a scene with the characters JUST hanging out in the first two movies... what exactly would they be doing that's interesting to watch? Playing video games? Maybe a game of tic-tac-toe? Hide and Go Seek?

Transformers 3 is doing pretty good for itself, you should go see it...

I can't wait till Michael Bay reboots the Harry Potter series. ;)

[PG Cooper]

*Disclaimer: Review Contains Spoilers
http://www.movie-list.com/posters/big/zoom/harrypotter4.jpg
Release date: November 18th, 2005

Written by: Steve Kloves

Directed by: Mike Newell

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Robert Patinson, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, and Gary Oldman

In his fourth year at Hogwarts, Harry must survive his toughest challenge yet: the Triwizard Tournament. The tournament is designed to test three young Wizards with the winner receiving honor and glory. The three selected are Cedric Diggory, Fleur Delacour, and Viktor Krum. But in addition, an unexpected fourth his selected: Harry Potter. Harry is too young to even participate, but because the Goblet of Fire chose his name, he must compete. The question is, who put Harry’s name in the Goblet and why?

For whatever reason, Alfonso Cuarón did not return as director. I’m not sure why , but it’s a shame. That said, his replacement, Mike Newell, does a very good job with this film. One element he brought to The Goblet of Fire that none of the other films had is scope, and the sense of an epic. The Prisoner of Azkaban was a more personal and intimate story, and didn’t lend itself to an epic. Where as the first two films, despite their best efforts, felt relatively small in scale. But The Goblet of Fire really feels like a big movie with a big story. But I must say, while Newell has a more interesting visual style than Columbus did, he doesn’t hold a candle to Alfonso Cuarón.

At this point in the series, our three leads have come into their own as their characters. An interesting thing they do with the leads in this one is temporarily turning them against each other. In the previous films, no matter what happened, you knew they were all thick as thieves, best friends. There was some quarreling between Ron and Hermione, but nothing serious. Here though, we see them divided at times. Ron goes through a big period of envying Harry. It makes sense, his best friend is rich and always being told about how legendary he is and all the great things he can do. Ron comes from a poor family and doesn’t have a stand out feature amongst his siblings. You want to be mad at Ron, but you do understand where he’s coming from. There’s also conflict with Hermione, as some sexual tension arises between her and Ron. This is all handled well and doesn’t become overbearing on the plot. Back in Chamber of Secrets, there was a brief moment of everyone turning on Harry when they found out Harry is a Parselmouth, but that only seemed to last one scene and overall meant nothing. Here the conflict contributes to the drama.

The supporting cast is great as always. Alan Rickman isn’t given as much to do this time around, but the scene where he walks around his class and keeps hitting Harry and Ron for talking his pretty funny. I like what Michael Gambon does here with Dumbledore. In the previous films, Dumbledore was always the one who had all the answers and always knew what to do. But here, Dumbledore isn’t sure what to do. He is tested just like Harry. Jason Isaacs returns as Lucius Malfoy, and he seems more restrained and less over the top. I like him more here than in Chamber of Secrets. Oddly enough, I found Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall had improved. Mainly because in this, we see more emotion form her. She seems more like a human being, and less cold as a person.

We see several new additions to the cast. Brendan Gleeson plays Madeye Moody. His character is a lot of fun, albeit very creepy. Technically Gleeson is playing Barty Crouch Jr. who is pretending to be Madeye. Knowing that and re-watching the film gives his character a whole new age. There is a scene early on where Madeye is using the torture curse on a spider, right in front of Neville. The scene is creepy enough, but it takes on a whole new dimension when you find out Crouch killed Neville’s parents using the torture curse. Speaking of Barty Crouch Jr., he is played by David Tennant when in his regular form. Tennant makes Crouch really creepy and I love his character. Of all the death eaters in the series, Barty Crouch may be my favourite. And of course we have Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort, but we’ll get to him later.

Like the first two films, Goblet of Fire hits the two and a half hour mark. But unlike those two, this film kept me immersed throughout that run time. Mostly because the film does have a pretty epic story. The three stages of the Triwizard tournament are all very different but interesting. The first task involves stealing a golden egg from a dragon. It’s an exciting scene that sees Harry zipping through the skies on his broom being chased by a dragon. Watching this scene also made me realize just how far along the effects had come since The Philosopher’s Stone. The second task involves swimming through the Black Lake to save someone close, and the third sees the contestants essentially going through a hedge maze to find the Triwizard cup. All these tasks are challenging, and the force Harry to use his intellect, magical skills, and even his physical strength. In addition to that, the story goes through several twists. We learn Snape was once a Death Eater, and the backstory to how Barty Crouch Jr. was outed as a Death Eater is very interesting and one of my favorite scenes of the film. All this great stuff leads to one epic climax.

Oh the climax, the graveyard scene. This is probably my favourite scene in the series. Right off the bat, we watch Cedric get killed by Wormtail. For the first time in the series (not counting flashbacks) we watch an innocent person die. Then Wormtail resurrects Voldemort by cutting off his own hand and drawing blood from Harry’s arm. When Voldemort finally does take his physical form, there is a sense that this is the ultimate evil.And Ralph Fiennes is so good in the part. We’ve seen other incarnations of Voldemort in the series, but none of them even come close to Fiennes. He’s very malicious, at times just torturing Harry. But he also gives Voldemort this sense of class and sophistication. I’d been waiting to see Voldemort for a long time, and this scene really delivered. Though I do find Harry’s escape a small deus ex machina and a better explanation would have been nice. Still, this is a great great scene, and I don’t think it’s really been topped.

Even with all the things I like about this film, there are still things I found lacking. For one, the series continues to make Malfoy an utter joke. I know I complained about this in my last review, but this really bothers me. Especially considering how old the character is, and also how good an actor Tom Felton is. It’s a shame to see him wasting his time with such crap. And I know it’s only a small part of this film, but it really would come to bite the series in the ass later on. I also find the end a bit odd. After Cedric is killed, Harry escapes Vodlemort, and Barty is caught, we get a very good scene of Dumbledore addressing the school, honoring Cedric’s memory, and warning all of the threat on the horizon. Then we get a good scene between Dumbledore and Harry. But after that, and it’s the same day mind you, we see the other school’s leaving, but everyone is smiling and laughing. There is a sense that dark things are on the horizon, but I still find it too happy given recent events. I would have preffered a more remorseful tone.

Still, these are minor flaws. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a great film and, despite being made by an inferior director, is still on par with The Prisoner of Azkaban. The acting, the action, the effects, the script, everything is handled very well. Another great Potter film.

Rating: A

[MovieBuff801]

I'll post a more formal review later, but for now, once again, I'm in complete agreement with you. ;)

[PG Cooper]

I'll post a more formal review later, but for now, once again, I'm in complete agreement with you. ;)

Sweet. Are you gonna do all the films?

[JBond]

One of my favorite parts in the series is when Harry comes back from the graveyard with Cedric's body. Everyone is cheering and happy...and then it gets dark. Goosebumps every time.

[MovieBuff801]

Sweet. Are you gonna do all the films?

I'm at least going to join you for Prisoner of Azkaban (which I already did) and onward, then I'll think about going back and doing the first two.

One of my favorite parts in the series is when Harry comes back from the graveyard with Cedric's body. Everyone is cheering and happy...and then it gets dark. Goosebumps every time.

Same here. That's actually one of the few movie scenes I think improves upon its book counterpart.

[Neverending]

This is the one with the guy from Twilight, right?

[JBond]

Yeah. It's fun to watch him die.

[Tolkien]

This is before he became this horrible, horrible actor though.

It's like watching Natale Portman outside and during the SW films.

At least when playing Cedric, he displayed some emotion, lol.

[Neverending]

Isn't he the only legitmate heartrobe within the series. I recall one of the earlier scenes featuring him jumping out of trees and all the girls giggling, smiling, and whispering into each other's ears. I can't think of any other scene like that in the series.

It's like what PG Cooper said, this is THE movie where puberty is introduced into the series. LOL. It's like... hey there's Harry Potter being chased by a dragon, but oh wait, I think Ron and Hermione might head to 2nd base. Or is Edward Cullen gonna c-block him?

[ViRUs]

One of my favorite parts in the series is when Harry comes back from the graveyard with Cedric's body. Everyone is cheering and happy...and then it gets dark. Goosebumps every time.





I agree, to me GOF is still one of the best Harry Potter films. It kind of marks the turning point in the series. Yeah POA was dark, but I think GOF set the tone that remained throughout the series. Plus I never read the books when I watched this movie so I had no idea Voldermort would come back, or even that Cedric would die like that.

[JBond]

It's like what PG Cooper said, this is THE movie where puberty is introduced into the series. LOL. It's like... hey there's Harry Potter being chased by a dragon, but oh wait, I think Ron and Hermione might head to 2nd base. Or is Edward Cullen gonna c-block him?

The dragon was a metaphor for puberty and responsibility.

[Neverending]

The dragon was a metaphor for puberty and responsibility.

Such a deep film.

[Tornado]

Just finished watching Sorcerer's Stone. Pretty lousy. Dead on interpretation of the book though.

[Neverending]

Pretty lousy? Really?

[MovieBuff801]

Okay, my turn for GOF:

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

http://www.traileraddict.com/content/warner-bros-pictures/pottergoblet-4.jpg

If "Prisoner of Azkaban" only began to move into darker territory for the saga, then "Goblet of Fire" fully moves into it. Like "Prisoner", "Goblet of Fire" shows Harry, Ron and Hermione maturing more as full-fledged teenagers, complete with all the complications that come with that shift into adolescence. The trio, along with their friends, deal with crushes, sexual tensions and jealousy, but that's just in-between dragons, mermaids, Death Eaters and other dangers. But thanks to the sincerity and strength of the main trio's performances, we fully get involved with their struggles, as well as all of the madness going on at Hogwarts this year.

While I do wish, just like PG Cooper, that Alfonso Cuaron had returned to do another Potter film, I'm not sure thaty it should've been "Goblet of Fire". While the new director Mike Newell still retains that emotional aspect that started permeating through the series in "Prisoner", he adds the sense of scope, giving this film a much bigger and exciting feeling than any of the other three before it. Newell fills this entire movie with simultaneous mounting senses of excitement and dread; this is very much an action-adventure, and it builds to a great climax. Yet despite all of that relative seriousness, "Goblet of Fire" still has a very healthy dose of humor, with the standout bit there being a particular lesson with Snape. ;) But that climax, man...wow. Definitely one of the best scenes of the series yet.

Then, of course, you've got Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort...a villain who is just evil incarnate. Fiennes really gives the role his all, and we're able to enjoy every second of it. I just love how Fiennes can go from raging and scary one moment, to calm and eerily quiet the next. Though on the subject of the final scene, I actually rather like it, because to me, it's basic message is that even though there may be darkness ahead, it's still important to enjoy the moments of peace and happiness that we have. That was effectively communicated, IMO, and the film really does have a beautiful final shot.

Like "Prisoner of Azkaban", "Goblet of Fire" proves that the real problem the first two began to have was Chris Columbus. This is another Harry Potter film that Potter fans can be proud of.

****/****

[Neverending]

Look... to be fair ... Chris Columbus laid down the groundwork. He cast the actors. He hired the art department that gave this series its look. He chose to film in England while Warner Bros was insisting on Los Angeles. He had the honor of introducing audiences to the WORLD of Harry Potter.

So, let's cut back on all the criticism. Look at it this way... if we had gotten Steven Spielberg, like Warner Bros. had originally wanted, Harry Potter would be played by Haley Joel Osmand.

[MovieBuff801]

Certainly no argument there, but what I'm getting at is the fact that Columbus (in Chamber of Secrets especially) seemed to be operating under the assumption that EVERYTHING from the books just HAD to be put in. After he stepped down as director, each subsequent director began to recognize that they could condense the stories, and as such, the rest of the films feel more linear than the first two.

[JBond]

The first two books were quite short.

[Tornado]

So, let's cut back on all the criticism.

No. Columbus made, in my opinion, one lousy adaptation and one bad adaptation (we also watched Chamber of Secrets last night, even worse). I paid to see them both in theaters, to buy them on DVD, and then to buy them on Blu-ray. I'm allowed to be critical:

Christopher Columbus made two lousy (at best) Harry Potter films.

[Tolkien]

Exactly. Yes, the man laid the groundwork for the entire series, and THAT I can be thankful for. But that's about it. The first two are the least watched two in the entire series for me. In fact, I can honestly say that I've watched each of the other five sequels far more times than these two combined.

[Neverending]

that's about it.

That may be it.... but it's a big "IT." Alfonso Cuaron may have given us the best Potter film, but if he had directed the first film, would we have gotten the same actors, the same production team, John Williams, and a British location shoot? Of course not.

Cuaron and every other director has operated under the rules established by Chris Columbus.

So, I think its time for fans to stop treating Columbus like if he's the worst thing that ever happened to the franchise. When in fact he made the decisions that has allowed the series to last an entire decade.

[Fanible]

No, it was the fact that he dropped out that made it last an entire decade. I couldn't have cared less about the series until after that point. It's hard to say if I ever would have if he continued. Regardless of who was in it, or what decisions were previously made. The first was just okay, and the second was just blah - that's all I know.

It's not like Columbus was some kind of major creative genius behind all that you're giving him credit for. Art and set designers, casting agents, and of course Rowling had a lot of say in that stuff too. Hell, Rowling had approval in a ton of what went into the start of these movies' design, considering she was a producer. I can't imagine the core ingredients being drastically different had a different director been at the helm for the first two. Whether or not they would have been better movies, and had better delivery, is another story.

[Neverending]

I can't imagine the core ingredients being drastically different had a different director been at the helm for the first two.

There were directors who wanted to combine books. There were directors who wanted to "sex up" a children's film by having hot cheerleaders during the Quidditch sequence. There were directors who wanted to make an animated film instead.

So... is Chris Columbus still that bad in your mind. He launched an internationally successful franchise. Were his movies the best? Of course not. But without him, there wouldn't have been those "better" sequels.

Give credit where its due.

[Fanible]

is Chris Columbus still that bad in your mind.

Yes.

[PG Cooper]

Alright, update on where I am. I've written up my reviews for Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince, but I haven't had nternet access for a few days and thus haven't been able to post them. I'd post now, but I just got finished with The Deathly Hallows Part One and I wanna get on reviewing that now while it's still fresh. i'll post the other two before i post it though.

[Tornado]

There were directors who wanted to combine books. There were directors who wanted to "sex up" a children's film by having hot cheerleaders during the Quidditch sequence. There were directors who wanted to make an animated film instead.

Rowling wouldn't have let any of that fly.

Give credit where its due.

We are... to the directors who deserve it.

[Tolkien]

It's funny how he's constantly arguing to give directors credit when he isn't even an HP fan.

just saying... ;)

[PG Cooper]

It's funny how he's constantly arguing to give directors credit when he isn't even an HP fan.

just saying... ;)

Neverending just likes to argue, he doesn't care who he's arguing with or what he's arguing about. If you went into the "What's on Your Mind: The Saga" thread and said, "I just took a s***," I gurantee you he would come in and say, "No, you just left a s***."

[MovieBuff801]

I pretty much have my Order of the Phoenix review ready, just letting you go first, PG.

[Neverending]

Rowling wouldn't have let any of that fly.

Not true. People over-estimate the power that Rowling has in this film series. Everything I mentioned was in serious consideration at the time. Remember the rumor that Rowling rejected Steven Spielberg because he wanted to cast Haley Joel Osment? In recent years, she has admitted that it's not true. She has been quoted as saying that she isn't dumb enough to say no to someone like Spielberg.

It's funny how he's constantly arguing to give directors credit when he isn't even an HP fan.

I just think it's ridiculous that in EVERY review someone has to badmouth Chris Columbus. It's fine in Prisoner of Azkaban because it's the first film without him. But what's the point of continuing to drag his name through the mud in the Goblet of Fire review?

[Deexan]

Is Osment that bad of an actor compared to someone like Daniel Radcliffe? Im sure he'd have had an English accent still.

[Neverending]

The concern at the time was that Haley Joel Osment was a celebrity due to the success of Sixth Sense. So, audiences wouldnt see Harry Potter. They would just see Osment with an English accent. Daniel Radcliffe, even 10 years later, is still Harry Potter to 99% of the population. Despite his "theater work" he has never shaken off the image.

[Tornado]

Not true. People over-estimate the power that Rowling has in this film series. Everything I mentioned was in serious consideration at the time. Remember the rumor that Rowling rejected Steven Spielberg because he wanted to cast Haley Joel Osment? In recent years, she has admitted that it's not true. She has been quoted as saying that she isn't dumb enough to say no to someone like Spielberg.

I was actually referring to the hot cheerleaders thing. That wouldn't have flown.

[Tolkien]

Yeah, that would've been completely off.

[JBond]

NOTE: I wouldn't really call these posts that I'll be doing "reviews"; I don't like writing them and I'm going to try and make 7 of these before the new one comes out. Instead I'll try to sum up what I feel about them and then post random thoughts or talking points about them.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - **/****

I often flip-flop on my rating for this one between 2 stars and 2-and-a-half. Today I'll be going with 2-stars as my personal rating for it, but as a children's movie, it's more like 2-and-a-half.

It's a good introduction and honestly it probably couldn't be too much better concidering the source. It's a short and simple book with a few doozies of plot holes.

The main thing I dislike is that this movie starts a bad precedence for the cartoon villiany of Snape and Malfoy. Malfoy could have been a much better character, as we later see in Half-Blood Prince, but instead he's one-dimensional. There's also this gaping plot hole on Harry's "why didn't I think of that before!" epihany involving the mystery person who's trying to get the stone. For some unfathomable reason, Harry knows this guy even exits just because someone is selling a dragon egg to Hagrid. Only later is the idea of someone asking about Fluffy brought up in conversation. That's a children's movie for you. (Also, I'm thinking someone as stupid as Hagrid shouldn't be trusted with Hogwarts secrets anymore. He almost brought Voldemort back to power because someone flat-out asked how to get past the security dog.)

Random thoughts:

- There's something that bugs me about the snake that Harry talks to. Not that it's a smart and talking snake, but that it somehow knows that there is a "Bred in Captivity" sign just outside his cell. And I just know that if I told anyone this they'd come back at me with thee ol' "There's a talking snake and THAT bothers you?!" But I'd be right and they'd be wrong.

- Sirius and Dumbledore dying isn't sad. No, the saddest thing in the series is Harry drawing himself a birthday cake in dirt and blowing out the candles.

- You know what classes they're missing at Hogwarts? Math, History and Writing. This is their only schooling, remember. Sex Ed couldn't hurt either.

- Was that ghost in the dinner scene the woman with the diadem in Deathly Hallows Part 2? Lady Grey, or whatever? Funny, if true.

- During the moving stairs scene, I swear I can hear "Here Comes the Bride" in the soundtrack. That's weird. Also, I could swear I heard a few notes of "Good Night" by The Beatles following that scene when everyone's gone to bed.

- Why does Hermoine lie about trying to take out the troll, costing her group points? What's wrong with "I was using the bathroom?"

- Speaking of the four groups, why is the school designed to put the 25% most douchy students in the same group?

- "Here's an Invisibility cloak. Use it well." Yeah, because there's lots of ways to use a cloak that makes you invisible responsibly. "I'm going to feed the hungry...invisibly."

- They make Malfoy look the coward and Harry brave when Voldemort is drinking the blood of the unicorn. But really, Malfoy was the smart one to run away...you are 11-year-old kids and you just got here. Instead, Harry slowly backs up...and falls over, awaiting death. Children's movie.

- "My scar's hurting. I think it's a warning, it means danger's coming." Could you elaborate for the slower viewers. :rolleyes:

- What saved Harry from Voldemort as a baby? "Love," Dumbledore says. Yuuuuuck. And what makes this even worse, I seem to recall the answer to be a bit more complex in the book and not retarded. It was love, but it was a spell that Lily placed on him. CHILDREN'S MOVIE.

- And lastly, speaking of Dumbledore, he was kind of a dick to say that Slytherin were the winners of the house cup...and then to mention the new points that brings Gryfindor into the lead afterword. He even had Slytherin banners hanging from the rafters before they got in! Whoosh, replaced with Gryffindor. Remember, most of these kids will not become murderous wizards.

[PG Cooper]

*Disclaimer: Review Contains Spoilers
http://ca.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/50/MPW-25079
Release date: July 11th, 2007

Written by: Michael Goldenberg

Directed by: David Yates

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Ralph Fiennes, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Imelda Staunton, and David Thewlis.

In year five, Voldemort’s return has shaken the wizarding world to it’s very core. However, the Ministry of Magic does not want to believe he has returned. As a result, they’ve begun slandering anyone who claims Voldemort is back via their newspaper, The Daily Prophet. Meanwhile, Voldemort is recruiting new forces, while those who fight him, The Order of the Phoenix, are doing so as well. Back at Hogwarts, the Ministry has assigned Dolores Umbridge to provide a “safe and secure” learning environment. This includes not teaching the students how to properly defend themselves. Harry decides to take things into his own hands by training the students himself.

Once again we see a new director take the helm, this time David Yates. Since this film, Yates has gone on to direct the rest of the series. What’s interesting to note is the author of the novels, J.K. Rowling, wanted Yates as director since the first film. Yates brings a dark visual style to the table and in that regard is a worthy successor to Alfonso Cuarón. He also seems to have a fine handle on action and suspense, as well as just getting good performances from his actors. But the movie does have severe pacing issues, which I’ll get to in a minute.

A rather surprising change comes in replacing writer Steve Kloves. Kloves had written all the previous films had a good handle on the series. But for whatever reason, did not write this film. His replacement being Michael Goldenberg. Goldenberg did a good job for the most part. He managed t capture all the characters as well as mimic the way Kloves wrote these films. It wasn’t completely obvious that Kloves had not written it, and I honestly didn’t realize it was a different writer until the end credits. But once again, I must mention the movie’s pacing issues.

I know I’m notorious for complaining about the run time of these films, and I once again take issue with it here. Only this time, it’s the opposite problem. While I felt the Columbus films were too long, this one feels too short. “The Order of the Phoenx” is the longest novel, yet is also the shortest film at two hours and ten minutes. I know it seems weird that I was once complaining that these films were too long, and now I have the opposite problem. But look at The Prisoner of Azkaban and The Goblet of Fire. They were long films, but I had no complaints about the run time because they were engaging and had enough substance to justify two and a half hours. As the series would progress and gradually become more complex, they needed longer run times to tell their stories. But in this, it feels like the movie is trying so hard to get all the story in that it never stops to just enjoy itself. We as a audience don’t have time to enjoy a moment because the film is constantly shoving another plot point down our throats. It just feels like there is a lot of great stuff here that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. The reason I mentioned this in both director and writer paragraphs is because I’m not really sure who’s fault this is. Director David Yates trying to trim the story down. Writer Goldenberg only breaking the novel down to it’s bare essentials. Or maybe the studio wanted a shorter film. I’m not quite sure, it may be a combination of all three. Regardless, it severely hurts the film.

Our three leads are great as always, with Radcliffe really shining. For the first time in the series, we see Harry on edge. He’s gone through a lot and finds himself feeling alone, confused, and angry. It’s really interesting, and somewhat refreshing, to see the darker side to hm. You really get the sense that he’s not taking anyone’s s*** anymore. This angle gets even better when Harry realizes there is a mental connection between him and Voldemort, and starts to fear he’s becoming like Voldemort. I love watching this, and the moments where Voldemort slips through Harry are great. This whole element is probably the highlight of The Order of the Phoenix.

All the usual players in the supporting cast return, but there are only three I want to talk about. The first is Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom. I haven’t mentioned Neville in this review series, but he’s been in the films since the beginning, usually serving as background comedic relief. As the series goes, subtle hints are dropped about his past. For instance, we knew early on in the films that he lives with his Grandma and not his parents. In the fourth film, we learn his parents were tortured and killed by Death Eaters. But in this film, for the first time, we see Neville openly talk about them. I like it because I like seeing Neville rise from just being comedic relief. We actually start to see a more interesting side to his character.

The next is Gary Oldman as Sirius Black. I’ve already talked about how much I love this character in my Prisoner of Azkaban review, and all that holds up here. He’s interesting, charismatic, and played brilliantly by Gary Oldman. During the climax of The Order of the Phoenix, Sirius is killed by Bellatrix Lestrange. As a Sirius fan, I feel cheated by this. I love the character, but I never got to spend nearly as much time with him as I wanted. I got little bits here and there, but not enough to be truly satisfied.It’s worse when he’s killed because I realize I will never get to spend that time with him. You may think I’m complaining, but I’m not. I actually think this works well in the movie’s favor. We feel like we didn’t get enough time with Sirius because that’s how Harry feels. The movie does a great job of making us feel the grief Harry feels. Though once again, the short run time hurts this because we don’t see Harry grieving. Sirius dies, Harry screams and seeks revenge, and then the movie just sort of continues. I don’t remember the novel too well, but I do seem to remember spending more time with a grieving Harry. I’d have loved to see this on film, and it’s a pity we didn’t really get that.

Finally, Alan Rickman as Professor Snape. I’ve always loved this character and watching him in the films has always been a highlight. In this film, he begins to train Harry to prevent Voldemort from entering his mind. These scenes are brutal and watching Snape push Harry like this is pretty engaging. But thing change when Harry grows tired of Snape entering his mind. Harry uses the very same spell on Snape and sees inside his head. We see images of a young Snape at Hogwarts. He isn’t a mean or cruel person, just a misunderstood kid being picked on by other students. Other students including Harry’s father. After this scene, your entire view of Snape is changed. From those brief images, it becomes clear why Snape is such a cold person, and why he always had a particular hate for Harry. Before, you either hated Snape, or you enjoyed watching him be such a strict and at times mean teacher. But now, you can’t help but feel sorry for him. I’m pretty sure that in the book there was more time spent watching Snape be bullied, but the brief bits we see of it in the film are more than enough. My only problem is that after the scene is done, it’s never explored in the film. I know it will be later on, but to introduce such a massive, game changing element and then do nothing with it really frustrates me.

The cast also sees some new additions. Helena Bonham Carter plays the death eater Bellatrix Lestrange. She’s a pretty fun villain, and she’s good at being crazy.It’s not a remarkable performance, but it’s a fun character and a memorable villain. Evanna Lynch makes her first appearance in the series as Luna Lovegood. Lovegood is a student Harry’s age and she’s one of the most memorable students at Hogwarts. She’s such a fun and amusing person that she becomes a joy to watch. Lynch really does a great job in the role. Watching her, it doesn’t feel like we’re watching her play a character, which could have easily happened given what an offbeat character Luna is. But Lynch really sinks into the character.

The real standout though is Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge. Umbridge is the controlling and manipulative professor sent by the Ministry to make learning safer, but is actually hindering the students learning. Staunton does a great job with Umbridge and really makes you hate this woman. You hate her more than you hate Lord Voldemort. She’s just such an annoying b****. I also like how Umbridge has a facade of being all sweet and innocent, but is actually really malicious and cruel. It’s nice twist, and makes you hate Umbridge even more. All this makes it incredibly satisfying when the students get their revenge.

Despite the pacing problems, the story is still solid. I’ve already mentioned how much I love watching Harry struggle with his inner darkness, but there are other elements of the story I appreciate too. The idea of the Ministry of Magic trying to silence the return of Lord Voldemort is a good idea and made for an interesting obstacle for Harry. It’s also interesting watching people turn against him. Another thing I love is watching Harry form Dumbledore’s Army. It’s a lot of fun watching Harry train other witches and wizards to fight and it’s cool to see him take a stand against both Voldemort and the Ministry.The are some story elements I could have done without though. For example, it feels like Grawp and the Centaurs story were only thrown in as a way to get rid of Umbridge at the end. I also don’t like how at the beginning of the film, we see meet new characters, but we don’t really get to know any of them. They just sort of show up.

If there’s one thing Yates nailed in this entry it was tone. No matter how dark the other films got, they all had a sense of fun. But not this time. The film is dark and intense. That’s not to say there isn’t lighter moments, there is, but they aren’t nearly as prominent as they use to be. The dark visuals, and watching Harry assemble Dumbledore’s Army really lends to the feeling of impending doom. The whole film just has a general aura of being unpleasant, and it couldn’t feel more appropriate.

One of the most memorable scenes of the film is the climax. Watching Harry and Sirius fight side by side is really satisfying, even if it only lasts a moment. Followed by the death of Sirius, we see Voldemort trying to tempt Harry on a darker path. Harry eventually breaks free from Voldemort, but only after Voldemort and Dumbeldore have an epic wizarding duel. This scene is the action highlight of the series so far, and I have no idea how Harry and Voldemort’s duel in The Deathly Hallows Part Two will top this one.

The last thing I wanna talk about is the wussification of Malfoy. It’s not nearly as bad in this film, but it’s still there.There’s some pointless Malfoy humiliation during Fred and George’s final attack to Umbrigde, and making Malfoy part Umbirdge’s little goon squad pissed me off. It isn’t a major part of this film, and had these events occured in another film, I wouldn’t even mention it. But Malfoy is gonna play a major role in the next film, and unfortunately the films are continuing to make him a joke.

I must confess, I was really curious about revising this film. A friend of mine is uber obsessed with Harry Potter, and she’s adamant that this film is one of the worst (she feels this way about the next one too). Personally, I must respectively disagree. There’s a lot of wasted potential here no question, but there is also a lot of good ideas, great action, and a very well rounded cast. At the point of it’s release, I would also say this was Daniel Radcliffe’s best performance as Harry. It’s flawed, a step down from the last two films, and I see where my friend is coming from, but the film has a lot going in it’s favor, and I still prefer it to the Columbus films.

Rating: B+

[MovieBuff801]

NOTE:- Why does Hermoine lie about trying to take out the troll, costing her group points? What's wrong with "I was using the bathroom?"

Why did she lie? To get Harry and Ron out of trouble, plus by standing up for them, Hermione proves to them how good of a person she can be. It's only the turning point that starts the trio's friendship. ;)

[MovieBuff801]

For the most part, PG, we see eye-to-eye again on this one, but I still feel this is one of the stronger films in the series as well.

Review forthcoming...

[MovieBuff801]

http://images.wikia.com/harrypotter/images/2/23/Tt0373889_largeCover.jpg

Gone are the days of playful innocence that Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) experienced in their first four years of magical education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The sense of lighthearted fun that exists in the first four "Potter" films is seen only sparingly in "Order of the Phoenix", as it is replaced by a mounting sense of tension, fear, and darkness; this, like the novel, is the turning point of the "Harry Potter" saga. And like the book as well, this fifth installment in the hugely popular franchise deals with more adult themes, maturing just as its main characters are maturing.

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is without a doubt one of the best films in the series thus far. It focuses primarily on the characters and their relationships more so than the wonder of magic, concerned with substance rather than spectacle. The film appropriately gives us a more gritty atmosphere that seems to parallel the troubled times fifteen-year-old Harry is experiencing. Daniel Radcliffe offers up some of his best work this time around, exploring the difficult territory of raw emotions and young adoescence. Co-stars Rupert Grint and Emma Watson also provide some of their best work yet.

The dark tone of "Phoenix" is established right from the opening scene, where we see an emotionally troubled Harry being taunted by his bully cousin Dudley and his gang of hooligans. All of a sudden, the sky turns dark and wind starts to blow and Harry and Dudley are abruptly ambushed by two Dementors, the soul-sucking guards of the wizard prison Azkaban. Harry is forced to use magic in order to escape, but this display of underage sorcery lands him in trouble with The Ministry Of Magic. Harry receives a summons for a disciplinary hearing to determine whether or not he should be punished.

But it seems that The Ministry is determined to find Harry guilty, because they have recently been trying to discredit his and Dumbledore's (Michael Gambon) claims of the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) returning from the dead, which he has. However, it appears that the magical community refuses to believe said claims because nobody wishes to face the fear and worry that plagued the wizarding world back when Voldemort first rose to power. In fact, The Ministry is so determined to have control, that they send in a representative, Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), to fill the post of Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher while trying to slowly place Hogwarts under the power of The Ministry Of Magic.

Staunton is absolutely perfect as the sweet yet sour Umbridge, successfully maintaining the balance between cheerful and callous. While Umbridge is enforcing countless Ministry decrees that restrict the freedom of students at Hogwarts, Harry is dealing with nightmares and dark visions that cause him to become even more on-edge than before. Harry is upset that nobody either seems to believe him or understand what he is going through; he feels isolated from everyone else, including his friends, making him vulnerable and relatable. But Harry soon discovers that these nightmares and visions are inevitably leading up to an epic showdown with Lord Voldemort: the film's climatic ending. But this is bound to be topped by the Harry/Voldemort duel in Deathly Hallows Part 2.

The screenplay, penned by Michael Goldenberg, takes the nearly 900-page novel and fluently condenses it into a satisfying 2-hour and 20-minute film. This screenplay feels a bit more fine-polished than the first four by Steve Kloves, but it still retains the elements that made those four so enjoyable. The script captures the feel and tone of the story, the essence of each character, and the emotional drama of the overall plot that makes "Order of the Phoenix" a bit more compelling than the previous four movies in terms of character development. Here, we care about Harry more than we ever have before now.

Director David Yates has made an extremely well-crafted tale of adolescence and rebellion. Every scene in this movie felt pitch-perfect because of Yates' direction. David Yates handles the drama incredibly well and lets our main trio explore new emotional territory that allows their characters to really evolve. Yates wisely makes "Order of the Phoenix" a political thriller, one that is filled with clandestine meetings, governmental plotting and skullduggery, and has the possibility of conspiracy hanging in the air. One thing that certainly surprised me was how resonant the film was. There are plenty of moments in the movie where you truly sympathize with Harry because his emotional anguish is made authentic by Yates. Another thing that David Yates does a good job of doing is blending the drama of the human storylines and the excitement of the action, however little of the latter there may be. But the climax of "Phoenix" is gripping because it is exciting while rooted in emotion. This particular wizard duel is unique and unlike anything we have seen so far in the "Potter" films. Fans of the books will be pleased to know that the death of a certain character plays out effectively on-screen and again, it all comes back to David Yates. I personally like how everything goes deathly silent after Sirius falls through the veil. Effective stuff. What's interesting to note is that Yates' follow-up of "Half-Blood Prince" would be much more humorous and fun than this film.

But once again, the acting in "Order of the Phoenix" is great, to say the least. We really get a sense that these people are more than merely characters in a fictional universe because the film is more about the characters and their relationships with each other. In a particularly poignant scene, Harry tells Voldemort that he will never understand the power of love and friendship.

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is one of the better Harry Potter films overall. It is certainly the most accomplished film in the franchise, in terms of character drama, that is. In terms of pacing, it could've used 10 or 15 more minutes, though. Not many franchises improve as they go along, but "Harry Potter" is one of the few exceptions.

****/****

[JBond]

Why did she lie? To get Harry and Ron out of trouble, plus by standing up for them, Hermione proves to them how good of a person she can be. It's only the turning point that starts the trio's friendship. ;)

I don't think what she said mattered, but whatever.

Damn, bad timing with my "review."

[PG Cooper]

I don't think what she said mattered, but whatever.

Damn, bad timing with my "review."

I forgot to mention you do bring up some excellent points, especially the whole love saving him thing.


Great review moviebuff. My other two are done, I'll post one tomorrow, and one Wednesday.

[MovieBuff801]

Great review moviebuff. My other two are done, I'll post one tomorrow, and one Wednesday.

Thanks. I already have my Deathly Hallows Part 1 review ready, but I sill need to work on my Half-Blood Prince one.

[Neverending]

Harry decides to take things into his own hands by training the students himself.

I find that hilarious considering that he can't walk two steps without Hermione saving his butt.

Yates brings a dark visual style to the table and in that regard is a worthy successor to Alfonso Cuarón.

Nah. Cuaron relied more on Sam Raimi-esque visuals. Yates went for the cliche' low saturation look that has dominated Hollywood for the past decade. Plus, let's not ignore that Cuaron's movie was FUN. Yates takes this stuff too seriously. In fact... wasn't that the biggest criticism of this movie? That it took itself too seriously.

I’m not really sure who’s fault this is. Director David Yates trying to trim the story down. Writer Goldenberg only breaking the novel down to it’s bare essentials. Or maybe the studio wanted a shorter film. I’m not quite sure, it may be a combination of all three. Regardless, it severely hurts the film.

Summer 2007 was jam-packed. So, I think WB was the main culprit. A shorter running time means more business.

[PG Cooper]

I find that hilarious considering that he can't walk two steps without Hermione saving his butt.

I don't recall Hermione saving him in Order of the Phoenix, or even in Goblet of Fire.


Summer 2007 was jam-packed. So, I think WB was the main culprit. A shorter running time means more business.

Makes sense.

[MovieBuff801]

Yates takes this stuff too seriously. In fact... wasn't that the biggest criticism of this movie? That it took itself too seriously.



Summer 2007 was jam-packed. So, I think WB was the main culprit. A shorter running time means more business.

This was supposed to be more serious, given the story and Harry's character arc this time. The book wasn't any different.

It was actually David Yates behind the runtime. I remember an interview after he got hired for this one where he said he wanted this one to be the shortest one up until then.

[PG Cooper]

*Disclaimer: Review Contains Spoilers
http://www.moviesonline.ca/movie-gallery/albums/userpics//poster_harrypotter-halfblood.jpg
Release date: July, 2008

Written by: Steve Kloves

Directed by: David Yates

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan
Rickman, Tom Felton, and Maggie Smith.

As we enter year six, the return of Voldemort has become public knowledge to the wizarding world. Voldemort is attacking wizards and muggles alike. In order to prepare Harry, Dumbledore instructs him to allow a certain teacher to “collect” Harry, in order to gain access to an important memory pertaining to Voldemort. Meanwhile, Malfoy has been assigned an important task by Voldemort. A task where Snape has sworn to assist Malgoy in any way he can.

Steve Kloves returns to pen the script, and I must say, I’m a little disappointed considering his last two Potter films were so good. Not to say The Half-Blood Prince is bad, but it’s the worst film since the Columbus days. The main problem is the film does not have a firm grasp on tone. Despite the ominous evil on the horizon, the film seems content to focus more on the teenage drama of the characters. It’s especially strange when the opening and ending scenes are both very dark. The Order of the Phoenix, for all it’s flaws, did have an excellent sense of tone. It was dark, and you never once forgot about the threat on the horizon. Here, you barely think about Voldemort. I’m not against teenage drama in a movie about teenagers, but for a Harry Potter film it shouldn’t be the main focus. It should have just been a smaller part of a larger story. The audience should always feel the threat of Voldemort and the Death Eaters. It’s possible that the film makers knew this was their last chance to have a lot of fun with these characters before we got to the end. I suppose I understand the motivation, but it does feel inappropriate given where the story had been heading.

In the last film, Harry went through a very interesting arc that actor Daniel Radcliffe played perfectly. Here, his story isn’t quite as interesting. In fact, all three of our main characters don’t have anything tremendously interesting going on. They do handle all the teenage drama type stuff well, even if it annoyed me from time to time. We see the jealous side of Hermione, and Emma Watson does a good job of making us feel sorry for her. One turn I did enjoy is when Harry drinks his liquid luck potion. He becomes more quirky and upbeat, and Radcliffe is pretty funny in this scene. It’s a type of Harry we only see once, and only briefly, but it was fun. For the most part though, our leads aren’t given much new to do.

The supporting cast is solid, thought not quite as good as in the other films. Michael Gambon is great as Dumbledore and his final scene is very good. Alan Rickman’s Snape becomes even more interesting when at the end of the film he kills Dumbledore. We also discover he was the Half-Blood Prince, which admittedly I don’t think had the same impact that it should have. Jim Broadbent is added to the cast as Professor Slughorn, a teacher who enjoys collecting students of great achievement. Broadbent is very good in this part, and I really liked his character. He was just a very amusing person and actually played a pretty important role in the story. Ginny Weasley plays a more important role in this as she begins a romantic relationship with Harry. This relationship feels kinda forced to me and I think Harry with say, Hermione would feel more natural. Hell I’d prefer Harry and Luna Lovegood. Speaking of Luna, she’s back here as well and she remains one of the most fun characters in the series.

Since my Prisoner of Azkaban review, I’ve mentioned how the series frequently made a joke of the Malfoy character. That they always seems to make Malfoy the butt of jokes. I kept saying it would hurt the series later on, and this film is when it started to. In this film, Malfoy’s character actually takes an important role in the story. But it’s hard to forget about all the goofy crap his character did in the previous films. It’s hard to take him completely seriously when it was just two films ago he was turned into a ferret and stuffed down a fat kid’s pants.

Despite this, the actor that plays Malfoy, Tom Felton, delivers the best performance in the film. Felton is so good that watching him, you can’t help but think that his time was wasted in the previous films. You realize he’s a talented actor who could have brought much more to his character in the older films had the film makers let him. Malfoy has a pretty interesting story and it’s interesting watching how Voldemort’s task is tearing Malfoy apart. The thing is, you want more from Malfoy. Despite being the most interesting character in the film, we don’t see him too much. Whenever the film was dabbling in teen drama, I was always hoping we could watch Malfoy instead.

The film is so inconsistent in tone that it really hurts the climax. Mainly because there doesn’t seem to be any build up to it. You spend so much time with the teenage drama the film is going for, that when Dumbledore takes Harry to receive a Horcrux, it just feels out of place. Another thing I found odd about the end is after Snape kills Dumbledore, you have several Death Eaters in the castle and none of the school know yet. You’d think they’d continue to do a lot of damage. But they just sort of leave. What exactly was the point of bringing so many Death Eaters if they aren’t going to do anything?

While I did rag on this film a lot, I do like it. All the well actors do a good job, and the characters have become so likable that you have to enjoy spending time with them, even a little bit. Even the teenage drama, as over done as it is, is still fairly entertaining at points. I still enjoy Yates as a director, so the film was always visually interesting. It’s more flawed than The Order of the Phoenix, and doesn’t have great ideas like that film did either. It’s disappointing, but it’s still a solid Potter film.

Rating: B

[Tornado]

I still think Order of the Phoenix was the best of the bunch.

[Tolkien]

I think I've seen OFTP and GOF more times than any of the rest, actually.

BTW, great reviews, guys!

[MovieBuff801]

Worst film since the Columbus days? Sorry, can't agree there. I'll elaborate more in my review, but for now, I'll say that this is the most fun I had watching a Harry Potter film since Prisoner of Azkaban.

[PG Cooper]

Worst film since the Columbus days? Sorry, can't agree there. I'll elaborate more in my review, but for now, I'll say that this is the most fun I had watching a Harry Potter film since Prisoner of Azkaban.

It's about time we don't see eye to eye!

;)

[Neverending]

Aside from the bull s--t ending where Harry stood there as Dumbledore gets killed, I didn't have much issues with the film. FUN is not a word I would use to describe the "Half-Blood Prince" or any of the David Yates films for that matter... but it's a decent entry in the series.

[PG Cooper]

It's decent, but decent isn't good enough when it comes to Potter films.

[MovieBuff801]

It's A LOT better than just 'decent', and I find Dumbledore's death scene to be one of the best scenes of the franchise so far, especially his farewell.

[DarthVader 2004]

The Columbus HP made me intreseted in the films so i don't get the hate for the first 2.
I mean No other potter film has matched HP1 domestically so that should say something . i Will always prefer HP1 to the others because it was the first.
I liked it because had the Best Snape lines of any movie in the series.
As for the reasoning Dumbeldore gave. Harry is a young kid and simple answer DD gave is the right one at that time. Love is a powerful weapon in magic so why not it be a good reason.
I mean Lily gave her life out of love for her son. So I think Love is a good enough answer.

[Neverending]

It's decent, but decent isn't good enough when it comes to Potter films.

Most of these Potter films have been decent at best. Prisoner of Azkaban is the only one that has come close to being GREAT.

[shained]

Wouldn't call any of the Potter films great. A lot of its love is blinded by fans of the book. Like I will be when The Dark Tower films come out ;)

[Neverending]

I think a lot of it has to do with the first book and movie being for children. Then each new installment being more "adult." So, they feel like they grew up with the franchise.

[JBond]

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - **.5/****

I have many of the same complaints for this movie as I did for the first one. Mainly that it's built as a children's movie and doesn't hold together for adult viewers, but with the added complexity to both the movie and the emerging series, it gets an extra half star. There's the main story about the Chamber, but we're also being to learn more about the HP universe through interactive flashbacks and knowledge of the previous generation. This is something I enjoy through the series. Not only is the universe expanded by the wizard society and establishments, but through the learned experiences of the adults when they were younger. We also learn of the connection between Harry and Voldemort at the end of this one.

Another plus for this movie is Kenneth Branagh. He's delightful to watch in his eccentric and enjoyable role. I love his admiring/self-admiring photos and paintings and that all the women fawn over him, as this is usually flipped gender-wise in movies.

However, I'll never accept the reveal of the petrified kids. Not one or two, but three kids (well, 2 kids and a cat) survived because they didn't look at the basilisk directly. One from a reflection, one through a camera, and one through a frigging ghost!

Random Thoughts:

- Does every movie series need a Jar Jar (Dobby)? Wasn't one enough?

- Ginny doesn't have much of a role in the series, but by far her best moment is telling Malfoy to leave Harry alone. There's this fire in her eyes that says that she means it. Too bad her older brother's a coward. Speaking of which, there's way too much Ron sniveling in this film. If it's not the spiders, it's a train, if not that, and so on.

- This movie is the first to establish the Malfoy's as Aryan nazis and Hermoine and the other muggle-borns as Jews. This reaches obvious heights in Deathly Hallows Part 1.

- I understand that Crabbe and Goyle are stupid, but honestly, who would eat floating cupcakes? Yep, nothing suspicious there.

- Why is it that in movies nobody can keep their mouth shut when insults are given? Harry and Ron are a couple of prideful idiots when they're trying to appear as Crabbe and Goyle. Three times they shout their dismay at simple insults of Hermoine, Dumbledore and something else.

- Why does Harry ask the diary about the Chamber, as if there's a good reason that it will know? Children's movie.

- We later learn about traces that can tell when underage wizards are doing magic from large distances away. So why can't they figure out that Ginny is ****ing around with Hogwarts?

- Hagrid once again almost screws up royally by sending Ron and Harry to their spidery death. Is he suppose to be enduring after all of this?

- A lot of faith was put into there being a slide when they jumped into the chamber of secrets. (And pushed Lockhart to his possible death)

- Even Perseus had a mirror when going to attack Medusa. Harry's plan? "Don't look at it."

- Pretty fortunate that Tom Riddle's full name happened to have "I am Lord" in the letters. Major "Children's movie" moment.

- Good thing Harry showed Fawkes loyalty. Otherwise, he would have left Harry to die. Also, it was a bit contrived that Fawkes brought the sorting that then later magically produced the sword. Just bring him a damn sword, time's a wasting.

- How'd Dumbledore get the diary back from Lucius Malfoy? He has it in Half-Blood Prince, I believe.

- Lucius Malfoy is clearly about to say "Avada Kadavra" before Dobby saves him. Think about that, he almost killed Harry Potter, right there and then, because he lost his stupid house elf servant. By the way, for elves to be freed with the gift of clothes is kind of stupid.

- The ending to this movie is hard to bear, it's just WAY too happy. There are shots of people grinning for about 3 full minutes. Hah, and then all exams are cancelled. What's a happier ending to a kid's movie than schoolwork being cancelled? I hope they learned all those things that they needed to to stay alive for the last movie.

[PG Cooper]

Random Thoughts:

- Does every movie series need a Jar Jar (Dobby)? Wasn't one enough

I like Dobby

- I understand that Crabbe and Goyle are stupid, but honestly, who would eat floating cupcakes? Yep, nothing suspicious there.

This is a school of witches and wizards, and moving staircases, and ghosts, and paintings that can speak...

- Why is it that in movies nobody can keep their mouth shut when insults are given? Harry and Ron are a couple of prideful idiots when they're trying to appear as Crabbe and Goyle. Three times they shout their dismay at simple insults of Hermoine, Dumbledore and something else.

Yeah, that...that was stupid.

- Why does Harry ask the diary about the Chamber, as if there's a good reason that it will know? Children's movie.

Why not?

- We later learn about traces that can tell when underage wizards are doing magic from large distances away. So why can't they figure out that Ginny is ****ing around with Hogwarts?

It's used for detecting magic outside of Hogwarts.

- Lucius Malfoy is clearly about to say "Avada Kadavra" before Dobby saves him. Think about that, he almost killed Harry Potter, right there and then, because he lost his stupid house elf servant. By the way, for elves to be freed with the gift of clothes is kind of stupid.

I remember watching that thinking, "There's no way he's about to do the killing curse, it's probably just something else that sounds similar." Yet I looked up just a few days ago, and sure enough, it's the killing curse. Yeah, bit of an over reaction.

[JBond]

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - ***/****

I know I gave this movie a lot of crap for it's use of time travel, and I still feel that way, but it is a good movie and a satisfying departure from the Chris Columbus films. Not only is the source material a bit darker, but the movie is made like...a movie. The cinematography and editing aren't as cookie-cutter (no pun intended), the lighting is more low-key and the establishing shots are "quieter;" the movies no longer go out of their way to make sure the kids are following along.

But perhaps most notable is the addition of new material that allows all the scenes to flow together like a movie instead of an adaptation. This includes the Whomping Willow which is used to show the passing of the seasons (with a joke each time, including the death of the cute little bird), angry monsters yelling at housekeepers, Harry's flight on Buckbeak over the lake, and even a short musical number with the kids and their toads. Cuaron does this series a favor to finally allow us to sit back and watch a film instead of a book.

As I said in the last review, I love learning about the history of the characters, and in this one we're treated with a whole slew of characters that were friends and acquaintances of James Potter. Without this depth, why would we care if Harry defeats Voldemort? We wouldn't because we wouldn't be aware of how long this struggle has been going on.

Chamber of Secrets had Lockhart, Prisoner of Azkaban has Emma Thompson as Professor Trelawney. An underrated performance of a soothsayer who can only predict doom.

I won't restart my complaints about the use of time travel in fantasy and how aptly they do it, but I also feel that the inclusion of about 40 minutes of material that sort of already happened kills the momentum of this movie. We should be moving forward. Where's the climax of this movie?

Random Thoughts:

- "Oh yeah, yeah, I've been beaten lots of times" was probably the biggest laugh I had when reading the books. Despite having read them all between the 6th and 7th movie.

- The aunt blowing up like a balloon is pretty silly. Though I do like that Dudley sems pretty unfazed through the whole thing.

- Too bad that Richard Harris died, but really, Dumbledore was much better following his replacement, Michael Gambon. He's more lively and fun.

- Following Buckbeak's attack against Malfoy, there's a shot where Buckbeak goes back to Harry and nudges him. Everytime I watch this, I picture Buckbeak suddenly saying "Buckbeak do good?" Try it next time, it's hilarious.

- When Harry first reaches the bogart in class, it's this huge scary clown from the last person (oddly this was the NON-scary form of the bogart). It took so long to go away, the first time I saw this I thought they were making a weird joke that Harry was afraid of clowns.

- It always bugged me that Lupin didn't tell Harry that he was Moony and that he helped create the map that he confiscated. It would have been a funny moment.

- This was much worse in the book (it lasted about 6 pages) but I hate how long it takes for it to be clear that Lupin and Sirius are good guys during the Shrieking Shack scene. This is clearly done to prolong the idea of danger, but in reality it doesn't make any sense. Clearly Harry thinks his life is in danger, and instead of explaining to Harry that they aren't there to kill him, they speak vague sentences that could be about both Harry and Pettigrew. Including "Harry has the right to know why [we're going to kill him]." There's also this throw-away line about why Sirius attacked Ron earlier, that he was "going for the rat." Really? Because it looked like you were draggin Ron by the foot underneath a tree. This scene/twist is so contrived it makes my head hurt.

- Despite having figured it out the first time I saw it, the twist that Harry saves himself with the full patronus is pretty cool. (I figured it out by the way Hermoine said "Only a real powerful wizard" could have done it. Hmm...)

- Once again Harry is saved by a fantastical animal (1st movie: Firenze, 2nd movie: Fawkes, 3rd movie: Buckbeak) This is why Harry never becomes a very good character in the series. He is a character of circumstance and doesn't take enough action. When the werewolf is about to kill him and Hermoine, he covers her and awaits death...he's a ****ing wizard! You have a wand!

- Lupin sure acts the part of a victim when he quits his job ("my kind are used to this treatment") considering that he almost killed two students.

- Why does the movie end with a freeze frame? This isn't a 70s sitcom.

[JBond]

This is a school of witches and wizards, and moving staircases, and ghosts, and paintings that can speak...

And food on tables.

Why not?

He gets so exicted before asking it, as if he knows he's on to something. Did he ask everyone else before this? The paintings and all of the ghosts?

It's used for detecting magic outside of Hogwarts.

Exactly. This is INSIDE Hogwarts.

Lalalala

[MovieBuff801]

^^ But remember, Ginny ISN'T underage. 11 is the cutoff for the underage kids, and all First Year students must be at least 11 before they can be admitted into Hogwarts.

No other real arguments about this film, though.

[PG Cooper]

It doesn't detect magic used inside Hogwarts. I don't understand what the problem is.


He didn't seem overly excited to me. And if he was, that may also have to do with the fact that a diary is talking to him.

[BrickTop]

On the subject of the underage detection, one of the most annoying part of the film that most probably soured me from the whole thing was right at the start when harry is using the 'lumos maximus' spell in his bedroom at privet drive. ridiculous.

[JBond]

^^ But remember, Ginny ISN'T underage. 11 is the cutoff for the underage kids, and all First Year students must be at least 11 before they can be admitted into Hogwarts.

No other real arguments about this film, though.

I'm not sure what you mean. Ginny's a first year student in the second movie.

It doesn't detect magic used inside Hogwarts. I don't understand what the problem is.

I just mean if there's a way to detect magic outside of Hogwarts, you would think there'd be a way to detect it INSIDE, since that's where the magic happens.

I snuck the third review in there, BTW, just incase it got lost.

[BrickTop]

Underage magic is forbidden outside of hogwarts. It is not regulated within hogwarts.

[MovieBuff801]

I'm not sure what you mean. Ginny's a first year student in the second movie.

THAT'S what I mean. She's 11 at the time of the second movie, so she wouldn't have that underage detection charm on her anymore.

[BrickTop]

THAT'S what I mean. She's 11 at the time of the second movie, so she wouldn't have that underage detection charm on her anymore.

well no, i assume were talking about the underage trace which lasts up untill coming of age at 17. outside of hogwarts.

[MovieBuff801]

Damn it. Why...why did I think it stopped at 11? Ah well, I stand corrected. Senior moment. :redface:

[MovieBuff801]

Well, to be fair, there IS a rule at Hogwarts that states no magic is to be used in the corridors.

[PG Cooper]

Well, to be fair, there IS a rule at Hogwarts that states no magic is to be used in the corridors.

True. But what magic did Ginny use? As far as I could tell, all Ginny did was release the basilisk and write some threatening messages.

[DarthVader 2004]

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - **.5/****

I have many of the same complaints for this movie as I did for the first one. Mainly that it's built as a children's movie and doesn't hold together for adult viewers, but with the added complexity to both the movie and the emerging series, it gets an extra half star. There's the main story about the Chamber, but we're also being to learn more about the HP universe through interactive flashbacks and knowledge of the previous generation. This is something I enjoy through the series. Not only is the universe expanded by the wizard society and establishments, but through the learned experiences of the adults when they were younger. We also learn of the connection between Harry and Voldemort at the end of this one.

Another plus for this movie is Kenneth Branagh. He's delightful to watch in his eccentric and enjoyable role. I love his admiring/self-admiring photos and paintings and that all the women fawn over him, as this is usually flipped gender-wise in movies.

However, I'll never accept the reveal of the petrified kids. Not one or two, but three kids (well, 2 kids and a cat) survived because they didn't look at the basilisk directly. One from a reflection, one through a camera, and one through a frigging ghost!

Random Thoughts:

- Does every movie series need a Jar Jar (Dobby)? Wasn't one enough?

- Ginny doesn't have much of a role in the series, but by far her best moment is telling Malfoy to leave Harry alone. There's this fire in her eyes that says that she means it. Too bad her older brother's a coward. Speaking of which, there's way too much Ron sniveling in this film. If it's not the spiders, it's a train, if not that, and so on.

- This movie is the first to establish the Malfoy's as Aryan nazis and Hermoine and the other muggle-borns as Jews. This reaches obvious heights in Deathly Hallows Part 1.

- I understand that Crabbe and Goyle are stupid, but honestly, who would eat floating cupcakes? Yep, nothing suspicious there.

- Why is it that in movies nobody can keep their mouth shut when insults are given? Harry and Ron are a couple of prideful idiots when they're trying to appear as Crabbe and Goyle. Three times they shout their dismay at simple insults of Hermoine, Dumbledore and something else.

- Why does Harry ask the diary about the Chamber, as if there's a good reason that it will know? Children's movie.

- We later learn about traces that can tell when underage wizards are doing magic from large distances away. So why can't they figure out that Ginny is ****ing around with Hogwarts?

- Hagrid once again almost screws up royally by sending Ron and Harry to their spidery death. Is he suppose to be enduring after all of this?

- A lot of faith was put into there being a slide when they jumped into the chamber of secrets. (And pushed Lockhart to his possible death)

- Even Perseus had a mirror when going to attack Medusa. Harry's plan? "Don't look at it."

- Pretty fortunate that Tom Riddle's full name happened to have "I am Lord" in the letters. Major "Children's movie" moment.

- Good thing Harry showed Fawkes loyalty. Otherwise, he would have left Harry to die. Also, it was a bit contrived that Fawkes brought the sorting that then later magically produced the sword. Just bring him a damn sword, time's a wasting.

- How'd Dumbledore get the diary back from Lucius Malfoy? He has it in Half-Blood Prince, I believe.

- Lucius Malfoy is clearly about to say "Avada Kadavra" before Dobby saves him. Think about that, he almost killed Harry Potter, right there and then, because he lost his stupid house elf servant. By the way, for elves to be freed with the gift of clothes is kind of stupid.

- The ending to this movie is hard to bear, it's just WAY too happy. There are shots of people grinning for about 3 full minutes. Hah, and then all exams are cancelled. What's a happier ending to a kid's movie than schoolwork being cancelled? I hope they learned all those things that they needed to to stay alive for the last movie.

While I liked certain things about the movie COS is probably last on my list of Potter films. Simply because the blew it on the Snake part. The Spider part was great except for Aragog who looked like a poor muppet.
It has one of my favorite continues openings in the Potter movies

[MovieBuff801]

but the movie is made like...a movie. The cinematography and editing aren't as cookie-cutter (no pun intended), the lighting is more low-key and the establishing shots are "quieter;" the movies no longer go out of their way to make sure the kids are following along.

It's funny, I was saying the EXACT same thing to a friend today about this movie.

[Neverending]

Compared to David Yates, I prefer the lighting in the Chris Columbus films. This low-saturation stuff isn't for me. Give me some lights, colors, and a magical John Williams score.

[BrickTop]

- Even Perseus had a mirror when going to attack Medusa. Harry's plan? "Don't look at it."


Well to be fair is he was using a mirror he would likely have ended up in a coma like hermione and the others, not to good for ginny or himself for that matter considering the situation he was in.

[Tolkien]

- Lucius Malfoy is clearly about to say "Avada Kadavra" before Dobby saves him. Think about that, he almost killed Harry Potter, right there and then, because he lost his stupid house elf servant.
I never read the second book, I only started with book four. So when I came across the ending to CoS on ABC Family the other day and saw this scene, I couldn't help but laugh. I never paid enough attention to the scene to remember exactly what curse he was going to utter, but the moment he started to say it I was like' holy ****, he's going to kill a little boy over a ****ing slave? lol.


- Too bad that Richard Harris died, but really, Dumbledore was much better following his replacement, Michael Gambon. He's more lively and fun.
I remember mentioning this a few years back, but while Richard Harris was a truly gifted actor and I mourned his passing, after reading books five and six, I came to agree with Gambon's casting. Harris' version of Dumbledore would NOT be able to pull off films five and six the way Michael Gambon's Dumbledore was able to. I really came to respect his portrayal from GoF and on.

[PG Cooper]

I've got my final part done and ready to be posted, I just wanna let moviebuff post his Half-Blood Prince review first.

[MovieBuff801]

I'll TRY to get Half-Blood Prince up by tonight. No promises, though.

[PG Cooper]

No hurry. Anyone who wants to read my review early can click here. (http://pgcooper1939.wordpress.com/2011/07/13/pg-cooper-harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-one-review-again/)

[JBond]

Well to be fair is he was using a mirror he would likely have ended up in a coma like hermione and the others, not to good for ginny or himself for that matter considering the situation he was in.

That's a good point. Never mind.

[JBond]

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - ****/****

This is another movie I flip on the final rating. For a while it was 4 stars, then it went down to 3.5, and I suppose now it's back to 4. I suppose what knocks it up that last bit is its relation to the rest of the series. This movie is the middle film of the series in more ways than one.

In the movies before this one, the characters are children, and afterwards they are adults...well, young adults. This transition is even laid out through the movie itself. Early on there is childish bickering between Ron and Harry and so on, but later they grow up following the ball. During the ball, however, Ron is still a brat...but a teenager brat. The whole movie is a metaphor for puberty and they even show Hermoine growing up before Ron because girls mature faster. Meanwhile, Harry is growing up in his own way by competing with the big boys. By the end of the movie all of the three characters have grown up in some way. Even Ron reacts coolly to a kiss by Fleur when the old Ron would have started some annoying sputtering crap. That kiss was very deliberately placed in this movie. And then the final step of the children's climb to adulthood comes at the end when Dumbledore cuts the bull**** and tells the school that Cedric was murdered by Voldemort and that he's back. The entire school's childhood is over for good.

Themes aside, this movie has many of the best scenes in the series. We get the tri-wizard tournament which includes dragons and the great underwater scene with the always-chilling twist where the "treasures" are their friends. Poor Harry knows two of them personally. And then there's possibly my favorite scene in the whole series to this point, when Harry comes back following a thriling and tense scene with Voldemort (and his parents)...to cheers and celebration. I get goosebumps everytime, it packs a huge emotional punch. If that's not enough, we have to endure the father crying over his dead son and Harry being dragged away.

Another of my favorite scenes in the series is in the classroom with Mad-Eye and the Unforgivable Curses. He is purposely getting them to take them lightly by getting them to laugh at the idea of the Imperious curse...just to knock them off their asses when he brings up the idea of a forced suicide by falling or drowning. Just like the scene following the tri-wizard tournament, this scene is great by the sudden change in mood.

This movie also brings Harry and Dumbldore's relationship to a new level as Dumbledore confides in him in his chamber about happenings. They now become a team, especially in Half-Blood Prince, and it's one of the highlights of the series.

But now, the reason why I sometimes give this movie only 3.5 stars. The entire plot, the entire purpose behind getting Harry to the graveyard, doesn't make a flip of sense. This is starting to be a trend in these books/movies; the final twist not retaining any cohesion on a closer look. The entire reason for sticking Harry into the tournament was to get him to touch a portkey, any portkey, to get him out of the protection of Hogwarts where Voldemort can get at him. So the question begs, why not make the portkey a baseball and throw it at him? There is NO mention of the security involving the tri-wizard cup. In fact, if it were difficult to smuggle in a portkey, the cup would be the most difficult way to do it...that's of course assuming Mad-Eye didn't just make the cup a portkey when he got there. In fact, forget what I said, he would have HAD to do that. They also said Mad-Eye hid the cup (why was it his job?), so he probably did it there. Why go through allllll the trouble of entering him in the tournament and rigging it for him to win??

Random Thoughts:

- I'm surprised the movies never explain how all of this, Hogwarts, the World Cup, etc., can exist in England without us normal human folk knowing about it. I believe they mention in this book that The World Cup is hidden from people from a spell...is that so hard to drop in a movie? Because it's interesting to think that Hogwarts IS in England, this isn't a magical land like Middle Earth. You can SEE the white cliffs of Dover near the World Cup. Of course that begs the question where the Hogwarts Express comes out of.

- Why does Harry, Ron, the Weasley twins and even Neville have such long hair in this movie?

- I think it would have been funny following the riots at the World Cup if it really HAD turned out to just be the Irish, like someone suggested before it was obvious things were getting very bad. Would that have been too much of a stretch...?

- Someone quips that the stuff Mad-Eye is drinking is "not pumpkin juice." For the first time I noticed just how much that sounds like "poly juice." Was this intentional?

- The Imperious curse is another nod to Nazi Germany. Were the soliders war criminals or were they just following orders? Speaking of which, why does Crouch look so much like Hitler? Red herring?

- I would have liked to have the explination of why Neville reacts poorly to the Cruciatus curse in this movie instead of the next one. That shouldn't have been split.

- Emma Watson's a bad actress.

- I love how awkward the scene is following Harry's name coming out of the Goblet of Fire.

- "My eyes aren't glisening with the ghosts of my past!" is a great line.

- The idea that Harry couldn't figure out that Ron (Hermoine) was telling Harry to go see Hagrid is absurd. He even goes to see him. He didn't notice the sentence started with "Ron told me?" Of course he did, because he then says "tell Ron..." So what's the problem here? Later he says "Who could have possibly have figured that out?" Oh, I dunno, someone not stupid? This whole plot hole exists just so the script can have that stupid "telelphone game" joke, which would only be funny for little kids.

- Emma Watson is 15 (playing a 14-year-old) and the guy who plays Krum is 20. Just saying.

- This movie is the first to propose the question (in retrospect) "Why the hell do Ron and Hermoine end up together?" The series hops on the cliche train of "opposites attract" with a vengence. They make each other miserable, they MUST be in love...

- Neville got back real late following the dance and brags about it. His date was Ginny. I hope that doesn't get in the way of Harry and Neville's friendship in the future...

[MovieBuff801]

[b][u][size=5]- This movie is the first to propose the question (in retrospect) "Why the hell do Ron and Hermoine end up together?" The series hops on the cliche train of "opposites attract" with a vengence. They make each other miserable, they MUST be in love...

GOD yes! I much, MUCH rather prefer Harry and Hermione together, even if only because I don't like the "opposites attract" rule. I can at least buy the idea of Harry and Hermione together, whereas I honestly don't see a Ron/Hermione relationship lasting all that long...which is one reason I wasn't too crazy about the DH epilogue.

[PG Cooper]

Random Thoughts:
- Why does Harry, Ron, the Weasley twins and even Neville have such long hair in this movie?

Excellent question.

- I would have liked to have the explination of why Neville reacts poorly to the Cruciatus curse in this movie instead of the next one. That shouldn't have been split.

It's suggested in the scene where Harry is looking through the pensieve. Dumbledore mentions the Longbottom's being tortured by death eaters.

- Emma Watson's a bad actress.

YOUR A BAD ACTRESS!

- "My eyes aren't glisening with the ghosts of my past!" is a great line.

lol.

- The idea that Harry couldn't figure out that Ron (Hermoine) was telling Harry to go see Hagrid is absurd. He even goes to see him. He didn't notice the sentence started with "Ron told me?" Of course he did, because he then says "tell Ron..." So what's the problem here? Later he says "Who could have possibly have figured that out?" Oh, I dunno, someone not stupid? This whole plot hole exists just so the script can have that stupid "telelphone game" joke, which would only be funny for little kids.

Yeah, that was dumb.

- This movie is the first to propose the question (in retrospect) "Why the hell do Ron and Hermoine end up together?" The series hops on the cliche train of "opposites attract" with a vengence. They make each other miserable, they MUST be in love...

Good point.

- Neville got back real late following the dance and brags about it. His date was Ginny. I hope that doesn't get in the way of Harry and Neville's friendship in the future...

I never thought about that before...

[Dhamon22]

Good thread.

I'll have to say I agree with JBond the most so far. It doesn't hurt that his reviews are the easiest to read.

1 - 7/10
2 - 6/10
3 - 8/10
4 - 8.5/10
5 - 8/10
6 - 9/10
7.1 - 9.5/10

[JBond]

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - ***/****

I was hoping to narrow in on why this movie underachives with this viewing. I failed. The premise of having the kids having to take matters in their own hands was not only a good idea, but it was the perfect direction for the series to go following Goblet of Fire. There's also an enjoyable amount of social commentary in the idea that Voldemort's existence is being denied by the ministry and the flow of propaganda. Even with my major complaints about the inaction of Harry being addressed, I find it difficult to enjoy this movie more than the other later movies.

The best that I can tell, the problem lies in the loss of momentum following the scenes involving Dumbledore's Army. It doesn't help that Order of the Phoenix is a huge book and this is possibly the shortest movie. Goblet of Fire was long too, but all they had to do was cut out all of the stupid Elf rights club stuff that Hermoine starts. Order of the Phoenix, however, is just filled with backstory, information, flashbacks and so on. It must have been a b***h to adapt. Anyway, following the Dumbledore's Army stuff and going into the prophecy/Sirius Black stuff always felt odd for me.

I might have removed the scenes with Hagrid and the giant and put in scenes from the book where they're in the hospital and come across Neville and his parents. Keeping the focus of the movie on the kids and they're relation to "the war" might have helped. Also, this would have fit more with the mood of the last few movies where stakes are getting high.

Random Thoughts:

- Finally, a movie that centers around kids where the adults are competent, as well. They even rightfully tell Harry to get lost during the meetings of the Order. This also serves as a good contrast to the INcompetent adults, the politicians.

- One of my favorite small thigns about the series (and this was more prevalant in the books) is Mr. Weasley's reaction to technology. It would have been a simpe joke for him to just be bad with it, being used to magic, and all. But what makes him special is that he appreciates Muggle technology because they were able to make contraptions without the lazy benefit of magic and spells.

- If you've never watched the special feature "deleted scene" of Trelawny at the opening feast, do it. It's just about 5 minutes of her trying to eat and it's the best bit of physical comedy you will have seen in a while. She's a genius.

- I'm annoyed that they backplayed the fifth-year OWLs as if they were an extra way that Dolorous Umbridge was evil. I don't feel it's ever clear that these are like pre-SATs that everyone has to take. And once again, like the ending of Chamber of Secrets, the heroes (Weasley twins) get glory by ruining the tests.

- The whole Harry/Cho thing has no replay value when we know that that's not going to work. So why did they do it? You know what would have been a good idea? Set up the Harry/Ginny relationship early. It's not like the filmmakers didn't know how the series ended at this point.

- Harry worrying about turning into Voldemort or a bad person is a good metaphor for becoming an adult.

- It's funny that Ginny's "reducto" attack is responsible for destroying every single prophecy crystal ball in the Ministry. I would feel this would have major consequences in the world of wizardary if I knew why they were all being held onto.

- What is with the black vale of death that Sirius Black is sucked into? When reading this I thought for sure it'd come up in the last book. This is by far the biggest unsolved mystery in the series (unless I've missed it) and I don't see why Sirius couldn't have just died. Maybe she wanted to leave open a spot so she could BS Black back into the story but never did? Maybe for future books one day? Also, Black saying "Nice one, James" is one of the best parts of the movie.

- The last line of the movie, "I have something worth fighting for," has always intrigued me. It brings up this question I often ask of super-villians that want to rule or destroy the world...what is their motive? This works well for Voldemort as there seems not to be one. As best as I can tell, he wants to kill Harry Potter because only one of them can live. Fair reason.

[MovieBuff801]

I re-watched Order of the Phoenix again today, and I find that movie to grow on me the more I watch it. Right now, I'd rank it 3rd best out of all the films so far.

[Tornado]

Re-watched GOF and OOTP today. GOF was not as good as I remembered it being, OOTP was still the best of the series I remembered it being.

[Tolkien]

^ same here. Although, I still find 7-1 to be on equal par with OotP.

[Fanible]

The whole Harry/Cho thing has no replay value when we know that that's not going to work. So why did they do it? You know what would have been a good idea? Set up the Harry/Ginny relationship early. It's not like the filmmakers didn't know how the series ended at this point.

This has been one thing that has bugged me about the series - the relationships. As you already mentioned in the prior movie about Ron and Hermoine. I find the Ginny and Harry relationship even worse. I have never seen any chemistry between them, and there's never really been any building up to or explanation why they're even together. I found this even worse in Deathly Hallows Part 1, when they kiss, and it just feels really awkward and out of place. It's not even like some movies lacking chemistry that just tell you certain characters are together and you'll just have to accept it. It seems to be no more than occasionally implied in this series.

Had they decided to make Phoenix concentrate on the building of the relationship of Ginny (or alternatively, Cho being the one he ends up with), it may have been okay.

But being there seems to be no real chemistry between any of them, EXCEPT for Harry and Hermoine, the final result between them all seems really weird.


Re-watched GOF and OOTP today. GOF was not as good as I remembered it being, OOTP was still the best of the series I remembered it being.

Phoenix has always been my favorite as well. It's the first one that felt complete to me, and had such a great climax. I think that's why I was kind of disappointed with Half-Blood Prince. I guess I'm viewing Prince, and the two Deathly Hallows as a trilogy though, or rather one long movie.

[MovieBuff801]

http://opinionsandexpressions.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/harry_potter_half_blood_prince_dumbledore_potter.j pg

"Half-Blood Prince" marks the second directorial effort of David Yates on a Potter film, and it couldn't be more different than his first film, "Order of the Phoenix". What makes it so different is the fact that "Half-Blood Prince" is more FUN than the rather bleak "Phoenix", but that basically works in the film's favor, as this is really the calm before the storm that is "Deathly Hallows".

First of all, the cinematography in this movie is GREAT. I was mesmerized by the look of this film; David Yates and his cinematographer Bruno Delbonel provide an intoxicating look into the world of Harry Potter. There are many great shots in the film, and the color pallete combined with the set designs make for some very amazing camerawork.

But I want to get into the acting for a bit. Emma Watson really does some great work here as Hermione, as Hermione begins to realize she has feelings for Ron and is forced to deal with them. The way Watson plays this is very heartfelt and emotional, and allows us to really sympathize with Hermione. It's a very compassionate and tender performance, and it thus gives Watson the most to do in terms of emotional work. Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint still do just fine in their roles, but out of the three of them, it's Watson this time who really shines.

Which brings me to the romance in the film; even though I don’t agree with the pairings J.K. Rowling chose, I must concede that in this film they are handled with extreme care. Kudos to screenwriter Steve Kloves for making me forget my Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione skepticism for 2 1/2 hours. But therein lies a problem I have with this story: for one, I don't buy the Harry/Ginny pairing, and then I'm not really sold on the Ron/Hermione one, either. I feel like the Harry/Ginny one is rather forced, and as for Ron/Hermione, I just don't like the "opposites attract" or "love/hate" romantic relationships. I much, MUCH rather prefer Harry and Hermione together because they seem like they'd make for a better and much sweeter couple, ESPECIALLY in the films.

And on the subject of the romance, I need to ask WHY they made that the primary focus, and then the mystery as to the identity of the Half-Blood Prince secondary? In the book, that was a much more prevalent question, but here in the movie, it's overall treated like an afterthought, with the big reveal being reduced to a throwaway line near the end. Again...why? Because there's A LOT of other, more interesting things going on in the story besides the romantic politics.

But back to the acting, there's also Tom Felton, Michael Gambon and Alan Rickman to talk about. Tom Felton has a lot more to do here as Malfoy, and we see a side of him we've never seen before. This movie does the seemingly impossible with Malfoy's character: it makes us care about him. Malfoy's arc in the film is very interesting, and Felton's acting selss it every step of the way. Michael Gambon delivers his BEST work as Dumbledore, and his acting through the entire third act is nothing short of awesome. And Alan Rickman has more to do here as Snape than he ever has in any film in the series before this. But trust me, more Snape is NEVER a bad thing. ;)

Now, I WILL say one thing that works about the romance is the comedy. What we see here is certainly still better than whatever we see in the majority of other romantic comedies these days. In fact, ALL of the humor here works. And I don't mind the sudden tone shift between films at all, because this was the last time to have any real fun with a Potter movie, and the filmmakers took full advantage of that. The funniest thing, though, is Cormac throwing up on Snape's shoes.

Plus, this film has two of my favorite scenes of the franchise so far: Dumbledore's death, and ESPECIALLY Dumbledore's farewell. There are many things I love about the latter: the lack of dialogue, the score, Harry's reaction, the wand tribute, and the imagery. It's a scene packed full of emotion, and it hits the mark.

Despite my problems with the film, though, there's still no denying how much I enjoyed "Half-Blood Prince", as well as the fact that this is another solid entry into the franchise.

***1/2 /****

[BrickTop]

- Neville got back real late following the dance and brags about it. His date was Ginny. I hope that doesn't get in the way of Harry and Neville's friendship in the future...

What made me cringe was why they were in bed so early in the first place. Ron had pissed off hermione so she ordered them to bed haha what sort of peer would do that? and what's more is they scampered off and did it! whereas in the book or in any other situation they would have laughed at her or just walked away if she had said that.

[PG Cooper]

*Disclaimer: Review contains spoilers
http://www.comingsoon.net/gallery/20446/Harry_Potter_and_the_Deathly_Hallows_-_Part_1_104.jpg
Release date: November 19th, 2010

Written by: Steve Kloves

Directed by: David Yates

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, and Ralph Fiennes

The seventh year marks the first where the main characters do not attend Hogwarts. Instead they have opted to drop out in order to hunt down the Horcruxes, the objects which give Voldemort immortality. Voldemort has also managed to infiltrate the Ministry of Magic and has corrupted it. With so many resources at his disposal, Voldemort has begun an endless manhunt for Harry Potter. But there’s something else he wants, something dangerous. The pressure is on as the fate of both the muggle and the wizarding world hangs in the balance.

This is the first Potter film in the series that I’ve actually reviewed before. My feelings on it haven’t changed since then, but I still thought it be fun to go back and revisit this. The movie starts off incredibly strong. We see the three leads on the eve of all the bad s*** that’s about to go down. Of the three, the most memorable and emotional scene shows Hermione erasing her parents memory so they don’t know she exists. This is followed by the Death Eaters meeting, torturing a muggle sympathizer, and discussing their plans. We also see Voldemort intimidate everyone at the table. We see even the Death Eaters fear him. These scenes really set the tone of the film. Gone is the fun of the Columbus films, gone is the sex-fueled teen drama of The Half-Blood Prince. The Deathly Hallows Part One is dark film where you never feel truly safe.

David Yates had issues with the pace of the last two films, but he really has a fine handle on it in this film. Some have complained that this film was slow, and I agree, but that’s why it works so well. With the novel being split into two halves, Yates is finally able to take his time with the story and not rush things. We finally are able to take a breath and admire the great things happening. His visual style also returns here, and it actually looks better than before. In a strange way, Yates was freed by leaving Hogwarts. It allowed him to show other things instead. The cinematography is top-notch here. It’s dark, its dreary, its awesome.

All of these films are filled with a huge supporting cast. This is the only entry in the series where the supporting cast doesn’t play too big a role. A lot of old favourites return (Hagrid, Snape, Madeye) but the focus is really on the main leads. After so many films with these characters, you can’t help but be wrapped up in their stories. We want to see them make it out of everything okay. All these characters are pushed to their limits in this film, and there is even hostility between the three. Several stretches of the movie are just the three leads together, hiding. If we didn’t care about the characters, these scenes we’d be really boring. But we’re invested in the characters, and thus interested. The actor that really surprises me here is Rupert Grint as Ron. In the past, he was the likable comedic relief. Here he actually steps his character up a notch. Watching him struggle with feeling inferior to Harry is a really interesting subplot and something that had been building for a while. But there all great and I’d expect nothing less.

Steve Kloves delivers another great script. The interaction between all the characters is great, but what really impresses me is just how bold the script is. Not only are they not afraid to kill characters off, but they aren’t afraid to give them very uneventful deaths. I know it sounds strange to say an uneventful death is a good thing, but given the story, it feels appropriate. At this point in the series, a full-blown war has broken out. People are dying, and in large numbers. Not every character is going to get an emotional and heart wrenching death. Some of them are just gonna get shot in the back. Take Madeye Moody. We don’t see his death, someone just says he was killed while everyone was escorting Harry. I remember at first thinking it was anti-climactic before realizing, that’s exactly the way it should be. They even kill off Hedwig. I realize Hedwig is just an owl, but being an animal, you expect it to live through the series. Usually in movies, the pet always makes it out okay.

The move also sees the first appearance of Dobby since The Chamber of Secrets. Seeing him again really proved the effects had come along way. He doesn’t look like such an obvious CG effect and feels much more natural with the world. And Toby Jones is still charming and fun providing the voice of Dobby. The one thing I will say is that I didn’t find Dobby’s death as emotionally gripping as others did. Mainly because he was only in one other film in the series, and didn’t have a lot of screen time in this one. It also does feel like the movie was setting him up to be killed. It’s not a bad scene or anything, it doesn’t really work as the emotional climax.

Actually, I have a problem with the climax as a whole. Not because its bad, but because it isn’t a climax. Overall, I like the scene. I like watching the interaction between the Malfoys, and seeing a glimpse into their life was pretty interesting. I like the darkness of the scene, such as the prisoners in the house and the torturing of Hermione. But all this does not work as a true climax. I am glad that film makers decided to divide the last book in two parts because it allowed for more stuff to be put in, but it does make the ending of this film feel off. The intensity begins to rise, and then the movie stops. Some people may argue that I shouldn’t judge this ending as an ending because it isn’t truly over, Part Two is still on the way. But until Part Two is released, I have to judge this as I would the ending to any other film. I will say that the last shot of Voldemort firing off the elder wand does get the blood flowing for Part Two.

Despite the slow pace, the action in this film is some of the best in the series. Mainly because it is action with consequence. People actually die. The action scenes aren’t adventurous fun, but they’re tense scenes where you’re afraid for the characters. The opening chase really sets that tone where both Madeye and Hedwig die. I also like the foot chase through the woods with the leads being chased by the snatchers. What made that scene work so well, for me, was the sounds. The loudest and most predominant noises in the scene are the sounds of twigs breaking and heavy breathing. All in all, this is my favourite type of action. Where you can marvel at how well its done and how technically efficient the scenes are, but one where you’re also emotionally invested with the characters in danger.

Another thing that really caught me about this film was the music. Famous composer John Williams left the series after The Prisoner of Azkaban and it was a noticeable departure. The music in the subsequent films wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t anything special. For this film, composer Alexandre Desplat wrote and conducted the score. His music would be the first to really catch my ear since Prisoner of Azkaban. The music reflects the tone perfectly. It’s dark, it’s dreary, and it’s very emotional.

One thing I find inconsistent about the film is some of the humor. Simply put, some of it works, of it doesn’t. I’m not oppose to humor in a dark film, and a lot of the characters are known for their sense of humor. I just have a problem when it conflicts with the tone. While for the most part the film never falls into that trapping, there are moments it does. The one that stands out the most is Dobby on the chandelier. In the middle of this wizarding duel, after watching Hermione get tortured, the move takes time to give us a comedic shot of Dobby unscrewing a chandelier and dropping it on the villains. Then, he makes a humorous comment about how he, “…never meant to call. Dobby only meant to maim, or seriously injure.” It bothers me that the move had to defuse the tension for a lame joke, especially when it’s followed by Dobby being killed.

Despite some minor flaws, The Deathly Hallows Part One is a great film, one that I only imagine will get better when Part Two hits theaters. Yates brings the best of his previous films, as well as improving on the flaws that had plagued him. The film is dark, it’s intense, and it really builds to what I’m sure will be a balls to the wall insane conclusion in Part Two. This film is not for the casual movie goer. If you haven’t seen all the other films, you won’t know what’s going on and you probably won’t enjoy the film. This is a film for those of us who love these characters. This really is great film making, even if technically it’s incomplete.

Rating: A

And that’s the end of my Harry Potter retrospective. My review for The Deathly Hallows Part Two will be like any other review. It’ll be posted in the "Current Movies, DVDs, and Blu-rays" and there won’t be any spoilers. Looking back at the series, there is a lot to admire. Here we have a series of blockbuster films that put characters and story telling at the front of everything. That in itself is a rare thing. Even more impressive is that there really aren’t any bad Potter films. Even the most problematic entries do have a lot going for them. Most of the best movie series have at least one bad film. Indiana Jones, The Terminator, Batman, and Star Wars are all examples of film series that couldn’t avoid having at least one bad film. You do see a fair share of consistently good trilogies, but how often do you see a consistent series spanning seven films. The seventh James Bond film for example is horrible. But somehow Harry Potter has remained consistent, albeit problematic.

It’s hard to think that after this Friday there won’t be any more Potter films. I know some fans are sad to see it go, but all good things most come to an end. I’d rather see them go out on a high note then have them drag on and become watered down. Personally, I’m expecting a great film from Part Two. It’s easily my most anticipated of the year and I have very high expectations. I don’t like going into a movie with big expectations, but after ten years, it’s hard not to. Regardless of what happens, thank you to all the people who worked on these films. From the actors to the directors to the composers to the grips. Thank you for your contribution to the series. But most of all, thank you to J.K. Rowling for writing these books and creating all this in the first place.

Oh, and if anyone’s curious, here’s how I’d rank the films.

1. The Prisoner of Azkaban

2. The Deathly Hallows Part One

3. The Goblet of Fire

4. The Order of the Phoenix

5. The Half-Blood Prince

6. The Chamber of Secrets

7. The Philosopher’s Stone

[Tolkien]

Great review PG. :)

[MovieBuff801]

http://images.wikia.com/harrypotter/images/6/65/Harry-Potter-and-the-Deathly-Hallows-Part-1-poster.jpg

It’s the beginning of the end…literally, in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One”.

After more than a decade and seven films, the Harry Potter franchise is still as strong and engrossing as it was back in 1998 when J.K. Rowling first brought us into this wondorous world. Harry Potter is like my generation’s Star Wars; a franchise people my age have grown up with that has characters we both care deeply about and identify with. But the wonder is gone, the innocence is nowhere to be found and the magic has taken on a deadly and dangerous tone in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One”, the first half of Rowling’s final novel in the series. This is a dark, thrilling, visceral, gritty and emotionally satisfying film that is sure to please all diehard Potter fans. It's also the most faithful of the films to its corresponding book.

As the film opens, we find Harry, Hermione and Ron thrust into the perils of the real world after they’ve made serious and in Hermione’s case, heartbreaking sacrifices in order to fight in the escalating war against the evil Lord Voldemort. As fans remember from “Half-Blood Prince”, Harry has taken it upon himself to finish Dumbledore’s mission to find and destroy what remains of Voldemort’s Horcruxes (a Horcrux is an object in which part of a person’s soul is contained). Harry wants to go it alone, but of course, Hermione and Ron won’t let him, so before long, the three of them are out on their own and having to protect themselves against the Death Eaters.

Just like the novel, this is the darkest and most intense film yet. Now, for people who haven’t read the books or are unfamiliar with the source material, this film is a challenge to keep up with. Having read all the books quite a few times, I was able to keep up and follow the chain of events with no effort, but I can see why Potter novices will feel lost and confused because this movie moves from plot point to plot point VERY FAST, despite a running time of 146 minutes; pay attention.

Each film in the series has built upon the last in some shape or form, and “Deathly Hallows Part One” continues that tradition. Of particular note is the acting from its three stars. A lot of this movie finds them hiding out in various countryside locations, and this provides ample time for great character development...as well as some GORGEOUS cinematography by Eduardo Serra.

Emma Watson in particular is very strong here; she, like Radcliffe and Grint, captures the emotional disparity of her character brilliantly. Part of the opening montage where Hermione is forced to wipe her parents’ memories in order to keep them safe is very heartbreaking, made even more so by the imagery of Hermione disappearing from photographs around the house. Now, some may find the camping scenes tedious and boring, but I thought they were the heart and soul of the film. “Part One” is all about the fear of the unknown and desperation driven out of emotional distress; “Part Two” will be about the non-stop epic battles with blow-em-up sensibilities.

Radcliffe also shines in the quieter scenes, especially in the ones he shares alone with Watson after Ron has abandoned Harry and Hermione in the film. This sets up my favorite scene in the movie where, in an effort to cheer Hermione up, Harry slowdances with her in a scene that is both beautiful and heartwarming. Another tender moment comes when the two of them come across the grave of Harry’s parents in Godric’s Hollow. I especially enjoyed these scenes because they show that these are still kids in this situation and because I’m a Harry/Hermione shipper…but I’m not here to debate ships, I’m here to review this film.

But speaking of those quiet, character-driven scenes, that's the one thing director David Yates has excelled brilliantly at so far with his films: bringing in a real sense of intimacy. That especially works for this film, because the very nature of the first half of this book is intimate, dreary and emotional. During the second act of this film, we really get a sense of how much this journey is taking its toll on each of the trio, and their acting, along with Yates' direction, really brings it out. We need to care about the trio as they embark on their mission, and this movie pulls that off effortlessly. Each scene in the middle portion is captivating in its own way. But what's fully on display here is Yates' understanding of the characters. And it's because of his understanding of their essences that this film works so well.

This is appropriately rated PG-13; somebody's dead in the first 10 minutes. This movie has a lot of handheld camerawork that adds to the gritty and realistic tone the filmmakers are going for; I loved that. The action sequences here are more intense and bloody than anything from the first six films. David Yates gets things going about 10 minutes in with an exciting aerial chase that shows just how badass magic can be. Another thrilling moment comes when the trio has to escape from the Ministry of Magic while being chased by all sorts of things. Moments like these, as well as the quiet scenes, are complimented by a terrific and beautiful score by Alexandre Desplat.

Then there’s Hermione’s torture scene at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange. This scene…wow. Not only is it made disturbing and heart-wrenching by Hermione’s chilling screams, but David Yates wisely keeps it more psychological by showing the actual torture in brief snippets. In fact, Emma Watson was so effective in this scene that I just wanted to jump in the screen and kill Bellatrix myself.

The film ends with the most emotionally moving and tearjerking death scene of the series so far. Dobby's death is absolutely heartbreaking, especially to book fans, and it's a death scene that's incredibly moving. It gets me in some way every time, whether it be goosebumps or a lump in my throat. In retrospect, it's a pretty perfect point at which to end "Part One". It raises the stakes and contains a promise of intensity to come.

All in all, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One” is fantastic. It’s certainly the most accomplished and mature of the films so far, and while in some ways I think I still prefer “Prisoner of Azkaban” as my personal favorite, “Deathly Hallows Part One” is a VERY, VERY, VEEEERY close 2nd place.

****/****

And my ranking of the films so far:

1. Prisoner of Azkaban
2. Deathly Hallows Part One
3. Order of the Phoenix
4. Goblet of Fire
5. Half-Blood Prince
6. Sorcerer's Stone
7. Chamber of Secrets

I'll offer my "Thank You" to the series at the end of my Part Two review. ;)

[JBond]

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - ***.5/****

This is probably my second favorite Harry Potter film. There are a lot of great scenes and the pacing is well-done. I love the plot of having to find a memory from someone because the existing one is false. Great scenes include Harry's trail of "luck," and everything from the cave with the neckless and following. The death of Dumbledore, the confrontation of Snape and Harry, the "funeral," there's no way to not love all of this. Perhaps the best 15-20 minutes in the series.

Another large highlight doesn't invovle specific scenes, but a character. Finally Draco isn't one-dimensional and even evokes a little bit of sympathy. In fact, he is in such contrast with his former self, it makes it all the more engaging. Because he's never been evil, just an a**hole. But now pressure is being placed on him to do stuff he clearly doesn't want to. The first sign that something is up with Draco is great, because we see everyone in Slytherin appluding Snape's new position...but Draco isn't even paying attention. Whoa, this must mean something.

A large part of the movie is Ron and Hermoine's relationship, and this wouldn't be a problem if they had just resolved the damn thing at the end. Even worse, they appear to do it with Ron's calling out to her in his posioned daze, but instead they take it right back when Ron forgets the whole thing...or whatever that was. Christ, they even had Ginny say "It's about time, don't you think?" What time, the last movie? What are we watching here? The TV show Friends?

Random Thoughts:

- Finally at the opening, there is a perceived threat for us Muggles. Though it's odd they avoid showing anyone die; they all make it off the bridge in time. But then later Snape's newspaper says: "Bridge Collapse: Death Toll Rises." Make up your mind, is this movie dark or not?

- Should Harry be reading a magic newspaper in a Muggle cafe?

- It's too bad they couldn't fit in the movies that Harry is financing the Wesley Twins' buisness. I always liked that.

- Love Potion? More like roofies. Notice they only have Hermoine and Ginny showing any interest in the product? And that only Ron is the victim of it? Couldn't imagine why.

- Why did Harry need a smoke bomb to get into Malfoy's cabin on the train? He had an invisibility cloak, it seemed like overkill.

- I was planning on complaining about the sepia/green color tones of the movie (only in Hogwarts scenes), but I rather enjoyed them this time. And I don't know what they did for the Quittich match, but the entire scene is gorgeous.

- Was it wise to show young Tom Riddle, the guy who had just said "I can make them hurt," that you know pyromancy?

- Notice when the kids trio are drinking their Butterbeer that only Hermoine wolfs it down. Once they come out there's a brief suggestion that Hermoine is drunk. She smiles and puts her arms around the two guys. All that was missing was "I loooove you guys!"

- Why is the Weasley house burned down? It's not in the book and it has to come back out of nowhere for the next movie.

- Two actors that don't get a lot of credit are the kids who play the second Tom Riddle (the one with Horace Slughorn) and the girl who has an extreme crush on Ron. Everything she does is hilarious, even if it's just staring across the room.

- How does one fix a vanishing cabinet? Screwdriver?

- They missed a great opportunity where Ginny could have warned Harry about the dangers of listening to a book. Was that in the book version?

- Speaking of the book version, I'm glad they didn't go with the original way Harry and Ginny ended up together. In the book he bumps into Dean Thomas during his lucky streak and that leads to him and Ginny breaking up. Ouch.

- How can Sectumsempra be Snape's spell? Think about it, it's just words that lead to spells. Then again, spells had to be created at some point, right? When creating a spell, what if you don't want it to have the proper latin root?

[JBond]

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 - ***.5/****

It's tough to analyse this movie because it's so different from the structure of all 6 movies preceeding it. This is mostly for the best, though, because everythign feels so fresh. Whether it's the kids not knowing what the hell they're doing in the middle of England or Harry and Hermoine visiting Godric's Hallow (one of my favorite scenes). Though my favorite scene has to be the Tale of the Three Brothers, if only for the animation. Ironically, I like the movie more when they're traveling the countryside and less when they're actually getting one of the horcruxes in the Ministry. It's not a bad scene, I suppose, it's just a bit long and uninteresting compared to the rest.

But like usual, Ron gets in the way of my enjoyment of the movie. With almost everything stripped away from the middle of the movie, plot, purpose, action, we're left with the characters and their true colors. Harry and Hermoine show theirs by being strong and actually having chemistry (I actually liked the dance scene). Ron shows his by screwing things up and being a petty git.

I also hate how similar this movie/book is to Lord of the Rings. They are taking a semi-conscious evil piece of jewerly to be destroyed that makes you angry when you wear it. C'mon.

Random Thoughts:

- I really, really, believe there should have been a scene where he says goodbye to the Durselys. Are you kidding me? After all those scenes in the past movies, this really needed closure.

- Hermoine brain-wiping her parents is one of the creepiest things in the series. In a good way.

- If you've ever noticed that "Avada kedavra" sounds like "abracadabra" it's because it's the original phrase in which "abracadabra" came from.

- Does anyone find it odd they never explain why Harry is peering into a broken mirror shard?

- It bothers me that Harry never tells anyone that Hedwig is dead. I guess sharing grief with other characters allows it to be shared with an audience.

- Now the twins can be told apart.

- Wouldn't it have been great if Harry shoved the snitch in his mouth right after receiving it from the Minister of Magic, but for no reason?

- I like that taking the place of real people in the Ministry came with consequences. It was now Ron's responsibility to fix the problem with "his wife." Also, "That's Harry Potter" - "This will be fun to tell the kids" is the funniest part of the movie.

- The bag that Hermoine uses to fit everything must be the same one Link uses. "Accio Hookshot!"

- Once Ron destroys the horcrux neckless, Harry says "Only 3 more to go." Three? Aren't there 4? They've only destroyed the diary, the ring and the locket. There should be 4 left: the diadem, the cup, Panini and Harry Potter

- I liked the reveal that something was wrong in Xenophilias Lovegood's house from the book better. Harry goes to Luna's room and sees that it's covered in dust. That was creepy.

- How can the people in the manor not know that Harry is Harry? "Is this him, Draco? This guy with a scar we found that looks like Harry Potter and is hanging around with Ron and Hermoine?"

- Bellatrix carving "mudblood" on Hermoine's arm is the darkest thing in the series. So far.

[Tolkien]

- How can Sectumsempra be Snape's spell? Think about it, it's just words that lead to spells. Then again, spells had to be created at some point, right? When creating a spell, what if you don't want it to have the proper latin root?
I think it sounds less appealing when you're just waving your wand, shouting; "cuts & scrapes!"

[JBond]

Final ratings and ranking:

Goblet of Fire: ****
Half-Blood Prince: ***.5
Deathly Hallows - Part 1: ***.5
Order of the Phoenix: ***
Prisoner of Azkaban: ***
Chamber of Secrets: **.5
Sorcerer's Stone: **

[JBond]

I think it sounds less appealing when you're just waving your wand, shouting; "cuts & scrapes!"

"The 'I win' curse!"

[Tolkien]

Draco: Stupify!

Harry: I Win!

Draco: ...wha?

Harry: ...well yeah, you're on the ground bleeding so, I win!




Yeah, it does sound better, lol.

[DarthVader 2004]

I am going to do my own reviews of all 8 films from SS to DH part 2 as soon as see last installment. Likely do 2 films a week.

[Tolkien]

Well, I'm off. Late dinner with friends and MIDNIGHT SHOWING OF HARRY POTTER!!!

I'll be too dead tired to write anything when I get home, so I'll write my review, thoughts and opinions on either Friday or Saturday.

[Tornado]

1. Ootp
2. Dh, 1
3. Hbp
4. Poa
5. Gof
6. Ss
7. Cos

[bbf2]

This has been one thing that has bugged me about the series - the relationships. As you already mentioned in the prior movie about Ron and Hermoine. I find the Ginny and Harry relationship even worse. I have never seen any chemistry between them, and there's never really been any building up to or explanation why they're even together. I found this even worse in Deathly Hallows Part 1, when they kiss, and it just feels really awkward and out of place. It's not even like some movies lacking chemistry that just tell you certain characters are together and you'll just have to accept it. It seems to be no more than occasionally implied in this series.

Had they decided to make Phoenix concentrate on the building of the relationship of Ginny (or alternatively, Cho being the one he ends up with), it may have been okay.

But being there seems to be no real chemistry between any of them, EXCEPT for Harry and Hermoine, the final result between them all seems really weird.

Yeah this was the one thing that struck me as odd about the books as well. You have a romance built up over the course of seven novels between the two side characters that is very well developed - you see every peak and valley and emotion that Hermione and Ron have, developed over thousands of pages.

And yet, Harry is the main character by far and almost every chapter of the series is told from his perspective, but his own romance is almost an afterthought. It feels like Ginny isn't important enough or given enough time, development, or importance to really be deserving of being the love interest to the character the series centers around. We see tons and tons of development and nuances about his relationship with Ron and Hermione but with his love interest, very little. Even during times when Harry and Ginny are together and dating (which is like....a few chapters towards the end of HBP) we barely see him have any conversations with her at all, its just kinda like "Harry and Ginny were hanging out in the common room, then something else happened...."

[bbf2]

double post

[BrickTop]

- I really, really, believe there should have been a scene where he says goodbye to the Durselys. Are you kidding me? After all those scenes in the past movies, this really needed closure.

Watch the deleted scenes, they got ****ed over worse than Adrien Brody in The thin red line!

- Hermoine brain-wiping her parents is one of the creepiest things in the series. In a good way.

I loved the way they did this in the film, they gloss over the true implications of this in the book, and it's difficult anyone coming from 1st (Harry) perspective. But the film really tackled iit in a short scene.

- If you've ever noticed that "Avada kedavra" sounds like "abracadabra" it's because it's the original phrase in which "abracadabra" came from.

Thanks, good info to know. I had noticed the undeniable similarities i had just hoped the origin was this way round... not the other. I'm glad.

- Does anyone find it odd they never explain why Harry is peering into a broken mirror shard?

Do you meen just not explained in the film?

- Now the twins can be told apart.

Haha this made me laugh, not as much as 'panini' later on but i could not quote the spoiler.

- I like that taking the place of real people in the Ministry came with consequences. It was now Ron's responsibility to fix the problem with "his wife." Also, "That's Harry Potter" - "This will be fun to tell the kids" is the funniest part of the movie.

One of the funniest harry potter scenes, brought to life perfectly if not even a little better than in the book.


- I liked the reveal that something was wrong in Xenophilias Lovegood's house from the book better. Harry goes to Luna's room and sees that it's covered in dust. That was creepy.

Totally agree.

- How can the people in the manor not know that Harry is Harry? "Is this him, Draco? This guy with a scar we found that looks like Harry Potter and is hanging around with Ron and Hermoine?"

Well i think the huge uncertainty is because they don't want to be wrong. They are all so fearfull of what happens if the call voldermort and are wrong. In the film i don't think they can **** his face up as much as it probably should have been in the books. Either way draco could still probably have identified having known him for years but he is reluctant to - draco is not truly bad theme and so forth

[DarthVader 2004]

Well Draco is the classic Bully who is spoiled but not evil who is being bullied himself. Look at Lucius who has been beaten down by Voldemort. You almost feel sorry for the Malfoys well almost.

[IanTheCool]

This is great. Harry Potter's yearbook. Read all three pages.
*Contains spoilers up to the end of the series.

http://www.collegehumor.com/article/6565353/harry-potters-friends-sign-his-hogwarts-yearbook

[PG Cooper]

Awesome.

[DarthVader 2004]

I will start my Harry Potter Trilogy Reviews probably Wed and do one every 2 days till get to the list. When say review i mean complete with full opinions and no spoiler tag. For non HP viewers

[JBond]

I guess his name wasn't "Panini."

[Jack]

I've repeatedly referred to him as "Panini" since reading your post.

[JBond]

I didn't know what was so funny until I saw Part Two.

[Tolkien]

- I really, really, believe there should have been a scene where he says goodbye to the Durselys. Are you kidding me? After all those scenes in the past movies, this really needed closure.
Actually just came across this scene in the deleted scenes section and thought, why didn't they just add this in? What was it, two, three minutes, tops? I also think they should have put in the scene with Harry & Petunia Dursley that took place just before it. Both scenes would have fit perfectly.

[MovieBuff801]

Well, they chose to leave those scenes out because they said keeping them in would've slowed down the "montage" effect they were going for with the opening of the film. But personally, I agree, they should've been kept in.

[Tolkien]

What annoys me is the Ultimate Editions. They released the extended versions for films one and two, but completely screwed, nay... ****ed us over with films three thru six. I mean, why bother releasing them if you're not going to give us the extended versions?

[DarthVader 2004]

Thats why i would only buy 1 and 2 and need too anyways because they are 6 years old and have seen allot of viewing.

[Tolkien]

Thats why i would only buy 1 and 2 and need too anyways because they are 6 years old and have seen allot of viewing.
...umm, what?

[DarthVader 2004]

I need to buy harry potters 1 and 2 again. Because my dvds are almost 7 years old and have had allot of viewing. I might as well get the extendeds but since they are the only ones with extra movie stuff.
SS and COS is likely the only 2 dvd special editions I would buy. Is that easier to understand.

[JBond]

They're DVDs. If you're careful with them, you should be able to watch them forever.

[DarthVader 2004]

Well I like the extended scene where Snape and Harry have a longer first class moment. So i am buying it the first 2 extended editions simply because like new footage dvds. WB missed a chance to not doing the rest like did SS and COS Special Extended's. Truth is my 2 pack combo has this problem ever since i got it and have been told its not like that in other dvds. This more so with COS dvd.

[Tolkien]

They're DVDs. If you're careful with them, you should be able to watch them forever.
...I was going to mention this but, nah.

[DarthVader 2004]

Recap Review.


Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone.

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj314/CrabbyPatty13/cover.jpg

What can one say about the movie that started 8 film saga? Sure there are many who completely hate the Columbus Harry Potter films. I myself would have never watched the others if not for this movie.

Sorcerers Stone is the shortest book in the Series and probably the most faithful adaptation in my view. You have Richard Harris as Dumbledore and you are introduced to Snape played by Alan Cooler then Costner Rickman. Maggie Smith and MacGongall . Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid and Dan, Rupert and Emma as Harry, Ron and Hermione.

SS is my favorite simply because it was the first and I feel the secondary characters like Snape, Minerva and Hagrid and the teachers had more to do in the Columbus movies.
No question I love Gambon as DD but Harris was the Wizard and i still miss him when think on later films he would have liked been faced against Ralph Fiennes.

But Gambon and Harris made a great DD. The film moves along the best of the others and i think Dan and all the kid actors were great.
Sorcerers Stone when i seen it made me want to read the books and yet while the books were fine I still liked the Movie more.
SS Is my most watched DVD after POTC 1 and LOTR Special Extended Editions

Each Potter film has something I'll remember movie wise and for this one its the moment when Hagrid comes to get Harry and knocks down the Door, Hagrid and Harry enter Diagon Alley and Snapes fame isn't everything Speech.

[IanTheCool]

Philosopher's Stone is my favourite too. There's something really innocent about it that I like. It really gets the imagination running.

[DarthVader 2004]

Lets also face it yes Gambon does a great job as Dumbledore but Harris always gave me a more since that Dumbledore was old but yet had this unmatchable wisdom and was powerful enough just with words. Would have liked to had seen Harris finish as DD.

[MovieBuff801]

I prefer Gambon's Dumbledore because he embodies the character the way Rowling wrote him better than Harris did. Don't get me wrong, Harris did very well, but Gambon was more the way Dumbledore was supposed to be.

[DarthVader 2004]

You say that based on seeing Gambon playing things later on. Harris could have easily done the later stuff I think.

[JBond]

Nope.

[MovieBuff801]

Nah, Harris was going more for the regal aspects of Dumbledore. Gambon perfectly captured all the eccentricities of the character, which is how Dumbledore essentially was...eccentric.

[PG Cooper]

I can't picture Harris doing things from films like Order of the Phoenix.

[DarthVader 2004]

I always wondered what it been like if Ian McKellen had taken Dumebledore over which was a huge rumor but there was a falling out with them and Rawling

[JBond]

Big mistake.

[Tolkien]

Harris was a great actor, but there's just somethings (like with all actors) that Harris wouldn't be able to do if he was still alive through the series. His version of Dumbledore would not had been able to match up with Gambon's whatsoever. Especially his one-on-one with Voldemort. As for McKellen... yeah, big mistake.

[DarthVader 2004]

Is that because people would see him as Gandalf. Truth is I always thought Geoffrey Rush or Bernard Hill could have played Dumebledore because they resemble Gambon so any of those 3 would have worked. I do however think Gambon as Dumbledore comes into his best work in the Yates films.

[Panther2000]

I always wondered what it been like if Ian McKellen had taken Dumebledore over which was a huge rumor but there was a falling out with them and Rawling

JBond is right it would have been a MAJOR mistake ( on Ian's part) he was asked in an interview once. He danced around the answer on if he was asked to play the part. & He not really wanting to call them out on it, however he stated that he would not do that part. Not to mention that he was not to happy with Richard harris's remarks about him getting the part of GANDALF, but he said that he really did not want to speak on it sense the man had passed on at that time.

Have to agree with their choice of Gambon. He did a good job, just took a movie to get used to him outside of Richard.

[alexjones]

Lol....http://www.frustbin.com/imgs/signature_icon.jpg

[pjao16]

The movie would be my favorite if they actually showed the playing of the World Cup in the beginning of it. It is written out almost play by play in the book and it bothers me how the movie went from the start of the match straight to their tent after it. The people (like me) who actually like sports in reality would have probably found that really interesting and they would better understand who Krum is if the match had been played out.

And, having read the book a few times before I saw the movie, I also was disappointed by the fact that Harry just collapses on the ground unconscious when everyone's running from the Death Eaters in the camp. In the book he, Ron, and Hermione run into the forest to hide and find Mr. Crouch's house elf etc. etc...it's much better and makes a lot more sense. But instead in the movie all of a sudden Harry just wakes up and finds himself lying on the ground in the dark in the middle of a burned-down camp site. I just find it strange and unlikely that he was the one and only person from that whole camp who was knocked unconscious during the retreat.

[IanTheCool]

I'm one of the few who don't like the third one.

Yeah, I just rewatched it. I do like it, but it is not as good as I once thought, that's for sure. My opinion of Goblet of Fire, however, has gone up after just rewatching it.

[MovieBuff801]

Still love the hell out of Azkaban. It's a very close 2nd place, behind Deathly Hallows Part 2, whenever I rank the films.