Harry Potter and the First-Time Watcher
Dedicated to my twin, my fellow Ravenclaw.
Wow, it’s hard to believe that my trip to Hogwarts has come to an end. It’s been a wild ride on the Hogwarts Express, and I now know why so many people love Harry Potter.
I was shocked by how much the film series stuck to the books. Of course, there were deviations—some for the better, some for the worst—but overall, the movies stuck fairly close to the books. I think movies 1-3 were well paced, and I’m glad Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince were only one film each, because the pacing in the books was kind of slow but the films made them more interesting. Also, a lot was changed in Order of the Phoenix, but I definitely think it was for the better. However, Goblet of Fire should’ve been split into two films, as there was a lot of source material and a lot happens in the fourth book. (If I could recommend one book to you from the series, I would implore you to read Goblet of Fire, since so much happens in the book that isn’t discussed in the film.) I’m glad Deathly Hallows was given two parts. It felt appropriate.
I absolutely adored Prisoner of Azkaban. I loved how the history of Harry’s dad and his friends was revealed. I love the relationship that begins to form between Harry and Sirius. It’s also the last time there’s a bit of happiness before shit hits the fan in Goblet of Fire. Also, the end credits for Prisoner of Azkaban were amazing—they mimicked the Marauders' Map, which I thought was an ingenious idea.
Deathly Hallows—Part 2 made me cry numerous times. I don’t know if it’s a blessing or a curse that they didn’t show Fred dying during the Battle of Hogwarts. I did lose it when I saw Remus and Tonks lying dead on the floor, their hands barely touching. I love a good battle scene, and I’m glad it took up most of the film. I love Neville’s character development in this film, and Professor McGonagall and Molly Weasley are two badass women.
The casting was impeccable. The actors and actresses really brought the characters to life and embodied them. Though, I do have one quibble: the actor who played Dumbledore in the first two films was not what I was expecting. Unfortunately, he died while the films were still being made, so a new actor was found to play Dumbledore in the remaining films, and I like his version of Dumbledore much more.
While I think the books are better than the films, I like how the films humanize Draco. In Half-Blood Prince, he is testing a Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement. Draco puts a live songbird in the Cabinet before closing the door, and when he opens it again, the bird is dead, killed by the person who was at the other Vanishing Cabinet. The camera cuts to pan the room, and you can hear soft crying. While I don’t condone Draco’s actions, I definitely see why he did what he did towards the end of the series.
The Quidditch games were amazing, but just watching the matches makes me realize that I would much rather be in the stands than out playing. I think I’d die during a game—no joke. Also, I was shrieking at the TV during the giant spider scene in Chamber of Secrets. If you know me, you know that I absolutely loathe spiders. Ron and I could bond over mutual arachnophobia.
Last but not least, a film isn’t a film without the music. There were four different composers for the film series, but somehow they all were able to keep the same vision throughout the eight films. I know I will be listening to the film scores multiple times this fall semester as I study and do homework.
Since I ranked the books, I thought I would also rank the movies, from my favorite to least favorite:
The Prisoner of Azkaban
The Deathly Hallows—Part 1
The Order of the Phoenix
The Goblet of Fire
The Half-Blood Prince
The Deathly Hallows—Part 2
The Sorcerer's Stone
The Chamber of Secrets
I’m sad that my Hogwarts journey has come to an end and I’m arriving at King’s Cross Station, but part of the journey is the end. Maybe I’ll listen to a podcast or two. I know that my twin and I will marathon the films together sometime in the near future. I wouldn’t mind rereading Prisoner of Azkaban or Goblet of Fire again. These are good comfort books for when you need a bit of magic in your life.