Harry Potter Series Ranked

During my long movie viewing career, there has been a few film moments of Movie Magic, where a film has been so spectacular that it feels truly magical. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is one such film. As a child and an avid reader of Harry Potter series before they became famous, it was a magical experience for me watching for the first time, the day the film came out in that dark cinema. Looking at it now I see the same qualities that made the film so magical. The story more than anything makes the film what it is but seeing your imagination realised, from book to film so perfectly I still stand in awe. The great British cast, the score by Williams and the forever young simplicity and magic of the story make this an all time great film.

Considering I'm an avid Harry Potter reader and movie lover, that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the longest book and the film is the shortest of the films, the fifth instalment had a lot riding on it. With the Harry Potter book series J.K. Rowling has created a literary phenomenon (her last book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows which recently came out was a great achievement), yet unfortunately the film versions have been increasingly as the series progresses unable to match the magic of the books. Only the first film captured the magic of the book but from there it has been a down hill progression. The fifth instalment has levelled out the trend and adds renewed interest in the series. Darker No. 5 Admirably adds Realism to the Harry Potter series, by focusing more on the 'muggle world' and introducing darker characters. The film is leaner but also much meaner. Boasts the cream of British acting, notably Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Micheal Gambon and now Imelda Stauton who gives a brilliantly bitter sweet performance as Professor Umbridge and Helena Bonham Carter in an equally brilliant performance of the crazed Beatrix. The film also gives locations from the book visually vitality especially Azkaban, which was not shown in the 3rd film. All in all the magic of the first two films may be lost but in the new level that the Order of the Phoenix has ascended too, a different darker magic is needed.

New Darker Breed, Entertaining But Not Magical. Goodbye kids, hello teenagers; goodbye magical masterpiece hello dark circus entertainment. Harry older and more mature, film older and more immature. Too much as left out from the book. Scariest so far. Better but still not there yet.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is definately the weakest link in the Harry Potter series. The grand childlike magic of the first and second is replaced by pathetic teenage angst, modern fashion and acting worthy of a TV sitcom. Watching this film is like watching an episode of Saved by the Bell meets Big Bad World.The third book is one of the best in the series. In contrast to the smooth and detailed rendition of the book, the film features a hasty and fragmented succession of often unconnected events. Entire patches of the original plot have been either left out or significantly hacked up. Alfonso Cuarón should have never taken over from Columbus, as Michael Gambon should have never taken over from the late great Richard Harris, as Albus Dumbledore.