After 14 years of Harry Potter I thought that it's high time I got involved. My sister and brother in law are positively addicted, doing the whole launch night thing for more than one of the books, and the wife has read each one cover to cover. I'm no big reader so with the films coming to an end it seems like a good time to watch them all in a oner.
It's worth noting that the only thing I knew about Harry Potter before starting this was the ending to whole thing, and that the film posters are progressively more terrible. Knowing the ending doesn't really ruin much as with these kind of stories, who survives and who doesn't isn't difficult to guess.
So we start at the start, it sets the scene, introduces everyone, and then runs along at a fair old pace. All the fantasy elements are introduced well, and you get the feeling that if you have read the books, there is even more stuff to notice. Having not read any of them I still really enjoyed the first film pretty much from start to finish. It is a touch long, and perhaps pours over the details a bit too much but it has a really classic vibe to it. It brought back memories of watching the Goonies or Home Alone, and sure enough a quick scan of imdb and you can see that Director Chris Columbus definitely put his stamp on it. I've heard quite a few people say the first films are weak. I would suggest that they should re-watch them now and see what they think. The first film doesn't have huge set pieces but holds together as a great ensemble fantasy film.
The second film is more of the same cracked up a notch or two. They managed to stick in some really grand set pieces whilst keeping the same vibe from the first film. However it's Ron that really starts to shine through as a great comedy character who brings the whole thing together.
The Prisoner of Azkaban is touted as the best film, the one that really made a mark, however, I disagree. The story is great, it introduces Sirus Black, a complex and interesting character that helps escalate the overarching story without sacrificing the current one. A bit more backstory is revealed and its all set in a brooding and dark tone without being too oppressive. My issue with the third film is that its very poorly shot. The camera cannot seem to remain still and there are a few scenes that tread on the previous movies (the placement of the enchanted tree for example). The last shot is not one that I will forget for a while and not in a good way.
After that they all get progressively more angst-wriddled and Ron begins to lose all of his charm which is a real disappointment. There are some great scenes in all of them, but I guess watching them all in one go I was always going to be more enamoured by the initial outings then the latter ones. The first two films are now favourites of mine and I'm glad I watched them all. I totally cant be arsed to read the books now though and those last few books must be a real chore.
: D
