Nobody's Prefect: Revisiting the Harry Potter Films

PROLOGUE

My boyfriend and I recently re-watched the entire Harry Potter series after he got me the set on Blu-Ray for my birthday (yes, he's a keeper). It was a great chance to experience these movies that I already know very well, but haven't seen in many years, and to sum up my thoughts on them. You'll see each movie get its individual section below, complete with best/worst moments, followed by an overarching summary.  

An important note: This is a review of the films ONLY. The books are the gospel in my view, and nothing a movie can do can undermine the greatness of the source material (I'm looking at you, Goblet of Fire). So wands at the ready, and repeat after me: "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!"

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S (OR PHILOSOPHER'S) STONE  (Chris Columbus, 2001)

First, it's only fair to say: it's pretty much impossible to do this movie "perfectly" by anyone's standards. Warner Bros. handed the task to trusted family filmmaker Chris Columbus, and the result is an adaptation of a whimsical, nuanced young adult novel into a magical, good-but-not-great, fairly surface-level family film.  

What's interesting about this one is the pace it takes, having to establish the entire world before even delving into the fantastic mystery plot cooked up by J.K. Rowling. We've passed nearly 45 minutes by the time we even get close to Hogwarts, which is a rarity for the films. Still though, the iconic first image of the boats sailing up toward the castle is impossible to forget, thanks especially to the magical score by John Williams. Who better to helm the film's music than Hollywood's leading blockbuster composer, who absolutely knocks it out of the park, making the soundtrack just as enjoyable as a standalone album as it is in the film. In this first installment alone, Williams composed more than 12 individual leitmotifs to accompany various characters and themes. He's the boss.

"[This] film is sugary sweet, and at over two-and-a-half hours, definitely leaves you feeling bloated, not unlike a feast at the castle itself."

The film provides plenty of magic throughout the year-long storyline, and each turn is accompanied by enjoyably energetic direction and charming performances from some of Britain's finest thespians, including the late greats Richard Harris and Alan Rickman. The kids... do all right. I mean, kind of. The acting was always choppy in the early films, and this one has some truly dreadful moments from the bright-eyed youngsters, including no less than three utterances of "Hang on..." from a seemingly perpetually-baffled Harry. But the young ensemble's potential also shows through, and it's exciting to see them so fresh and new in this film, when you know where the series goes. Tom Felton makes a particular impact among the child actors, bringing the icy demeanor of Draco Malfoy to life as if straight off the pages of the book.

Overall the film is sugary sweet, and at over two-and-a-half-hours, definitely leaves you feeling bloated, not unlike a feast at the castle itself. How the producers ever imagined starting at 150 minutes for the shortest book in the series, when Goblet of Fire had already been out a year and showed them what to expect later, is beyond me, but I digress. The movie is stuffed so full of magical moments that it actually loses some much-needed down time, with almost every scene bearing some major importance to the plot or the magical world. But again, with this first foray into the Wizarding World on screen, it was impossible to do perfectly, and Sorcerer's Stone does a good job recreating much of the magic of the first book, if admittedly falling into family film traps and narrative slog at frequent intervals.

  • Best Line: "She needs to sort out her priorities." - Ron
    • Worst Line: "COME HERE, POTTER! NOOOWWWWW!" - Quirrell 
  • Best Scene: Malfoy confronts Harry and the entrance to the Great Hall
    • Worst Scene: CGI snake slithers away without the suffix "Amigo" after "thankssss"
  • Best Actor: Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid
    • Worst Actor: Daniel Radcliffe as Harry "I-don't-know-what-happened-it-was-like-magic" Potter
  • Best Musical Moment: "Hedwig's Theme" blares as letters flood the Dursleys' living room
    • Worst Musical Moment: Are you kidding me?
  • Best Special Effect: The Invisibility Cloak
    • Worst Special Effect: Neville "Jelly-Belly" Longbottom goes flying

HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS  (Chris Columbus, 2002) 

Much of what was said for the first film can be repeated for this sophomore slump, with both the successes and the failures of Sorcerer's Stone heightened in this outing. John Williams is back with another wondrous score, bringing much of the same with treacly-warm horns and strings, although serving up an equally impressive batch of new themes for some of the magical creatures and myths in this film.

Speaking of creatures and myths, the thing with this movie is that it all feels like more of the same, due in no small part, obviously, to the return of basically the entire creative team from the first. But while Chamber of Secrets the book boasted new and intriguing storylines for young Mr. Potter, the film's still decidedly family-friendly tone makes new elements like Dobby the house-elf and the legend of the Chamber itself feel more like a repeat of the formulaic first plot, rather than a part of something bigger. Even chilling moments like the discovery of Mrs. Norris' petrified body are rendered bland thanks to the repetitive direction and cinematography, which in this film make EVERYTHING feel like a big deal, such that it starts to feel like nothing is really that big of a deal.

"['Chamber of Secrets'] still decidedly family-friendly tone makes new elements like Dobby the house-elf and the legend of the Chamber itself feel more like a repeat of the formulaic first plot, rather than a part of something bigger."

Enchanting performances from new cast members including Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart and Julie Walters as Mrs. Weasley bring an enjoyable new flavor to the film, but it otherwise feels like a dull rehashing of the same magical stuff, now with even more "Hang on..." and other painful dialogue to go around.

  • Best Line: "It is not our abilities that show what we truly are. It is our choices." - Dumbledore
    • Worst Line: "Hang on..." (x5) - Harry
  • Best Scene: Dumbledore hatches newly-reborn Fawkes the Phoenix from the ashes
    • Worst Scene: The end (using the "and then everybody clapped" trope? Really?!)
  • Best Actor: Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy
    • Worst Actor: David Bradley as Argus "I'll kill ya!" Filch
  • Best Musical Moment: Fawkes rescues Harry in the Chamber of Secrets
    • Worst Musical Moment: Come on.
  • Best Special Effect: The terrifying-as-fuck Basilisk
    • Worst Special Effect: The video game-esque flying car

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN  (Alfonso Cuarón, 2004) 

Need to inject some life into your sloggy series? Make way for Mexican arthouse auteur, Alfonso Cuarón!  (*seen here before he was cool, in a pre-Children of Men, pre-Gravity world; I was into him from this point on, no big deal...). While retaining most of the remaining creatives, including screenwriter Steve Kloves, production designer Stuart Craig, and of course, composer John Williams, Cuarón brings an incredibly fresh, pointedly more adolescent flair to the third film, providing a much-needed injection of adrenaline and creativity at this point in the series. 

Ever since we saw the "Double Trouble" trailer for this darkly enchanting romp, we knew this film was going to be different. And from the top, we already have so much more to enjoy in this truly cinematic experience: Handheld camera?! Woah. Masturbation references? Stopppp! Roaring Twenties jazz tracks under the Knight Bus scene??? WAT am I watching. So okay, it really leans into the weirdness in a big way, which at times leaves you feeling like you've left the Harry Potter universe entirely, but I would much rather have this problem than the opposite.

The issue of pacing that mired the previous films is miraculously alleviated here for the most part (shhhh, I know the ending is crazy). Undoubtedly with Cuarón's direction, screenwriter Steve Kloves strips away some of the unnecessary fluff in this film, too, which simultaneously makes the whole story more streamlined (and even shorter than the first two), and allows us some of that much-needed breathing room we lacked in the previous installments.

This is perhaps best exemplified in a quiet scene between Harry and Professor Lupin, played with nuanced grace by David Thewlis. Brooding teenage Harry takes a liking to Lupin, who begins training him against the Dementors, who are on the hunt for escaped Azkaban prisoner Sirius Black (you see? somehow I understand and care more about the story in this film already). In this scene, Lupin delivers a bittersweet monologue about Harry's late mother, and we watch as all aspects of the cinematic form come together for the first time in the series: As Lupin speaks, he drifts over to the other side of the bridge, facing away from camera, and Daniel Radcliffe, often a struggler for convincing performances at this point in the series, gets to simply play the face game, and does so beautifully, showing us the simultaneous pain and joy of hearing Lupin's memories recounted. All the while, John Williams' equally fresh score lays beneath us with a melancholy solo recorder theme for Harry's parents, and the whole thing takes place all in one long take. If you weren't convinced before, it's now clear: Harry Potter has been taken over by a real filmmaker in Alfonso Cuarón, and motherfucker knows how to direct a good damn scene.

"Screenwriter Steve Kloves strips away some of the unnecessary fluff in this film, which allows us some of that much-needed breathing room we lacked in the previous installments."

The film remains thoroughly enjoyable as it goes on, climaxing in a time-travel conundrum that gleefully dances across familiar back-to-the-future storytelling tropes without falling into any of the common holes. Then we get to the end.... For all the praise I can heap on this film, it's hard to ignore the absolute overdrive that kicks in during the final act. We race along at lightning speed as revelation after revelation breaks over us: Wait, Sirius Black is good?! Wait, Scabbers is a man?? Wait, now Snape is there??!?! It's a little too much to take in, even with the love and creative energy infused by Cuarón.

And the worst part about all of this is that the film SOMEHOW fails to ever mention the fact that the eponymous "Marauders" of the Marauder's Map were, in fact, Harry's late father and old school classmates Lupin, Sirius, and Peter Pettigrew (the artist formerly known as Scabbers)! How this major revelation, which in the books carries serious weight over much of the rest of the series, is omitted here is a mystery to me. And it's hard to let slide.

To sum up, this film is different, different, different: just what we wanted and even more, to the point that sometimes you're like, "Huh? What was the point of that? Why would Harry steal a lollipop from Neville?" But I digress. We needed a breath of fresh air in the HP series, and Alfonso Cuarón delivered masterfully, forgoing (a few too many) small details to focus instead on the angsty adolescent themes of fear, sadness, and love.

  • Best Line: TIE: "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." - Dumbledore, and "Page 394." - Snape
    • Worst Line: "Just do it." -Harry "Nike" Potter
  • Best Scene: Lupin recounts memories of Lily Potter as Harry listens
    • Worst Scene: Something about Pettigrew wasn't dead, and 12 Years a Finger?
  • Best Actor: Michael Gambon as the wry, enchanting new incarnation of Dumbledore
    • Worst Actor: Whoever is saying "Hey, man!" as the ghost passes through them in the Gryffindor common room
  • Best Musical Moment: Sirius Black takes off on Buckbeak the Hippogriff, to the tortured, swelling beauty of "A Window to the Past"
    • Worst Musical Moment: Substitute another best: "Double Trouble," with wicked lyrics from Macbeth, brings us into Hogwarts for year three
  • Best Special Effect: Buckbeak the Hippogriff
    • Worst Special Effect: The silly stretching of the Knight Bus

HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE  (Mike Newell, 2005) 

I'll not sugar-coat my opinion here: this movie is a pile of garbage. There are many lovely moments throughout, many laughs along the way, and the young actors shine like never before, but the film itself will never rise to such heights. It's a huge, stinking, rotting pile of garbage.

As we begin, it's as if all the lessons learned in Azkaban were for naught. The keeping-it-tasteful, less-is-more approach of Cuarón is gone. We're back to a horribly twisted staple of the first two films, where EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IS SO MAGICAL AND OMG JUST LOOK AT IT, AND HERE IS SOME BLASTING BRASS TO HELP YOU REALIZE HOW EPIC AND MAGICAL AND COOL THIS ALL IS!!

Ugh, I need a Xanax... We've got cloyingly obvious expositional dialog like "Yes, my Lord Voldemort." Okay, nobody says his fucking name, especially not to his face, and by now, don't we know who the bad guy is in all this? If I need to be told that the evil baby-thing in the chair is LORD VOLDEMORT, then I'm just too stupid to watch your movie, and you should not cater to me.

This dreadful trend continues throughout the film, as the director of fuckin' Mona Lisa Smile drags us through scene after scene of overacted excess, accompanied all the while by Patrick Doyle's woefully over-the-top yet somehow still bland musical score. The pacing of this film is mystifyingly immature: every two minutes, something HUGE happens, and the idea that we might have a few elated moments interspersed with scenes of breathing room is apparently ridiculous.

"The pacing of this film is mystifyingly immature: every two minutes, something HUGE happens.... It's as if all the lessons learned in 'Azkaban' were for naught."

I must acknowledge some great moments: Mad-Eye Moody's first lesson on the Imperius Curse turns from a light-hearted romp into an ominous demonstration of the powers of the Dark Arts. This is a nice scene that neatly brings in the growing-up thematics alongside the magic. The entire Yule Ball section, too, is quite enjoyable, bringing much of the most gleeful parts of the book to life, as well as adding its own humor, quirk, and awkward teen romance to create a genuinely engaging little high-school movie contained within the larger whole. The three main actors have lots of time to shine here too, with Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe sharing desperate teenage woes, and Emma Watson wowing everyone in her glamorous transformation into the Bulgarian Queen of the Christmas Khalasar.

Not to be outdone, the dreadful pace of the rest of the film quickly returns. Just because it has a PG-13 rating doesn't mean it's an emotionally mature film, and this is solidified by the tragically bumbled graveyard climax. One of the most gripping and terrifying scenes in all the books, this denouement receives the Mona Lisa treatment here, with what could have been a recipe for greatness in Ralph Fiennes and some extraordinary makeup/VFX, diluted into a really rather uninteresting villain. Born again into human form (in what is inarguably an amazing and terrifying 30 seconds), Voldemort is portrayed in this film as an eager-beaver villain, darting to and fro while shouting taunts at Harry and ultimately screaming "NOOOO!" when he vanishes, not unlike another dreadfully-rendered classic villain of 2005, in Star Wars: Episode III.

Goblet of Fire wants to be all that and a bag of Bertie's, but it needs to check itself bef---okay, nope it's totally wrecked. Abandoning what made the previous film, and even parts of the original two, great, number four treats us to style over substance, except that there's really no enjoyable style to be found, so it's more like VFX and blasting brass explosions over substance. "Dark times lie ahead," indeed.

  • Best Line: "Harry must be anxious enough as it is, knowing what lies ahead. Then again... we all are." - Dumbledore
    • Worst Line: "Personally I've never had much time for heroes." - Dumbledore (what?)
  • Best Scene: The Yule Ball
    • Worst Scene: The graveyard climax
  • Best Actor: Rupert Grint as Ron "Comic Relief" Weasley
    • Worst Actor: Roger Lloyd-Pack as Barty "Twitch-em" Crouch, Sr.
  • Best Musical Moment: The chilling urgency of the Black Lake scene
    • Worst Musical Moment: "BRRRAAAAASSSSSSS!" in every scene
  • Best Special Effect: The Hungarian Horntail
    • Worst Special Effect: The uninteresting but for some reason focused-on dimming of the torches by Dumbledore in the Great Hall

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX  (David Yates, 2007) 

Enter a new team of filmmakers, with a knack, if not for artsy flair, at least for a taut and thrilling fantasy style that would come to define the latter half of the Harry Potter series. Led by British director David Yates, this team (which includes one-hit-wonder screenwriter for the series Michael Goldberg) brings a more mature, sleek, and serious set of tricks to the table. After opening with an appropriately brooding intro that successfully channels the book's gloominess, Yates and company wow here with an early flight sequence that comes as close as one could hope to the glory of John Williams' best moments from the early films. Composer Nicholas Hooper provides a winning score for this grown-up Potter film, creating a near-perfect combination of old and new, bringing the magic that defines the Potter films, but with a signature darkness that tells us things are getting real.

The political landscape of the Ministry of Magic is brought enchantingly to life as well, echoing Rowling's critique of 2000s-era Bush and Blair fear politics, with just enough emphasis to still remain tastefully subtle. The script is much more mature, too, exploring more complex themes this year, with the syrupy heartwarming lines of yore replaced with nuanced musings from Sirius Black like, "We all have both light and dark inside us; what matters is the part we choose to act on," and Lupin's ever-timely, "Fear makes people to terrible things, Harry." Hooper also provides a moving and memorable theme for Sirius, which, as those of us who know the book will remember, will be helpful in bringing home the weight of "this year's big death."

The film strikes a wonderful balance between serious scenes about power and fear, next to springy, magical montages that gleefully evoke the humor of Rowling's books. This is perhaps the best balance of darkness and whimsy in the series, the closest we'll get to a true cinematic realization of a single Harry Potter novel. Imelda Staunton gives a glorious turn as Professor Delores Umbridge, her performance only enhanced again by Hooper's bouncy, pompous theme that harkens to other cruel female villains like Miss Hannigan or Cruella De Vil.

"This [film] is perhaps the best balance of darkness and whimsy in the series, the closest we'll get to a true cinematic realization of a single 'Harry Potter' novel."

As Voldemort grows stronger, so too does the plot, which sees Harry and friends, now enjoyably engaging screen actors, sticking it to authority and rebelling in a Wizarding revolt that eventually sends Umbridge flying. This leads up to the climax of the film; not necessarily the best part of it, but well done nonetheless. We get a true sense of the Death Eaters' power from Lucius Malfoy once again, as well as a turn from Helena Bonham Carter that leans more toward hysteria than it does toward the novel's Bellatrix Lestrange, but she's effective in her own way. Sirius's death is highly affecting, as Yates wisely uses the music and slow-motion visuals to guide our emotions, letting Harry's anguished shouts echo through the background of the soundscape rather than taking center stage. And kudos to Daniel Radcliffe in this film; I'm entirely convinced he is Harry Potter at this point, and he is really a good actor, especially in this scene.

The stunning, climactic battle between Professor Dumbledore and Lord Voldemort departs from the source material a bit in favor of some rather more obvious visual flair, but it's still thrilling and realistic, as we watch Harry scramble for cover while the two great wizards battle it out. And Harry's possession scene that finishes out this sequence beautifully uses experimental-style editing and clips from previous films, to a truly moving effect.

This may have the best ending of a Potter movie, too, as Harry tells us, walking back toward the Hogwarts Express, "We've got something Voldemort doesn't have: something worth fighting for...." In the lingering pause after that last word, I almost expect to hear, "...friendship" or some other awful, far-too-obvious add-on to punctuate the moment. But this is a different film, and without Steve Kloves' often heavy-handed dialog, David Yates proves that restraint is just as important as knowing when to indulge in the magic. This becomes an enjoyable hallmark of the proceeding films, as well: more and more scenes come up that have less to do with magic than they do with simple human nature. Well done, to probably the best Potter film in my regard.

  • Best Line: "It feels like it did last time..." - an uncertain Sirius in response to Harry's "Do you really think there's going to be another war?"
    • Worst Line: "Avada Kedavra!" -Bellatrix Lestrange, in an unnecessary fill-in-the-blank
  • Best Scene: Any time Harry and Sirius are together 
    • Worst Scene: The horribly-abbreviated "Lost Prophecy" conversation in Dumbledore's office
  • Best Actor: TIE: Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood, and Gary Oldman as Sirius Black
    • Worst Actor: Katie Leung as Cho Chang
  • Best Musical Moment: The Weasley twins break out of Hogwarts during final exams, to Hooper's infectiously fun "Fireworks"
    • Worst Musical Moment: The bland chords under Harry and Cho's kiss
  • Best Special Effect: Flying on the Thestrals
    • Worst Special Effect: The veil into which Sirius falls to his death

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE  (David Yates, 2009) 

The sixth film, refreshingly reuniting the same creative team after an up-and-down couple of films, reinforces Yates' grip on telling the Potter story smartly, though it also exposes some of the faults involved.  

Steve Kloves is back as screenwriter, though with Yates' direction, he too is more restrained. This year, Harry joins Dumbledore on a quest to uncover the secrets of Voldemort's past, and each of our teenaged heroes embarks on their own quest to get into somebody's pants. It's a lot of fun. And a lot of serious. This film doesn't blend the two as seamlessly as its predecessor, feeling a little more like it's always either really light-hearted and funny, or really, really dark (and desaturated). We're talking about the politics of high school sweethearts one moment, and the next, Voldemort is diluting his soul into various magical objects by murdering people. Let's blend things up a little nicer, eh?

What this film has lots of is breathing room, and in this aspect, it shines. Half-Blood Prince probably contains the best of the trio's teenage foibles. Whether it's Ron and Harry talking awkwardly about girls in their dormitory at night, or Hermione playing favorites to help Ron score the Keeper position in Quidditch, these are the lives and times of Hogwarts teens, and it's a lot of fun to watch. We're also graced by Jim Broadbent as the rather darkly-nuanced Professor Slughorn, who tries to rub elbows with the students he thinks most likely to remain elite after entering the workforce. Tom Felton and Alan Rickman also shine, as the overwhelmed young man tasked with killing Dumbledore, and the darkly dutiful professor obliged to watch over him, respectively.  

"['Half-Blood Prince'] is simply less remarkable than its Yates-directed fellows, but it does do well setting up some crucial moments for the final story, especially with Dumbledore's relationship to Harry."

The score, while bringing one or two new themes to the table, largely serves as filler or support in this film, rather than enhancing anything particularly notably (Nicholas Hooper returns for this one, which makes me wonder what changed). And the music under Dumbledore's death remains a little cheesy for my taste, especially coupled with the wand-raising thing, but I digress... Some standout moments are still there, between Felix Felicis and the final elegy for Dumbledore, which plays as we see Fawkes flying away (although you can't help but long for Williams' resplendent original theme for the born-again Phoenix).

Overall the film is simply less remarkable than its Yates-directed fellows, but it does do well setting up some crucial moments for the final story, especially with Dumbledore's relationship to Harry. I love that the last thing the old wizard says to him atop the astronomy tower is, "Trust me, Harry... trust me," which is very important advice for the final story. And I really feel Dumbledore's absence during a grand moment of silence in his office, as Harry gazes over the old man's iconic wand, half-moon spectacles, and lemon drop bowl on his desk. Half-Blood Prince, while not as impactful as the other Yates films, sets the stage nicely for the Wars to Come.

  • Best Line: "I'm just saying, it could be a contributing factor." - Harry, helping Ron analyze why Dean Thomas likes Ginny and her skin
    • Worst Line: "I never realized how beautiful this place was." - Harry, atop the astronomy tower (how does that make any sense? Hogwarts is gorgeous)
  • Best Scene: Harry gets high on Felix Felicis and has some hilarious exchanges with Professor Slughorn
    • Worst Scene: Harry and Hermione lick their wounds while Ron and Lavender snog in the stairwell
  • Best Actor: Hero Fiennes-Tiffin as young Tom Riddle
    • Worst Actor: Bonnie Wright as Ginny "Close Your Eyes" Weasley
  • Best Musical Moment: Hagrid and Slughorn bid farewell to Aragog under a somber yet almost-humorous bagpipe theme
    • Worst Musical Moment: The rest of the score
  • Best Special Effect: The redone Pensieve entrances
    • Worst Special Effect: Death Eaters flying(?) around London

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1  (David Yates, 2010) 

And so, the final chapter begins. With this film, Yates & company make a compelling case for more story time leading to better results. Being allowed twice as much room as the rest of the films, Deathly Hallows really shines on screen.

From the outset, one thing is clear: this ain't your daddy's Harry Potter. In the opening montage, Harry bids good riddance to the house his abusive relatives raised him in, Ron stares menacingly out at the dangers surrounding his home, and Hermione literally erases her parents' memories of her. Intense shit. Then Voldemort kills an unarmed Hogwarts professor, while presumed ally Snape looks on without a flinch. Dark shit.

While some of the classic Yates foibles are here, i.e. too-dark-to-make-out imagery, sometimes odd performances, or jokes that don't land (and that ridiculous visualization of Apparition that makes it look like Death Eaters can fly), the film largely succeeds at each turn. Soon Harry, Ron and Hermione have to set out alone in attempt to find Voldemort's Horcruxes and destroy the remaining bits of his soul. In a world where terrorism in London is common, and the government has been overtaken by Trump-foreshadowing blood purists, our trio is on their own.  

The Ministry of Magic heist sequence is a great caper, as enjoyable in the film as it is in the book, honestly, which is rare (again, they have more time to make it accurate). Yates and company seamlessly blend thrills and humor here, though just as quick as the laughs come, they are gone, as the trio Apparates into a remote forest, leaving Ron grievously injured and forcing a tearful Hermione, in an authentic performance from Emma Watson, to heal his deep wounds (literally and figuratively).

"With this film, Yates & company make a compelling case for more story time leading to better results. Being allowed twice as much room as the rest of the films, 'Deathly Hallows' really shines on screen."

Thus begins the dour camping phase of the trip. The film becomes quite dreary, but purposefully so, as we start to see the effect that wearing Voldemort's Horcrux takes on the trio, particularly Ron. He and Harry's fight feels genuine, and the threat of a journey without Ron scary, thanks to assured performances by Radcliffe and Grint, who by now are drawing on an actual decade-long friendship for authenticity. After Ron's departure, Harry and Hermione have several sweet moments, which remain decidedly platonic (as they should). Their friendship, too, shines through in the film's bleak atmosphere.

Emma Watson has another impressive moment, with a monologue remarking on the woods where she used to go camping with her family. After Ron reunites with them, we are treated to a beautifully unexpected animation sequence as Hermione narrates The Tale of the Three Brothers. We then reach he climactic scene at Malfoy Manor, where Bellatrix tortures Hermione, Peter Pettigrew pays his debt, and Draco Malfoy proves his deep, deep, deep-hidden morality, by not identifying Harry for capture by the Dark Lord.

And finally, tragically, as J.K. Rowling herself warned us, "Always the innocent are the first victims." The purest house-elf who ever lived, Dobby, is struck down by the Queen of the Crazy Bitches, Bellatrix Lestrange. It's a really affecting moment, as Harry is forced to bury the friend who sacrificed himself for their cause, a friend who Voldemort and his followers considered subservient. And it makes you mad. You want revenge. Well, luckily, the Battle of Hogwarts is just around the corner....

  • Best Line: "Happy Christmas, Harry" - Hermione, in the Godric's Hollow graveyard
    • Worst Line: "Right... perspective..." - Hermione, in some joke about Harry's birthday that falls flat
  • Best Scene: Harry and Hermione share a brief carefree dance in the tent
    • Worst Scene: The missing Aunt Petunia's almost-goodbye to Harry, which they SHOT BUT DIDN'T INCLUDE
  • Best Actor: Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley
    • Worst Actor: Nagini as Bathilda Bagshot
  • Best Musical Moment: The post-titles "Malfoy Manor" theme 
    • Worst Musical Moment: The fact that I don't remember the rest
  • Best Special Effect: The destruction of the locket Horcrux
    • Worst Special Effect: Voldemort appears to die of electric shock due to Muggle power lines

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2  (David Yates, 2011) 

With an opening montage that looks and sounds more like The Lord of the Rings 10 years before it, the attempt made by Yates here to bring home the gravity of this final chapter feels a little forced. Yet at the same time, is it wonderfully epic to see Professor Snape, now the evil new headmaster of Hogwarts, staring dimly out at the fog-covered grounds, where you know, in a mere hour, war will be raging between good and evil? Yeah it is. It's epic as fuck.

Alexandre Desplat's effective but unmemorable score for Part 1 has given way to a more melodic, operatic tone for this final film. His aptly-named "Lily's Theme" serves as the main new leitmotif in this score, and it works well, both as a haunting and tragic introduction, and as a triumphant outburst during a key moment at Gringotts, where, after some tension, action, and delightfully Star Wars-worthy banter, Harry, Ron, and Hermione literally ride off on a dragon. So that's awesome.

"With an opening montage that looks and sounds more like 'The Lord of the Rings' 10 years before it, the attempt made by Yates here to bring home the gravity of this final chapter feels a little forced. Yet at the same time... it's epic as fuck."

As the trio splash into a lake, we're treated to more of Yates' signature sleek editing, which continues as a theme in this film to warn us of Harry's connection with Voldemort. Soon the trio are back in Hogsmeade, hangin' with Mance Rayder (who has some serious cynicism issues), and before we know it, a newly-emboldened Neville Longbottom has led them back into Hogwarts, to the hideout for the reinstated Dumbledore's Army, where all of Harry's schoolmates await his return with baited breath.

When Harry is revealed to them, the decision to track in music from Chamber of Secrets, while highly unexpected, brings a welcome and incredibly nostalgic variation of "Hedwig's Theme," the mystical piece of Williams music that started it all back in the first film. We're treated to this magnificent homage once more, after a wildly unleashed Professor McGonagall banishes Snape from the Great Hall and symbolically re-ignites all the torches as the students cheer. 

And then the battle commences. Starting here, for the next hour or so, the film is next to flawless. Every "Hell yes!" moment you could've imagined since the start of the series seems to play out before your eyes, from Neville rigging the back bridge to blow ("Boom!"), to Dame Maggie herself rallying Hogwarts' heretofore-secretly mobile army of suits of armor, and delightedly confessing to Mrs. Weasley, "I've always wanted to use that spell!" From Professor Flitwick whispering ancient incantations outside the school gates, to a horde of Dementors flying fearsome past the bridge to Hogwarts, it's ALL. HERE. Yates & company do an incredible, incendiary job bringing the Battle of Hogwarts to life, and pacing it out in different acts, each with its own distinctive flavor.

As Harry, Ron, and Hermione race through the front courtyard toward the boathouse, to a moving track by Desplat appropriately titled "Courtyard Apocalypse," all manner of Dark forces stand in their way. They encounter seemingly insurmountable forces: a whole horde of grown acromantulas (ugh); a werewolf literally dining on the dead body of Lavender Brown (whoa, sorry Won-Won). It seems the entire Dark world is raging an onslaught on our trio.

This scene stands out to me in the film. It's as if all the hardships of life are taking magical creature form, raining down upon the kids in a relentless wave, beating them and then kicking them while they're down. School could never have prepared them for this, and by setting this sequence in the school's courtyard, it's almost mockingly taunting the inexperienced young trio, who have no choice but to face what's coming, and adapt at every turn.... It's a thrilling and tragic allegory for growing up.

"And then the battle commences. Starting here, for the next hour or so, the film is next to flawless. Every 'Hell yes!' moment you could've imagined since the start of the series seems to play out before your eyes."

Snape's death is brutal in its savagery, as we watch the professor tearfully die, Harry saving his memories in a vial. It strikes a somber contrast to the power dynamics that have raged between the student and the scornful professor since film one. The ensuing montage, a.k.a. "The Prince's Tale," once again utilizes the streamlined editing characteristic of Yates' films to tell the story of Snape's service and sacrifice, with heart-wrenching results. Alan Rickman deserved an Oscar nod in my book for his work this film, humanizing Severus Snape in a way we wouldn't have previously thought possible.  

At this point, the movie starts to divert again. I don't wanna get too hung up on details, but when Harry decides to go SACRIFICE HIMSELF to save everyone, why in the hell does he hug Hermione, but feel that literally a passing glance at Ron is enough of a goodbye, for-ever? Don't tell me "they're guysssss, they aren't that emotional," or some shit. They've hugged in previous movies, for far less important reasons! But apparently Harry's death will go unmentioned between the two best friends, who exchange not a word as The Boy Who Lived makes his way outside the castle. This is the first of many slip-ups.

The Forbidden Forest and King's Cross sequences go very well, providing a welcome return for Michael Gambon as Dumbledore and Gary Oldman as Sirius. Once "dead Harry" gets back to Hogwarts and Voldemort draws his line in the sand, though, we're subjected to another cheesy couple of lines by Neville, in an otherwise badass moment: "Harry's still with us; in here." [points to chest] Really??! And with Harry reawakened and all this baller battling behind us, surely now is the time, like in the book, where he'll take Voldy down, right? WRONG! 

In a made-up and progressively more outlandish battle scene, Harry and Voldemort fight each other throughout the school, with Voldemort growing tentacles, and the two of them LITERALLY FLYING AROUND HOGWARTS together. Why the hell would Harry pull Voldemort off a ledge at the top of a huge tower? They haven't even addressed that Voldemort can actually fly in this movie! It's a strange, added-on, completely unnecessary extension of the climax here that's really quite irksome, amidst all the good cinematic moments that are going on.

"[The Dark Lord's CGI-heavy death] undermines the most important aspect of Voldemort's demise: he died Tom Riddle, mortal human being."

Also irksome is the total ignorance of the essential truth of Tom Riddle's death: he was not able to conquer death, was not able to live forever, and in the end, he crumples like a normal man. Or, you know, if you're in the movie, I guess none of that matters and he can burn up in a smokey paper-fire VFX shot and die that way. It's a really cool effect, but it undermines the most important aspect of Voldemort's demise: he died Tom Riddle, mortal human being.

The final moments with the trio are nice, although I'm not entirely sure what's happening as they hold hands and seemingly meditate together on the bridge before we fade out; another somewhat odd directorial choice from Yates. Then the epilogue is about as sickly sweet in the film as it is in the book. Look, I love this story and I love J.K. Rowling, but the sap in this scene is just a little too much. And the makeup on the main trio, while admirable and well-done, can't cover up the fact that I know I'm looking at three twenty-something young stars, not adults with children. They look convincing, I guess, and the scene adheres to the book pretty strictly, but I don't know, it always seemed a little sappy to me, especially after all the time Yates has spent convincing us that this is a dark story.

But at least we get to end with John Williams one final time, with his iconic "Leaving Hogwarts" theme, as heard in the finales of the first two films, wrapping up the saga for good.

  • Best Line: "On!" - Dumbledore, answering where the train would take Harry in King's Cross
    • Worst Line: "Who said that?" / "Me." - Kingsley Shacklebolt and Lupin, who are scared but still so quippy
  • Best Scene: The Courtyard Apocalypse 
    • Worst Scene: Harry and Voldemort fight even more, inside and around the castle 
  • Best Actor: Alan Rickman as Severus Snape
    • Worst Actor: Mance Rayder as Aberforth Dumbledore
  • Best Musical Moment: "Lily's Theme" swells as the trio sails off on a dragon
    • Worst Musical Moment: The absence of John Williams to take us out with a bang
  • Best Special Effect: All the adults join forces to create a forcefield around Hogwarts
    • Worst Special Effect: When Harry and Voldemort's faces almost merge in the weird fly-hugging scene before the final duel

EPILOGUE: EIGHT MOVIES LATER

Overall, the Potter films are remembered fondly, and they should be. We grew up with them, the same way we grew up with the books. I like to keep a strict lockdown on my visualization of the books, vs. my interpretation of the movies, but not everybody does. And I GUESS that's okay.

One lasting legacy that the Potter universe has created is the Wizarding World theme parks in Florida, California, and Japan, and for this alone, all the good and bad times with the films are worth it. I recently had the chance to visit the Hollywood park, and it's absolutely amazing. It's certainly something rare as a creative player in the film industry, to have your work preserved somewhere like that. Production designer Stuart Craig, composers John Williams and Hooper, and even many of the main actors, have had their work immortalized in these parks.  

That honor alone tells us something about the impact of these films, and for better or worse, I'll always enjoy watching them again. Whether it's the early films or the later ones, the Harry Potter series is at turns warm, nostalgic, frustrating, thrilling... but most importantly, always magical.