Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2

I can scarcely believe it but it's done.

I can't even imagine what it was like reading The Deathly Hallows when it was first released, that anticipation and excitement must have been palpable beyond words, and the film was like the second wind of that sensation. Everyone went to see this movie and my God do the numbers not lie. Over 1 billion dollars, and countless people who went to see this time and again. It does still live up to that hype, I remembered bits of the movie so there were moments when I audibly gasped because I forgot it even happened after these many years. This is one hell of a conclusion to a story that's been built since 2001 and I don't think it can really be topped in terms of climatic finales to a series, even with my love for The Rise Of Skywalker I can admit this was better. I do like how the film is still paced, you'd think it'd be bodies hitting the floor for 2 hours with some absolutely mad spell casting but there's still a bit of that pacing from Part 1 before we go into the Battle Of Hogwarts which I appreciate and even when we do hit those heavy action parts the film still takes a breather and lets you have some of the best moments if not the best moments of the series. With over 4 Horcrux's destroyed, Harry must return to Hogwarts one last time to seek the last 3 and finally face off against the man who took his family away and has been plaguing him for these many years. It never fails to deliver and never falls short, so does it beat The Half-Blood Prince as best film? I don't know. This will take serious deliberation, because it has spectacular moments. The battles, the final interactions between these characters, the King's Cross Station scene, that little bit in the forbidden forest, the 19 years flashforward, and last but never least Snape's memories. It got me man. It really got me, it was one tear but even one tear can speak 1,000 volumes that words cannot. It broke me a bit, and then it killed me when I read that Alan Rickman has been gone now for 4 years, he passed away January 14th 2016. It hurts still. But I'll be damned if this wasn't the best acting out of him in the whole series, you've heard me praise him this whole time and it was all leading to this. I'm sure you understand why I felt the way I did. In terms of acting, directing, editing, and cinematography, it's the best scene ever. I doubt any could argue such a fact, but does it make it the best film as a whole? Well...no, but it will rank top 5 maybe even top 3, they played their cards just right through this entire series and the payoff and resolution was worth every wait between those years and films. But there were moments that I personally loved a great deal besides the big obvious ones, I noticed quite very recently actually that Narcissa Malfoy is kind of a gorgeous woman, like hey girl hey kind of gorgeous, and I don't know what it is about me and ahem.....mature witches (Oi, stop that. I refuse to call them older, that's rude.) but Molly Weasley may have just sweeped the leg under Luna and claimed best witch cause, ooooh boy did I enjoy that beautiful moment a great deal. Friggin' Neville is my boy, and I'm so proud of him and his growth, and the little fact that my ship has been recognized!! You get brownie points for that movie, I wanted it and you gave me it, I'm appreciative of such things. Okay we have to talk about the laugh, stuff of internet legend now, but I'm so damn happy it exists and I loved every bit of it. If I had one major complaint of the whole series, the romance elements were not handled optimally, many people point to Harry and Ginny but even with Ron and Hermione, that leap to a couple is so abrupt, I really wish they let them be a couple around the 5th movie and see them grow and change to this movie. Minor gripe, but something that has to be brought up. They ended the movie on the second best piece of music in the series though, and jeez did it cap off the ending, you couldn't count the nostalgic feels and tears shed in that moment if you had all the time in the world. It tugs on those heartstrings but even I didn't cry, just overwhelmed by happy memories of days gone by. I know I've said it last time, but this series has meant a great deal to many, myself included and I'm truly thankful it exists and that I had the chance to go back to Hogwarts one more time to review these movies. Harry Potter is a household name, for better or for worse we stand with it and continue to cherish it for perhaps all our lives. It has such wonderful characters, an interesting world that has much to offer still, a story that was crafted to it's best potential, and brought to life from the pages of a book by so many talented individuals. 4 stars, 8.5/10. It's no secret I love this series, after all this time. Always.

Ranking time!

8. Chamber Of Secrets

7. Deathly Hallows Part 1

6. Order Of The Phoenix

5. Goblet Of Fire

4. The Sorcerer's Stone

3. Prisoner Of Azkaban

2. Deathly Hallows Part 2

1. The Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

I think we found the new champion.

When a movies is so good that I watched it twice before writing the review, clearly there's something I loved. I do genuinely feel The Half-Blood Prince is the best of the Harry Potter series and it'll be tough to top with only two film left. There's simulatenously a lot that happens in this movie and yet very little that happens, I doubt it could properly be summarized but basically Harry is back at Hogwarts mainly helping Dumbledore learn more about Tom Riddle's past and a certain type of magic that keeps him for all intensive purposes immortal, and slowly working through this mystery while doing classes, doing the romance thing again (less gross this time I swear), and keeping an eye on Malfoy who has taken a strange turn. I loved every moment on screen, this definitely makes the ending to Goblet Of Fire look like a Disney film, it's the darkest of the series and not just in content. The whole film is very darkly lit, there's a lot of shadows, and muted colors that compliment the film incredibly so. Though I do highly recommend you watch it in a dark room. I heard tale that Daniel hated his performance in this movie but I think he did quite well, granted he puts up with a bit of stuff in this movie but the performance is strong and it's nice to see Harry one last time as a happy and fun student before the real adventure begins. But I have no issue saying this film is built on the supporting cast. We get so much Dumbledore in this particular movie, whereas in previous films he might have 2 or 3 small scenes but he's in this quite a lot, with Michael Gambon giving his best performance with humor, wisdom, and that unresistable likableness. Tom Felton same story, few scenes here and there but given more attention and puts in a strong performance as Draco, and I have to say I want to know what happens next for him. We get Jim Broadbent (still best dad, sorry Mando) as a Slytherin potions teacher who despite his house is a kind, considerate, and respectable wizard and Jim does great work like always. Alan Rickman, gahd bless it Snape finally gets to be the DATDA teacher and we don't even get one scene of him teaching. And that is the true tragedy of Severus Snape (it's a joke Potterheads relax), but every word that man speaks is like a magnetic force and I'm just sucked in even more with the story and characters. Though I must admit even after all this time, I always still can't believe that ending. Every time! Every time it gets me! But I know what happens, and it doesn't soften the impact! Could you imagine if it just went to credits after that cut to black? People would have lost their marbles in that theater, ohhh my God how earth shattering would that ending have been. But I know they couldn't have, we got to set up the next movie I know. But come on! You know what's really funny? If you asked me like...5 or even 10 years ago what happens in The Half-Blood Prince I couldn't tell you a damn thing. For some reason I just never remembered this movie as much as the others, the only things I remembered were, Ron gets a yandere girlfriend, something about an Unbreakable Vow, spooky scary skeletons in a cave, oh yeah the water trial thing, annnnnd....the shocking end. No Bridget's dad, no Quidditch, no cool Tom Riddle flashbacks, no Snape (HERESY!), no potions book, or that really screwed up shot of Malfoy just bleeding to death I mean Jesus God! Why? I. Don't. Know. I even saw it in theaters, in fact it was a tradition that my mom and me, regardless of whether it was a school day or not, we saw the Harry Potter movies from Chamber Of Secrets onward opening day. Every one of them, so apparently my memory was worse then than it was now. Somehow. Oh there I go again rhyming. I gotta wrap this up, bottom line best film of the series, 8.5/10, 4 stars would give 5 if I could on that scale, wonderful movie and I loved it! Until next time.

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix

How is it that one character has almost single-handedly ruined this movie?

I like this movie, I really like this movie, this and Goblet Of Fire were my absolute favorites of the series when I was younger. And again, it still held up tremendously and I know I will have to fully rank this series once I finish. So Harry returns to Hogwarts after a nasty run in with the Dementors, and things aren't exactly all that better at the school, with the main government body the Ministry Of Magic interfering severely with the inner workings of the school and is trying to usurp complete control with the assumption Dumbledore is making his own private army. A good story, and one that changes the game a bit. Something I've just now noticed is this series certainly isn't formulaic, each story is radically different than the last and to take a more political take on the wizarding world is fascinating if absolutely infuriating. I still heavily stand by what I said in my Fantastic Beasts review, the americans are 1,000 times worse than the british who are already absolute ****bags who could not be more potrayed as antagonistic or corrupt if they tried. Sweet Jesus, do I even need to talk about Dolores Umbridge? The woman is Satan. Wait no, that's an insult to Satan, Satan is a charming and pleasant person compared to that...witch. I offer my sincere and great apologies to Lucifer Morningstar, we'll have lunch as my treat. Just, she is so....

I'm sorry guys. I just need a moment. That...that was pure rage, and I'm just gonna take a break. Happy thoughts. She didn't survive, she was eviscerated by centaurs....and then burned. Now I feel better. And don't you come to me saying that was dark and hateful, EVERY Harry Potter fan wishes her death. I guess I really have to tip my hat to Imedla Staunton, she is absurdly good at being the person we adore to hate, screw Walter Peck this girl man. This girl. Anyway, let's talk about performances. I like what they were trying to do with Harry, expanding on the connection between him and Voldemort and suggesting Harry is turning a bit dark side, and that's all fine and good but we never get a big oh snap moment where he just loses his shit and almost kills somebody so the tension and suspense just isn't there. I appreciate it, but it doesn't amount to much. This is so much the reunion film cause just about every major and side character from past films are here, good and bad with of course new additions. I mean we get the whole Weasley family, Sirius, Lupin, Moody, my boy Jason Isaacs, Voldemort of course, it really does seem like the gang's all here. Biggest new additions we have are Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange, who granted doesn't have a lot of screen time but the impact she has is heavily felt, and of course best witch Luna Lovegood played by Evanna Lynch who shock of all shocks I adore and I may or may not ship her with Neville, she's the unsung hero of this film she practically saves the day twice with giving advice to Harry and flying those rad skeletal horse things. Best witch, I have spoken. So characters and story get thumbs up from me, but how's the rest of the film? Quite good, I'd probably put it above Goblet Of Fire in terms of technicals, the new sets are very well done, the lighting and cinematography is kind of unreal at times how they pulled that off, and the direction is handled very well. There's some real standout moments for the whole series, I mean yeah the wizard's duel between Albus and Tom is great stuff to be sure, and honestly any shot with Snape, especially the little training segments with Harry is kind of a big deal which we'll talk about later on, is brillaint but what really struck me the most is when Harry really breaks these almost legendary exploits of his and admits that it sounds heroic but is really downright terrifying and that most of the time it was luck that could have went very badly. I don't know, just something about that acting and dialogue really struck me as something very real and brutally honest. I was kinda shocked how good that scene was. All in all, I would proabably put this slightly below the 4th movie but the stuff they get right is done really right, and there are plenty of moments to love and enjoy. 4 stars, 8/10, Prisoner Of Azkaban still top dog but we got three more movies to see which is truly greatest of all. I suspect the next potential candidate is the next film, so join me for The Half-Blood Prince.

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire

Well that was kind of a depressing ending.

Honestly this movie is nothing but fun for the whole family and another great adventure into this world until we reach the bloody hedge maze. But overall, how was it? I think for the longest time this was my favorite of the entire series before it even properly ended, I think with all the action-y trials of the tournament and the certain bombshell that gets dropped near the end this was my favorite. Is it now? No, Prisoner Of Azkaban is still the superior film in my eyes but in terms of story and character moments, this is still pretty good. A momentous occasion has come to Hogwarts where two other magical schools are competing in a special competition known as the TriWizard Tournament, and for mysterious reasons our dear Harry is selected as one of the participants, where he has to face dragons, sea creatures, and a hedge maze that gives The Shining a run for it's money to become the champion. I'm honestly surprised it took 4 films for confirmation of other magical schools, it seems kind of obvious since Hogwarts is a British school but it is pretty awesome seeing French and Russian(?) schools as well thrown into the mix. This movie is a lot of fun but I'm gonna be honest the whole teen drama bullshit I can live without. Thankfully it's not too much but it's there enough to aggravate the holy hell out of me. Now I get it, they're teens and these story elements were bound to happen sooner rather than later, in fact the more I think about it this film is very....high school. Not bad tropey high school (which statistically comprises 99% of all high school films), but there certainly are elements to it, there's a bit of attention given to romance, finding someone to take to a dance, the tournament itself is treated like a damn sport despite the near fatal situations, and again there's nothing wrong with that. It sets the tone until it drops a ton of bricks on you with the ending which makes it more shocking and impactful. I can respect that, but it's just something I'm not a huge fan of. But there's plenty to like, the tournament is varied and filled with excitement, our new DATDA teacher is a lot of fun and one of the more interesting characters we want to know more about, and the finale is the best yet of the series. We got to talk about it because it quite literally changed the game, Voldemort is ressurected and in a pretty grim fashion. I was kind of getting Black Cauldron vibes, but everything about it is handled perfectly and Ralph Fiennes though a teeny tiny little bit broad certainly has that menace and power to him. I'm not gonna make any Twilight jokes, Robert Pattinson does fine here and even went on record saying he'd rather play Cedric again than Edward Cullen, I have some respect for the man and actually look forward to seeing him as the Batman. But is it coincidence that this is the movie with the most Doctor Who cast members and they introduce a small space that is bigger on the inside, twice? I'll let you be the judge. But the answer is no, the producers are cheeky bastards and I love them for it. The director did fine, though even I had to check it wasn't the same guy who did Battlefield Earth cause those dutch angles. Whoo boy. Not bad by any stretch but it did make me laugh a bit. I don't think I'm missing any other major points, it's all just small moments from here. Alan Rickman proves once again why he's the best thing to happen ever, and never fails to make me smile. Gambon I do have to say is the better Dumbledore, if only because he had the majority of movies, and I will conceed he is the best but Richard Harris is still my favorite despite Gambon's wonderful performance. Another just...weird thing I noticed is, I felt utterly unclean during this movie, like everyone is just horny as shit and it bothers me. I do not need to see Moaning Myrtle get all 'hey hey' with Harry Potter. Ugh. Like I know hormones are starting to set in with these teenagers but even the adults are pushing their luck with this rating. Just. Why?? I need bleach, steel wool, and a volcano to get this smut off my skin and out of my brain. And on that uncomfortable note, it is time to end. Thank you so much for reading, goodnight. 4 stars, 8/10.

Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban

This is really when the movies start getting amazing.

Now do not get me wrong the first two Harry Potter movies are genuinely good films with expert worldbuilding, beloved characters, and good stories. However Prisoner Of Azkaban goes above and beyond the bar that was set last film. I attribute it a great deal to director Alfonso Cuaron one of the most critically acclaimed directors of our time, his style of direction allows not only excellent camera work with longer takes and flowing motion, but it highlights the relationships between characters. They banter, bicker, hang out, they feel so incredibly real and even more relatable than before. This is definitely one of the more interesting and personal stories, with Harry learning of an escaped prisoner that had very close ties with his parents and has been warned that he is seeking to kill Harry. Of course we still have classroom learning, Quidditch games, and more personal time between characters but this is when the films start taking a more dark turn. You got the slightest hint of it in the first movie, a tiny smidge more in the second, but this film balances the more creepy and adult moments very well with the lighthearted moments. There's more to love here than even I remembered. Professor Lupin is one of the most beloved characters of the entire series and easily has my vote for best DATDA teacher, David Thewlis did absolutely spectacular work in this role potraying a kind, thoughtful, and respectable teacher. I just adored his character in this movie. Got to say though, the Dementors are more terrifying than I remembered, I loved the designs as a kid but now even I'll admit I got a little uneasy when they were on screen. Michael Gambon does take the role of Dumbledore in the vein of Richard Harris, and I do truly love his subtleties and sense of humor, and it will be a real treat to see him in future films. More Severus this time around (Yay!), and just the little touches that Alan Rickman gives goes miles for me, whether humorous or not he does fine work. I really loved the pacing of this movie, if I honestly had one bad thing to say about the first two films it's that certain scenes cut a bit faster than I would have liked, like you think the shot will go on for just a bit longer but then abruptly cuts. It happened a few times for me in both films but here, they know when to hold on a moment and then move on. The sets are done yet again amazingly with more connected pieces between major sets and new locations which is always a plus. I do have 2 minor grumbles with this movie, nothing movie breaking (for the most part) but it just seemed off to me, mainly we have time travel now. Really? Why? It kind of breaks the entire narrative for me when I know Harry could go Back To The Future 2 and change pivotal moments of the series. Which is odd because I've never heard anyone complain about the time travel elements, you'd think it'd be a very split love it/hate it group but I've never heard anyone bring it up. Second, there's a bit, it's very brief and it happens during the time travel segment, why is Harry so upset? Like, he kind of had his resolution in the Shrieking Shack and made a firm decision on what to do with the villain of this film, yet he time warps and all of a sudden gets pissed and wants him...dead? It seems like a character slip to me. I don't know, maybe I read it wrong but it just seemed very off to me. Regardless, this is the strongest of the movies so far for me. I don't think Alfonso Cuaron directed any more of the films but I was very impressed with his style and attention in this one and this is easily my favorite of the series so far. Will it be topped? Difficult to say but we'll find out next time. 4 stars, 8.5/10 on this one, and next time we have the famed TriWizard Tournament.