Harry Potteris among the most successful franchises in the history of cinema, as it’s one of the few recurring sagas that doesn’t have a single bad installment. While even a franchise as successful asStar Warshas disastrous films likeThe Rise of SkywalkerandThe Clone Wars, all eight of the originalHarry Potterfilms are solid translations of the popular novel seriesthat turnedJ.K. Rowlinginto a global celebrity. Although there were many things that the films got right, the most critical was getting the right actors to play the main three heroes.Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint,andEmma Watsonbeautifully brought the characters to life, making their evolution over the course of a decade even more inspiring.Harry Pottermay be a fantasy franchise with its own unique mythology, but it’s also a coming-of-age story about students that turn into adults.
TheHarry Potterproperty hasbecome more controversial in recent years, as Rowling’s hateful comments have made it more challenging to be excited about the upcoming HBO series, which will re-adapt all seven books in more detail. Although it can be hard to separate the art from the artists, the film that succeeded in theHarry Potterseries worked because the individual filmmakers were empowered to make creative choices in their adaptive changes. Some of these alterations were not beneficial;Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secretswas so loyal to the book that it overstayed its welcome, andHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Princecut out a lot of the backstory between Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) and Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) that had made the book so interesting. Nonetheless, theseHarry Potterfilms are genuine fantasy masterpieces.
4‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ (2001)
Directed by Chris Columbus
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stonewas the perfect right step to begin the franchise, as it captured the sense of awe and wonder that Harry did when experiencing the world of magic for the first time. While it’s easy to look back at the first film and complain that it is far too childish, it is important to remember thatHarry Potterbegan as a series that was oriented towards children;the stories only began to matureas the characters did. Given that Harry isn’t even a teenager in the first film, it makes sense that he would have a more simplistic view of the world, even if it does get fairly intense at the end when Hogwarts is put in danger. However, the film also isn’t afraid to get silly, as seeing the different magical classes and talents of each professor allows the film to do creative things with its visual effects; the Quidditch scenes in particular are a highlight.
Christopher Columbus was the perfect director to helm the first installment in the series, as his experience using both physical and practical effects onGremlinsandHoney, I Shrunk The Kidsallowed the world of the books to come to life. The film also benefited from the beauty ofJohn Williams’ score, which added the same sense of majesty and emotion that his music had contributed to franchises likeJaws, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones,andHome Alone.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
3‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ (2004)
Directed by Alfonso Cuaron
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabanwas the film that changed the direction of theHarry Potterfranchise, as it explored the notion that evil was not as set in stone as the characters had initially imagined. Although Harry begins the film wanting to get revenge on Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), who he believes was responsible for betraying his parents to Voldemort, he begins to realize that he was framed, as Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall) was actually responsible. Oldman gives one of the best performances in the entire series; whileSirius is initially enraged that he has been denied justicefor over a decade, he eventually develops into a nurturing father figure to Harry, who helps to fill the void in his life that was caused by his parents’ absence.
Alfonso Cuarón is the best director ever involved in the series, as he applied the intimate adolescent feelings ofY Tu Mamá También, the gritty and grounded action ofNo Country For Old Men, the literary beauty ofGreat Expectations, and the amazing achievements in digital effects ofGravityinto the most accessible and technically impressive installment in the franchise. Confusing aspects of the book, such as Hermione’s time traveling, are given more depth, and the appearance of terrifying creatures like “The Grimm” are genuinely frightening. WhileHarry Potterwas initially viewed as a children’s franchise,Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabanproved it was worth taking seriously.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ (2007)
Directed by David Yates
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixis perhaps the only installment in the franchisethat is superior to the source material, as Rowling’s book is the longest in the series, and easily the most boring. While the book had too many subplots and wasn’t sure how to stage Harry’s next steps as a wizard, the film showed how he came into his own as a leader by founding “Dumbledore’s Army,” as the Ministry of Magic had attempted to deny evidence of Voldemort’s return in the aftermath ofHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. There is an immediacy and tension that makes the entire film more electrifying, which also leads to the single greatest duel in the entire franchise; seeing Dumbledore and Voldemort finally face off with one another in the Ministry of Magic was a great way of showing the franchise’s two most powerful wizards at the height of their powers.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixhas a more complex understanding of heroism, as Harry begins to grow concerned when Ron and Hermione receive more success than he does at school. Although he comes to believe that he may be the “weapon” that Voldemort is using to incite his return, there are several powerful scenes in which Sirius tells him that he is a good person. AlthoughDavid Yates’ style for the series would grow a bit stale over time, his excellent work onHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixexplains why Warner Brothers was so keen for him to direct the rest of the series, as well as all three installments in theFantastic Beastsfranchise.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
1‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2’ (2001)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2is about asperfect of a conclusion to a movie franchiseas fans could ask for, as similar to other “event blockbusters” likeAvengers: Endgame, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,andReturn of the Jedi, it pays off all of the plotlines that had been building up throughout the entire series. It’s emotionally satisfying to see the romance between Ron and Hermionie confirmed, to see Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) turn away from evil, and to see the students of Hogwarts rally behind Harry in a final standoff against the Death Eaters. Readers of the novels may have been charmed to see that the film recreated many of the book’s key scenes exactly from the text, particularly during Harry’s conversation with Dumbledore. However, those that had only seen the films could still be wrapped up in seeing how the three leads are given the chance to finally become the leaders that they were prophesied to be.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2is easily the most action-packed installment in the entire franchise, as the Battle of Hogwarts is a fantastic achievement in spectacle that offers the type of large scale combat that had been teased since the franchise’s inception; frankly, it’s a moment that simply wouldn’t have been possible to make when the series began. However, the film is also quite emotional, particularly in the added flashbacks that detail the backstory of Severus Snape (Alan Rickman), who was revealed to actually be protecting Harry the entire time. It’s shocking that Rickman never received an Academy Award nominationwithin his entire career for his amazing performancesinDie Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Michael Collins,andEye in the Sky, but his role inHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2was certainly worthy of a Best Supporting Actor recognition. However, the entire cast is at the top of their game, and the final scene (which parallels a similar moment inHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) is bound to induce tears out of anyone who grew up with the series and came to love these characters. The upcoming HBO series certainly has its work cut out for it, as it is hard to imagine them ever reaching the same cultural domination and emotional satisfaction that makesHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2such a masterpiece.
