bill bodkin looks at the harry potter films and which you should own, rent and avoid
The end of an era is upon us. Since 2001 we’ve taken the train to Hogwarts with Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint). We’ve watched these burgeoning wizards go from wee lads and lassies discovering the wonders of magic to full fledged adults battling evil to save the world from utter destruction. On the eve of the release of the seventh film (part one of the series finale) we will take a look back on the films in this series which range from whimsical children’s fantasies to dark, thrilling action-dramas. These films have been a wonderful series which have been entertaining for both adults and children. It’s a shame that the movies will come to an end in summer 2011, but I can only imagine what a grand ending it will be.
This is film captures the essence of J.K. Rowling’s literary series — it’s at parts whimsical, frigthening, fantastical and tragic. The credit for the film’s cinematic success is due to director Alfonso Cuaron — the man who helmed Y Tu Mama Tambien and Children of Men. The film introduces two awesome characters — the dangerous fugitive Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) and the mysterious new professor of the dark arts Lupin (David Thewlis). Throw in a subplot about time travel and crazy flying Dementors who have a thing for attacking Harry and you’ve got one heck of a movie. The acting is top notch, the tension is almost unbearable and the fun has been unmatched by any other Potter film.
In my humble opinion, you cannot go wrong with a Harry Potter film. However, there is a trend with these films, all the odd number films in the series are the best. Yes, it’s the opposite of Tim Bisley’s “every odd numbered Star Trek movie is shit” theory.
The first in the series, The Sorcerer’s Stone, is a really delightful introduction to the world of HP. It’s good kid-based fantasy film with enough thrills and laughs for the adult crowd. It also spawned the amazing audio spoof Wizard People. Watch the DVD without sound and then hit play on Wizard People and be prepared for the amazing hilarity.
The fourth film, the Goblet of Fire, is an exciting film which sadly launched the career of Mr. Edward Cullen himself, Robert Pattinson. This film was a bit of letdown, especially since it followed the amazing Prisoner of Azkaban. But still it’s very solid.
The fifth film, The Order of the Phoenix, in the series is a serious improvement over the fourth film. Here we’re introduced to two of the best supporting characters in the film Bellatrix LeStrange (Helena Bonham-Carter) and “Mad Eye” Moody (my favorite character actor ever — Brendan Gleeson). The film is packed with a lot of action and begins the real dark turn in the series.
The sixth film, The Half-Blood Prince, is not as good as Order, but features the death of one of the biggest characters in the series Dumbledore (Michael Gambon). The death comes as one of the biggest shocks in the series and one of the most dramatic moments as well.
Let me make thing one thing clear, Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets shouldn’t be avoided because it’s a bad movie. In other versions of this column, the “avoid” film is usually a really, really awful film. Chamber is not awful, it’s actually a decent film. The reason this is an “avoid” is because it’s not necessary to watch this film in order to be in the loop for the story arch of the series. Chamber is not a continuation of the story as it is more of a “the further adventures of Harry Potter.” Nothing really happens that’s of any importance to the series, at least in my opinion. It’s still an enjoyable film, very kid friendly with thrilling special effects and a lot of comedy — mostly from Kenneth Branaugh’s Gilderoy Lockhart. Lockhart is the perfect blowhard, almost Shakespearean in his absurdity. It’s a brilliant touch to this whimsical tale. So, in essence, Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets is worth a rental, but if you skip it, you won’t be missing any vital parts of the series’ plot.
I would put Sorcerer’s Stone in the own category as well, especially if you’re a fan of the books. Of all the films, the first one stuck the closest to the events of the book, but that is in no way an indication of fault from the filmmakers in later entries. The books simply got longer and longer and in order to effectively squeeze everything in, they would have been making 2 films per book since Goblet of Fire. However, being the shortest book in the series, Chris Columbus was lucky enough to have the ability to make the most faithful adaptation.
I’ve liked all the movies, but my main complaint is that the later films seemed to lose sense what made Hogwarts Hogwarts. It is now an ordinary castle. You rarely see the moving stairs or portraits, and the ghosts never make an appearance, except for Moaning Myrtle when she’s vital to the plot. Personally, I miss John Cleese in these films. This may have a lot to do with having to condense the books down though, so I understand. I just miss the lighter fantasy side of things from the Columbus movies that still managed to shine through in even the darkest of the first 6 books.