It's been a long time since I reviewed these films and I figured it was time to remake this review and make it feel like my other reviews. I've seen all the films, read all the books and played some of the video games. Not so keen on the Fantastic Beasts spin-offs after the second one was just a huge mess, but hey ho. I grew up with these films so it felt like as I saw these wonderful actors grow up, I was growing up myself. So grab your wands and let's review one of the few film franchises where every film has been well received (or at the very least got above 50% on Rotten Tomatoes):
The Philosopher's Stone
Debatable where the films are set unlike the books where they are all set in the mid-late 90s. Anyway, so headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Albus Dumbledore (played by the late Richard Harris) heads to Privet Drive along with Transfiguration teacher Minerva McGonagall (played by Dame Maggie Smith) and Groundskeeper and half-giant Rubeus Hagrid (played by Robbie Coltrane) to deliver the recently orphaned Harry Potter (played by Daniel Radcliffe) to his only remaining relatives, the Dursleys. Time goes by and Harry becomes accustomed to muggle life despite the harsh treatment he gets from his relatives. But on one fateful day, he receives a letter informing him that he is a wizard and has been accepted into Hogwarts, though it takes Hagrid to actually tell him this due to the Dursleys being in denial that Harry could receive such letter. Hagrid takes Harry to Diagon Alley to get his supplies and learns a little about the truth behind the death of his parents. He then goes onto the Hogwarts Express train to the school and spends the year learning all about the wizarding world and befriending the likes of Ron Weasley (played by Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (played by Emma Watson) and doing things like Quidditch all before seeking out a potential threat to the school. As the first film, it does what all first films should do right from the start which is setting up the world and its characters, which this film spends the first half doing. The second half meanwhile, concentrates on the overarching story of why Harry Potter and the mysterious Lord Voldemort are connected and why they are enemies. It's a great first film overall with some wonderful performances from everyone and definitely a lot of magic too. 9/10
The Chamber of Secrets
After being rescued by Ron and his twin brothers Fred and George (played by James and Oliver Phelps) from the Dursleys, Harry meets Ron's family and goes with them to Diagon Alley to once again buy supplies for his second year at Hogwarts. He finds himself in Knockturn Alley (after mispronouncing Diagon Alley via the Floo Network), but a chance meeting with Hagrid helps him find his way. Upon entering Flourish and Blotts to buy his books, Harry meets Gilderoy Lockhart (played by Kenneth Branagh), an acclaimed author and "talented" wizard who becomes the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. He also meets not just Draco Malfoy (played by Tom Felton) but also his dad Lucius (played by Jason Issacs) who mysteriously gives young Ginny Weasley (played by Bonnie Wright) a book of some kind. Some shenanigans cause Ron and Harry to miss the train and the gateway to its platform to be closed for some reason, which forces them to use the car that Arthur Weasley (played by Mark Williams) made into a flying car to get them to Hogwarts, though at the price of receiving detention for arriving late and having some muggles see the car. As this year goes on, Harry and his friends learn of the Chamber of Secrets and the ties it has to the Slitherin house and a man called Tom Riddle (played by Christian Coulson). They also learn some other things too like how to make and use polyjuice potion, a bit of Hagrid's past and a beast that lurks within the school that may be what's causing various students to be petrified. It's really hard to forget how dark this second film is, but it is such a great sequel. Like the first, it spends the first half introducing more things that the first film didn't introduce, such as Herbology and also bringing back some popular things like dueling and Quidditch. While the second half concentrates on the trio's efforts to bring an end to these mysterious attacks and venture into the chamber. Very dark with a bit of humor, some gross moments and plenty of magic and well casted actors such as Kenneth Branagh and Jason Issacs. 9/10
The Prisoner of Azkaban
After another terrible summer that ends with Harry making his Aunt Marge (played by Pam Ferris) blow up into a balloon, he goes via the Knight Bus to the Leaky Cauldron, gets pardoned by the Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge (played by the late Robert Hardy) for using magic outside the wizarding world and reuinites with his friends. He learns from Arthur Weasley that the prisoner of Azkaban Sirus Black (played by Gary Oldman) has escaped and may take refuge within Hogwarts. This means that the prisons guards the Dementors, may pay Hogwarts a visit during Harry's third year as a result. During this year, Harry learns a spell that can send Dementors away from his new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher Remus Lupin (played by David Thewlis) and takes up Care for Magical Creatures which Hagrid teaches for the first time this year on top of his other duties. There he befriends the hippogriff Buckbeak who upon lashing out at Draco, is given the death sentence by the Ministry. All this while the trio learn more about Black and also start visiting Hogsmeade too. A lot of revelations are revealed in this film such as what side Black is truthfully allied with, what Scabbers has been all along and a few other bits and bobs too. Because of a new director, a lot of changes and additions came about such as the use of casual wear outside of classes, a clocktower with courtyard and many of the shots being in real life locations. All of those things work quite well in this film, but unlike the first two films, its not perfect. Sure lots of darkness is great, but I get the sense that there is just too much of it. The comedy is also upped a bit with some of it working. And the transition from Richard Harris to Michael Gambon as Dumbledore and Flitwick's new costume design make take people by surprise and be a bit out of the blue and inconsistent. Nevertheless, its another good film even if it's too scary and not quite as good as the first two. 8/10
The Goblet of Fire
Throughout his fourth year at Hogwarts, Harry's connection to Voldemort (played by Ralph Fiennes starting in this film) becomes stronger when he has reoccurring dreams and him conspiring with Peter Pettigrew (played by Timothy Spall) and a man who we later know to be Barty Crouch Jr. (played by David Tennant) who are both Death Eaters that serve the dark lord himself. Voldemort's return is later further cemented when the Death Eaters attack people after a Quidditch World Cup match and summon the dark mark, something of which the trio witness. Upon arriving at Hogwarts, Dumbledore announces that the school will be the host of the Triwizard Tournament and that three champions will be picked from three different schools including Hogwarts. Harry is mysteriously also picked as a champion, which puts him at odds with his friends (at least at first) but at the request of Dumbledore, is guided by the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and ex-Auror Alastor Moody (played by Brendan Gleeson) through each of the tasks. But little does he know that his nemesis is up to something and is using the tournament to get to him somehow. Although in my opinion its still a weak entry like the last film, I have to admire the efforts of the director to bring a sense of maturity and sophistication to the film. Especially the young actors who all embrace their teenage selves. Also like that the darkness is paced a bit this time around. What I don't like that I feel is what makes this film a bit weak is how it kind of feels like an eye candy film. Because you got Robert Pattinson who would go on to star in the Twilight films, David Tennant who was about to start being the Tenth Doctor and Daniel Radcliffe having a bath and showing off some flesh. You also got some of the other young actors doing some things as well so yeah. Very much an eye candy kind of film, but moving in the right direction for the series as a whole. 7/10
The Order of the Phoenix
During another unhappy summer with the Dursleys, Harry is forced to use magic to save his cousin Dudley (played by Harry Melling) from a Dementor attack despite knowing full well that Dementors should not in theory be seen by muggles. As a result, he gets a letter informing him that due to his actions, he is expelled from Hogwarts. However, he escapes the Dursleys with a group led by Moody who Harry learns is a group called the Order of the Phoenix who are working to oppose Voldemort's return. He learns that Dumbledore is delaying the charges against him pending a hearing which Harry attends and is cleared of all charges despite Fudge in disbelief that Voldemort has returned. Wanting to ensure that Hogwarts isn't planning something, he sends out Dolores Umbridge (played by Imelda Staunton) to be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and, through her, be able to tighten his grip on the school. Harry and many others are not happy with Umbridge's ways of teaching and how she treats Cedric Diggory's death as nothing more than a "tragic accident" and begin forming a rebellion group in secret called Dumbledore's Army. Over the course of his fifth year, Harry and his friends work to take down Umbridge while Harry continues to experience reoccuring visions from Voldemort which a concerned Dumbledore has Snape (played by the late Alan Rickman) teach him to combat. All ending in a big finale at the Ministery of Magic. While it is highly regarded as the worst book of the series, the fifth film in many ways is a lot better than the book. I also like how the director chose to not turn it into a multi part film, but instead make it one film with several things from the book being removed due to time, budget restraints and whether said parts were actually needed or not. It's very politically driven like the book and makes it very obvious from the start where all the characters are at with their mindsets. I also take from this film a line that Harry says to Voldemort which basically means a life without love is a life not worth living which speaks true for many of us. So yeah a great fifth film overall. 9/10
The Half-Blood Prince
As Voldemort further tightens his grip on both the wizarding and muggle worlds, he tasks Draco with a secret mission to carry out during his sixth year at Hogwarts with assistance from Snape who being an alleged mole within the Order of the Phoenix, makes the unbreakable vow with Draco's mother Narcissa (played by the late Helen McCrory) to do just that. Meanwhile, Harry accompanies Dumbledore to recruit former Potions master Horace Slughorn (played by Jim Broadbent) as Dumbledore believes that he holds some critical information regarding Voldemort. Harry then joins Hermione and Ron as they go to visit Fred and George's new joke shop in Diagon Alley and also witness Draco and some Death Eaters being up to no good. During his sixth year at Hogwarts, Harry works on getting the information he needs from Slughorn while attempting to learn what Draco is up to all while admitting feelings for Ginny. Right from the start, this sixth film (also my favourite film of the overall series) is very emotional and dark throughout with the main characters going through relationship stuff and coming to terms with the world they once knew being far more dangerous than ever before. Its a very strong film with emotion, darkness, magic and lots of mature content. But allowing for a bit of comedy and some normality in a film that doesn't have as much action as before (but I guess that's being saved for the next two installments). 9/10
The Deathly Hallows Part One
With the world not being safe anymore, Harry sends the Durselys away while in turn Hermione erases herself from her own parents' memory. As plans are put into place by both the Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry leaves Privet Drive for the final time to at first be part of a family celebration (and perhaps the last party they will ever have before too long) and then travel the country to find objects connected to Voldemort's soul, accompanied by Ron and Hermione. Yeah not much else to say in this film other than some new characters are introduced, old characters from ages ago returning and other stuff too. It's quite an intense film with the trio always having to move at every point, but it gives us time to see them develop more. For a first part, its ok. Not perfect, but enough to get us pumped for the finale. 8/10
The Deathly Hallows Part Two
Harry, Ron and Hermione continue to find pieces of Voldemort's soul to destroy which brings them to Gringotts and then back to Hogwarts where Voldemort is planning an all out attack to finally bring about an end to his nemesis. But little does he know that the wand he holds is no ordinary wand and Harry in turn learns that his connection to Voldemort may not be just a coinsidence after all. Characters old and new are here with some dying and others living to tell the tale. But in the end, only one can live and the other must not survive. As the final film, its very action packed and epic and brings all established storylines to a satisfactory conclusion. I wish we had more from the books added to this final story, but its ok. Its a great final film and up there as being among the best final battles in a well established film franchise. 9/10
Never trully hated Harry Potter. I find the overall franchise to be a great time with magic, great performances from its largely British cast and great set designs and pieces. This franchise ain't going to be forgotten any time soon. 9/10
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