While Megan worked on a 3000-piece Hogwarts puzzle this weekend (and I worked on a game prototype), we had the Harry Potter movies playing in the background. We ended Sunday with a few hours to go in the 8th movie.
It’s been a while since I watched these films, and watching a series back-to-back like this often results in some things I didn’t notice before. Below are a few of those things, several of which are about both the books and the movies, and others are specifically about the films.
- Overall, it’s great to watch the various actors grow up over the course of the films. The casting directors did a fantastic job in these selections.
- Hogwarts is incredibly dangerous! The school doesn’t meet any modern safety standards. I think this is part of the fun of the series, but it also requires a huge jump in logic.
- Does everything need to revolve around Harry Potter? As much as I like Harry as a reader/viewer, if I went to school with him, it would be hard to root for him. Like, in the first book/movie, Harry is selected as Gryffindor’s new seeker despite (a) never having used a broomstick, (b) never having heard of or played Quidditch, and (c) being 11 years old at a 7-year academy.
- I love the teen angst, especially in the 4th and 6th films. But I still really struggle with friends who don’t act at all like friends. Nearly every movie starts off reminding us about how close friends Ron, Hermione, and Harry are, and almost immediately something minor/petty happens that drives them apart for a significant portion of the year. I never found that relatable or entertaining in the books or the movies.
- I think the best-directed movies by far are 3 (Alfonso Cuaron) and 4 (Mike Newell). Chris Columbus (1 and 2) did a serviceable job at introducing us to the world, but we’re treated to clip after clip of kids watching staircases move (and other magical oddities). And David Yates (5-8)…I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about the pacing of his movies that makes all the magic seem unmagical. I haven’t ever been able to put my finger on it. But Cuaron and Newell did a superb job with their movies, in my opinion.
- I’m now even more bewildered than before that the last book was split into 2 movies. The 7th movie is incredibly slow, and while it features some beautiful cinematography, I would have much preferred that the core content from it be combined with the core content of the 8th movie.
- I love all of the scenes where characters are temporarily transfigured, as it’s a lot of fun to see an actor pretend to be someone who is pretending to be someone else.
While my favorite Harry Potter book is 6 (the Half-Blood Prince), I think I can now say that my favorite movie is 4 (Goblet of Fire). It’s pure popcorn entertainment from start to finish.
What’s your favorite Harry Potter movie and why?
Your comment on why the last movie was split in two made me think of the Hobbit, which was split in three!
Prisoner of Azkaban is the best, no doubt about it. As you say, it’s directed to perfection, with so much atmosphere injected into the film, and I am a sucker for a good time travelling story. And this is a great time travelling story. It’s the best book, imo, so making a cracking script was on the cards. And the actors are hitting their chops as well. They were still child actors in the first 2.
Also, again as you highlight, this film is relatively light on the internal bickering. There’s the thing with Crookshanks eating Scabbers, but it doesn’t keep the heroes apart.
Love it. A lot.
We’ve been reading the books with the kids, then watching the corresponding movie. We’d stopped after Book 3 for about 6 months as the topics (death of a main character, romance, etc) start to get more appropriate for older kids. We’ve started reading Goblet of Fire after much begging, and I can’t wait to watch that movie again! I remember loving that one! I also really enjoyed The Prisoner of Azkaban!
The thing I noticed the most was how much the adults let the children get away with. I thought to myself that I would be infuriated if a school that I sent my child to let them do what they wanted with no consequences whatsoever. Not only were they not punished, but they were encouraged to do these things that put them in danger a lot of times. Yes they are fun books and movies, but what do they teach our children?