REVIEW #57 Harry Potter (2001-2011)

Harry Potter consists of 8 films based on the books written by JK Rowling. They are set in a magical world where a baby boy miraculously defeats a Dark Lord named Voldemort thanks to his mother’s sacrifice. Having grown up in the muggle world (non magic), Harry turns 11 and begins his new life at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

CAST & THE ACTING 

I think it’s fair to say the casting for all 8 films is perfect, I have never come across another fan who has suggested another actor who should have played any of the characters. Daniel Radcliffe portrays Harry Potter, Rupert Grint is Ronald Weasley and Emma Watson is Hermoine Granger. We see this trio grow up on screen, small children in the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone to being adults in the final film The Deathy Hallows Part 2. It’s fair to say with each film their acting improves, which is expected given the first film was each of their first acting roles. By the time the final film was released they were all great actors who had portrayed these characters so well that it’s created a fan base that no one could have imagined. Other huge names such as the late Alan Rickman (Snape), Maggie Smith (professor McGonagall), Michael Gambon (Dumbledoor), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix) and Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort) all appear in the films and I could name so many more but it would take up too much space! The biggest compliment to the entire cast is just how invested the fan base was and still is, in these characters. 

PLOT & THE STORYLINE 

JK Rowling has created an extraordinary world with extraordinary characters, which has led to 10 films including the Fantastic Beasts franchise with the final film in that series set to be released next year. I always like franchises that build up a huge story over multiple films, the more the better in my opinion and these films certainly do that. The storyline itself is great and how it unravels across all 8 films is perfect. I also think it’s so clever how each film gets darker and darker, they pulled in a young audience with a family friendly, almost kids film with The Philosopher’s Stone and finished with a dark and dangerous battle in The Deathly Hallows Part 2. As the original target audience grew older and preferred darker themes in the films they watched, the films grew with them which meant they never lost interest in the films and contributed to building one of the largest fan bases in the entire world. There are many sub plots outside of the Harry and Voldemort rivalry that stem such strong debate, such as the Hermoine and Ron relationship, is Snape a hero or isn’t he? Should Harry have ended up with Ginny… All these debates still go on today which is a sign of just how invested the fans are in these films, even ten years later! So full credit to JK Rowling and Warner Brothers.

CINEMATOGRAPHY & SPECIAL EFFECTS 

The Harry Potter Franchise has some amazing cinematography and visuals, from the wand duels to the dark scenes in the forbidden forest, Warner Brothers done brilliantly at bringing the magical world JK Rowling created to life on screen. The battles between Harry and Voldemort or even the Dumbledoor and Voldemort duel, created some beautiful scenes for us to watch. The special effects were just as good and the effort the production team had to put in to create the creatures and settings we see is extraordinary. If you go to Harry Potter World in Watford you see just how much work went into making these realistic depictions of Rowling’s work. Yes the first film had some questionable CGI, like the Ogre but it was released in 2001 so we couldn’t really expect great CGI at that point. So for me this is another perfect category!

OVERALL (10/10)

I understand that as individual films, perhaps none of them are a 10. However as a collective, these films are outstanding and create a world that the audience can get fully submerged into. The casting is perfect, perhaps the best I’ve seen from any film or TV series! The acting develops with each film and it’s understandable because for most of the young cast The Philosopher’s stone is the first bit of acting they done. The storyline speaks for itself, JK Rowling produced a gripping storyline with so many intriguing sub plots that still have fans debating 10 years after the final film was released. I think the only franchise that can top this for continuity is the Marvel cinematic Universe with over 25 films and series. However the Harry Potter films are my favourite films ever, partly down to nostalgia and having grown up with them and also because I’m proud that it’s a British film that took over the world! So a perfect score is more than deserved in my eyes. 

Thank you for reading! 

Callan