Running time: 152 minutes (Philosopher's Stone), 161 minutes (Chamber of Secrets), 141 minutes (Prisoner of Azkaban), 157 minutes (Goblet of Fire), 138 minutes (Order of the Phoenix), 153 minutes (Half-Blood Prince), 146 minutes (Deathly Hallows: Part One), 130 minutes (Deathly Hallows: Part Two)
Certificate: PG (Philosopher's Stone), (Chamber of Secrets), (Prisoner of Azkaban), 12 (Goblet of Fire), (Order of the Phoenix), (Half-Blood Prince), (Deathly Hallows: Part One), (Deathly Hallows: Part Two)
Language: English
Screenplay: Steve Kloves (Philosopher's Stone), (Chamber of Secrets), (Prisoner of Azkaban), (Goblet of Fire), (Half-Blood Prince), (Deathly Hallows: Part One), (Deathly Hallows: Part Two), Michael Goldenberg (Order of the Phoenix)
Director: Chris Columbus (Philosopher's Stone), (Chamber of Secrets), Alfonso Cuaron (Prisoner of Azkaban), Mike Newell (Goblet of Fire), David Yates (Order of the Phoenix), (Half-Blood Prince), (Deathly Hallows: Part One), (Deathly Hallows: Part Two)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Tom Felton, Oliver Phelps, James Phelps, Julie Walters, Bonnie Wright, Matthew Lewis, Devon Murray, John Hurt, Warwick Davis, John Cleese, Richard Griffiths, David Bradley, Fiona Shaw, Ian Hart, Harry Melling, Toby Jones, Mark Williams, Jason Isaacs, Kenneth Branagh, Shirley Henderson, Pam Ferris, Gary Oldman, Robert Hardy, David Thewlis, Michael Gambon, Emma Thompson, Timothy Spall, David Tennant, Stanislav Ianevski, Katie Leung, Clemence Poesy, Brendan Gleeson, Miranda Richardson, Ralph Fiennes, Robert Pattinson, Natalia Tena, Imelda Staunton, Evanna Lynch, Helena Bonham Carter, Dave Legeno, Jim Broadbent, Helen McCrory, Bill Nighy, Peter Mullan, Rhys Ifans, Samuel Roukin, Kelly Macdonald
Dave.
There are a few things to get out the way before going on. First, there are huge spoilers in this review. I know the warning at the top of the page says there are always spoilers, but these are big ones. That said, if you've not read the books or seen the films but find yourself reading this review, you should be asking yourself why. Second, I feel no shame in admitting myself a big fan of J. K. Rowling's series, its 'for kids' status notwithstanding. The world, the mysteries, the layers, and above all the characters are among the most wonderful I've ever spent time with. If you don't agree, again you should ask yourself why you're bothering to read this. Now, onward...
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| Only the first year, and the kids already have the facial expressions down. |
When Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was first released it was automatically compared to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. In all honesty, there really isn't anything that can compete with The Lord of the Rings and to compare the two was, frankly, unfair to the Harry Potter series.
Having said that, the films do have a fair bit going for them. Like the books, the idea (and it's a truly great one) is that the target audience grows up along with Harry, and to achieve that the earlier ones are more youngster-friendly, while the later ones add complexity and darkness. With the first film it was more important that the central trio looked the part rather than show any genuine acting talent. Even so, the child acting is at times abysmal, save the always funny Rupert Grint who gets by on comic timing and the faces he pulls, which distract from the fact that he is as bad at delivering lines as his peers. The kids do much better in the more casual scenes, and dreadfully bad in the more serious moments. The time Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Ron (Grint) first meet Hermione (Emma Watson) on the Hogwarts Express is the best-acted scene the three leads can manage - the line "You've got dirt on your nose, by the way. Did you know? Just there" is delivered nicely and Ron's face in response helps to make the scene pretty funny.
The effects are also poor, in particular the on-broom stuff and the copious use of unconvincing digital doubles make the action underwhelming. The cream of British acting talent are clearly having a ball, which helps you to overlook the quality of the effects and the use-the-clues-to-solve-the-mystery element to the story keeps things ticking along well enough. When a franchise stretches to seven books and eight films, the only real point of the first part is to set up the world, characters and enough background information to help the viewer understand what's going on, and Philosopher's Stone does that without too much trouble. The slightly creepy climax also hints at the darkness to come.
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| Harry takes on Tom Riddle. |
Kenneth Branagh pops in for a spell (geddit?) and steals the show a little as the highly irritating Gilderoy Lockhart, the supposedly brilliant, brave and beautiful new teacher taking over the cursed post of Defence Against the Dark Arts, who turns out to be not a bit like he wants to be portrayed. Director Chris Columbus did okay, but when he mishandles certain scenes (such as not-as-creepy-as-they-should-be moments listening to the disembodied voice talking of killing everyone that only Harry can hear) you can't help but wonder what someone like Spielberg would have made of the films.
Prisoner of Azkaban is the favourite volume of many a fan, and it's not hard to see why. Harry's third year is full of menace, with rumours of a notorious murderer on the run and looking for him. Hogwarts is no longer a place of blue sky and sunshine, and instead buckets of rain fall from an overcast sky, and the place is surrounded by frightening dementors (creatures that can literally suck the happiness out of you before consuming your soul in a 'Dementor's Kiss' - how is that any less scary than any number of adult fantasy and horror stories?).
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| Snape puts himself in harm's way. |
There are a number of new additions, most notably David Thewlis as Remus Lupin, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher, Timothy Spall as the traitorous Peter Pettigrew (although, he's actually been here all along as Ron's pet) and the phenomenal Gary Oldman as the eponymous prisoner, who, as usual, is not what he first seems. Another new face was that of Michael Gambon, taking over the half-moon spectacles of Dumbledore; Harry's guide, protector and mentor following the death of Richard Harris. Harris did seem a good fit for the role, and kudos should be given to Gambon for not simply aping the style Harris had set and instead forging ahead with his own interpretation of the character. I do in fact prefer Dumbledore as Gambon plays him, as there is more of a suggestion of hidden strength under the gray hair, whereas Harris often came across as looking simply frail, albeit with wisdom.
Calling in a new director for the third film was a wise decision. As mentioned, Chris Columbus did well enough with the first two, which are quite similar in tone, but we are beginning to move out of kid's film territory here, and Alfonso Cauron is a fine choice, showing with his Spanish language Y Tu Mama Tambien that he has an intuitive understanding of teenagers and their conflicting emotions. This is one thing the Potter stories I have found pull off brilliantly well - combining the troubles of being a hormonal teenager with the troubles of being 'the boy who lived' - there is often some uncertainty as to which is the most daunting to Harry.
Goblet of Fire is also one of the most popular of the novels, and, as is the trend, it goes darker and scarier. The terms and classes structure of the previous films takes a back seat to the Tri-Wizard Tournament, for which Harry is unwittingly chosen. This makes for some grand set-pieces, with the particular standout being Harry versus the big, angry dragon, which, thanks to some top quality effects, great direction from Mike Newell and much-improved acting from Radcliffe, is the closest this series comes in the first four films to truly stunning cinema. The other kids are also getting the hang of 'proper' acting, with all of them getting a good handle on the Yule Ball scenes. Grint, as always, is streets ahead with the comedy though.
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| The Goblet chooses the competitors. |
With the introduction of other schools of magic in Europe, there is, for the first time, a broader message about disparate peoples coming together to face a common enemy, but deep down it's still all about the main three, and particularly Harry, which makes the whole thing remain emotionally engaging - it is, after all, Harry, Ron and Hermione who form the core, and it is always them we care about the most.
The climax of the film is like the book - nothing short of astonishing. When Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes, who nails just the right mix of psychosis and insanity) finally takes shape and becomes something more substantial than a whisper or a preserved memory (complete with blood and severed body parts - and this is still supposed to be just for children?), the whole tone of the series shifts dramatically. We're no longer on a small scale, with Harry's goal simply to make it through school, but it becomes larger, something that smacks of epic proportions. It is the cold-blooded murder of defenceless schoolboy Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson, pre-Twilight) that truly brings home the magnitude of the shift - simply being a child is not going to save you here; nobody is safe.
In the series of books, Order of the Phoenix is considered something of a letdown. While it is overlong, I still find it a decent read. It does seem to work better as a film, however, Michael Goldenberg's script (the only one not scripted by Steve Cloves) trimming the occasionally plodding pace of the novel into a story so streamlined it simply does not pause for breath. Order of the Phoenix was Rowling's political novel, taking a vicious pot-shot at the New Labour government. Harry and Dumbledore are alienated for speaking the truth about Voldemort's return thanks to the authority-backed tabloid spin, and Hogwarts is subjected to countless petty rules and regulations that mean nothing, but are enforced with sadistic glee by Dumbledore's replacement, evil in pink Dolores Umbridge (played brilliantly by Imelda Staunton). The three young leads continue to come into their own, a world away from their shockingly wooden beginnings.
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| Luna Lovegood: wiser than she appears. |
The sense of fear and mounting menace is palpable, and new director David Yates handles the different strands of comedy, action and tension well. The climax is well constructed as the Order face off against the Death Eaters with Dumbledore's Army caught in the middle, and this time it's Helena Bohnam Carter as the demented Bellatrix Lestrange who steals the show. It's a shame they jettisoned some of the really weird stuff from the novel's climax, but going for the more straightforward action angle is understandable and works fine.
The ending is genuinely heartbreaking, with Harry not only losing his last remaining family member, but following an almighty duel, watching Dumbledore kneeling before Harry as Voldemort invades his mind, beseeching him to hold on, but powerless to help, is a moment that is resoundingly impactful.
The plot rolls on and the sense of dread continues to build in The Half-Blood Prince, which follows established form by going darker and nastier with a more frightening climax. This novel was the pause for breath before the big finale and the decision to use it to fill in Voldemort's back story could easily have been a jarring change of pace. While it's certainly more considered and slow-burning when compared to the break-neck pace of Order of the Phoenix, the tone is similar thanks to the retention of David Yates as director, who sees the series through to the end. This sees a welcome continuation of style, as I see the final three books as a set in a similar way to the first two, although a world away from the lightness of the opening chapters. This evolving style is something that might have derailed a different franchise, but here it is a strength, due to the way the stories adapt to their aging target audience.
There is plenty of Gambon's Dumbledore along with newcomer Jim Broadbent as Horace Slughorn, the potions professor with a secret that could prove to be Voldemort's undoing. Watching the two established thespians clearly enjoying the outlandish material is great fun and ensures the slightly overlong running time (a problem with Steve Cloves as screenwriter that besets half of the films in the franchise) passes without the viewer losing patience. Also impressive is Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy, who outperforms the other kids and handles the increased complexity of Draco's character with ease. Despite the increasing darkness of the series, there is still room for moments of comedy, involving a drunk Hagrid and Ron, who finds his libido, including a particularly funny sketch involving mishaps with love potions.
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| Dumbledore flexes his magical muscles. |
Much has been made of the endings to the books and films, and following the steady tempo and building menace, the climax to The Half-Blood Prince is an electrifyingly sudden change of pace into high gear. Harry and Dumbledore attempt to destroy one of Voldemort's horcruxes (items in which he's hidden parts of his soul, making him immortal, assuming they're not all found and destroyed) in one of the creepiest, most frightening and lightless set-pieces of the franchise. The moment when Harry witnesses his last remaining role model blown off the top of the school is excruciatingly emotional, and such a shock (assuming you're one of the few people who didn't already know) you're left stunned. In the cinema, I could hear people muttering "But he's going to get up again, isn't he?" in astounded disbelief.
Unable to reduce the final volume into a single film, Deathly Hallows: Part One is full of foreboding and further cranking of the tension. The previous books all had plenty of world-building and sub plots (Hermione's house elf liberation thing and Neville Longbottom's (Matthew Lewis) brush with greatness in Order of the Phoenix for example) that could be cut for the scripts, but the final book is all plot and as such couldn't be reduced. With the three friends on the run and the Ministry of Magic (the government of the magical world) all but fully supporting Voldemort, there are no safe places to turn to. The opening mostly silent shots of our main three are extremely evocative; in particular Hermione erasing herself from the memories of her parents in order to protect them is a quiet yet huge sacrifice that is enough to bring a tremor to your lip and a tear to your eye.
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| Ron is cracking under the strain. |
To begin with it is relentlessly tense and shot through with a crushing sense of fear, and the deaths of both 'Mad Eye' Moody (Brendan Gleeson) and Harry's owl Hedwig within the first few scenes is like a statement of intent and a further illustration of the mortal danger all the characters, children included, are facing. With the seemingly impossible task of finding and destroying the remaining horcruxes before going after Voldemort, all seems bleak and following a daring break-in to the Ministry of Magic tempers start to fray as we follow the three out into the middle of nowhere, where the sense of dread eases off and we have a little room to breathe. After Ron departs in a mood, there is a much talked-about scene, not in the novel, in which Harry and Hermione share a dance. It's been both praised as a lovely extra moment of characterisation and criticised as an awkward and pointless aside. In truth, it's kind of both. As it begins, and Harry takes Hermione in his arms, you can feel their awkwardness, but as the dance continues, their smiles and laughter are genuine and it serves its original intention of lightening the mood for a moment in a surprising and tender way. I'm sure that initial awkwardness is entirely intentional and shows the main strength Yates brings to the series; his grasp of mood and character.
As lovely as the land surrounding Hogwarts undoubtedly is, the film makes great use of the opportunities for a change of scenery in what is essentially the Harry Potter Road Movie. Although it's often cold, dark and damp the difference is striking. A particularly effective use of the surroundings is the scene at night in the middle of a wood where Harry has to dive into a frozen pond to retrieve the sword of Gryffindor. It's remarkably done and has you cringing in sympathy and yearning for a comfy seat by a warm fire. One other outstanding moment is the telling of the story of the titular Deathly Hallows - told in fluid and beautiful animation, it is extremely well designed and very effective.
What is different about this film is the ending. It's really the most natural point at which it could have ended, and yet because it's only half way through the book, it's a little anti-climactic compared to the others. All of the action of the huge finale is contained in the second half. The film doesn't suffer greatly for it, but it is a little strange.
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| Face to face. |
Deathly Hallows: Part Two kicks off at the exact point Part One left off. It says something about how much these films mean that throughout the sold out showing I went to see the cinema audience were deathly quiet. The again very effective opening dialogue-free shots are of Voldemort finding the Elder Wand (which is also the final scene of Part One) and new headmaster Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) silently presiding over a Hogwarts run like a military prison. After a few brief rather clunky conversations, we set off for the finale. First off is a stop at Bellatrix's bank vault to retrieve another horcrux in an impressive sequence which sees our trio escape Gringotts (the wizard bank, run by goblins) on the back of a dragon.
The direction is unchanged from the previous three, with Yates still struggling at times with the dialogue and making a passable attempt at action. He continues to excel at mood and expressing character through shots framed without dialogue. Like the first two films, you sometimes wonder what a director more competent with action might have done with some scenes - James Cameron perhaps - but Yates is so effective at putting Rowling's characterisation on screen, I doubt it would have been worth the trade. It's odd that the scenes that say most about the characters are the ones in which they don't speak. I suppose, having established your characters over the course of eight films, it's entirely natural that they don't always need to speak to be understood.
The final film is almost like an exercise in ticking boxes to make sure everyone gets their payoff, their big moment. Some work, some don't. Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith) shows that she is every bit as formidable as has always been suggested, Ron and Hermione finally sharing a kiss is well handled, but Molly Weasley's (Julie Walters) big moment is fumbled - rushed almost. It seems ludicrous that after eight films, half of which were too long, that the finale with the shortest running time of all the series, doesn't take the time to portray such a huge moment with the care it deserves. Something else it gets right is the resolution of Neville Longbottom's arc; seeing the lad take over Dumbledore's Army in Harry's absence and having the nerve to stand up to Voldemort is great. As Voldermort, Fiennes is marvellous; feeling his power crumble and his sanity slip away as each horcrux is destroyed, utterly bewildered at how his nemesis is accomplishing the impossible and flying into unpredictable rages as his desperation increases.
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| Neville refuses to be cowed. |
A great job is made of showing the cost paid by those who stand up to Voldemort; brief images of the Weasley family pole-axed by grief, or of Lupin and Tonks (Natalia Tena) lying beside each other in death, leaving their baby to be raised by others are played as minor touch notes in the grander scheme of things, but are genuinely upsetting. Each of these fleeting glimpses acts as a prism focusing on Harry, struggling to come to terms with the sacrifices others are making to protect him, the weight of their deaths lying heavier on him all the time. As with other scenes, it is portrayed best without words.
The final reveal of Snape's true character is, considering the way it slows the pace to a grinding crawl, handled remarkably well and like in the book, the potentially fatally large infodump is absorbed into the story with no great difficulty. It's here where one of the standout performances of the film and indeed the series is resolved. When you have all the pieces, you can see Rickman did a superb job of portraying all of Snape's complexities. Even from The Philosopher's Stone, Rickman's performance takes on a dual nature. In the later films, Snape can be viewed as a cold-blooded, uncaring villain, but when re-watched, Rickman's mannerisms hint at the tortured soul underneath, playing out his role with a suggestion of sorrow and not a little bravery, protecting a boy who reminds him so strongly of a man he despised, but very occasionally of the woman he loved. It is Rowling's crowning moment of genius and makes for the most satisfying character arc of all.
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| Harry prepares to give everything to the cause. |
There have been a couple of wobbles along the way, but overall this set of films helps me to remember why I along with millions of others fell for these characters in the first place.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: 6/10
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: 7/10
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: 8/10
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: 8/10
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: 8/10
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: 8/10
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One: 8/10
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two: 8/10
Rachel.
Rachel might one day write something about these films, but don't hold your breath, for unlike me, she has a real life. She has, however, scored them.
Score:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: 6/10
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: 6/10
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: 8/10
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: 8/10
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: 8/10
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: 8/10
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One: 8/10
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two: 8/10
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: 6/10
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: 6/10
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: 8/10
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: 8/10
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: 8/10
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: 8/10
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One: 8/10
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two: 8/10
Bill also enjoyed them, and although Jake enjoyed the new one, he's more critical than me of the previous ones.
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