A series completed: Analysis of all eight movies in one

You have seen Deathly Hallows Part Two. Ten years ago the first Potter movie hit the cinemas. Now years later we have reached the end. This thread looks back on those ten years and eight movies.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Who is your favourite music composer?
Which soundtrack is your favourite?
What is your favourite music track?

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
Best set design (props etc)?
Best special effects?
Best costumes?

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
Definitely DH Part 2. It rounds off the story very nicely and manages to put in everything that was significant in the book.
If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
Snape and Dumbledore's conversation in the Prince's Tale where Snape reveals his motives for protecting Harry all these years, and his horror that Harry was expected to die.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
I'm tossing between Alfonso Cuarón and David Yates, but I think I'll go with David Yates. DH Part 2 was just too amazing.
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
That would depend on which director, but I think it's nice to have some variety in the series.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
I think Draco's story was represented the best in the movies - they stayed loyal to the books and showed him as a nasty git in the first few movies, then the fear and stress he experienced from Voldemort when he was forced to try and kill Dumbledore, and then his eventual reluctance to help Voldemort (he didn't identify Harry at Malfoy Manor when he clearly knew it was him!). He evidently became a better man after the War (:

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Definitely Snape - he gets the wittiest, most memorable lines in the film and Alan Rickman steals every scene he's in with that menacing, cold demeanor and silky voice ;)
Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Alan Rickman - need I say more?

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Very - the music sets the mood and atmosphere of the film.
Who is your favourite music composer?
Alexandre Desplat.
Which soundtrack is your favourite?
DH Part 2 - listening to it right now (: The score's amazingly emotional.
What is your favourite music track?
Aaargh there's so many to choose from! Hedwig's Theme is an obvious one, but I also love Snape to Malfoy Manor <3 And Obliviate. Severus and Lily is amazing as well.
Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
Both parts of DH had great cinematography - big fan of Eduardo Serra's work. HBP was great as well; I think it was nominated at the Oscars for it.
Best set design (props etc)?
The Great Hall during the Yule Ball was beautiful.
Best special effects?
Love the dragons in all the movies - GoF first task dragon & the last movie's Gringotts dragon.
Best costumes?
I love Fleur's wedding dress in DH Part 1.

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
They'll never reflect how wonderful the books are, but then again, which movie series does? Considering how long the series is and the fact that all the movies have been great in their own way, I'm very satisfied with them. Can't believe they're over though! I'm still suffering from post-HP traumatic stress disorder :(

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
I chose OotP. I don't know why, but I will always have a soft spot for it. I think I will need to rewatch DH2, but i think that HBP, DH1 and DH2 are all tied for 2nd place, not far behind OotP at all.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
I really like the little things that tie everything together, so for that reason, I'll chose the Prince's Tale as it really does tie the whole series together.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Defiantly David Yates. I find all of his films miles ahead of the others.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
Probably, but like Yates said in an interview, no one would be able to survive all 8, especially since they were working with children who aged quickly.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
I think in the series as a whole, the coming of age of the trio is the most fleshed out, followed by the Harry vs Voldemort confrontation. Snape's plot is pretty good in the films too, but it just isn't given the same about of focus as the other plots.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
This is a tough one. Almost all the characters were portrayed very well.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
I don't quite understand this question, but all of the actors and actresses in the film did a splendid job :tu:.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
I find that music defines a scene. It draws you in and feeds you the emotions. I dislike films with limited music, and also films with limited variety in music.

Who is your favourite music composer?
Nicolas Hooper. I loved his fresh and excited work in OotP and HBP. Alexandre Desplat would most likely be second, but I was disappointed with his DH2 soundtrack, although Lily's Theme is beautiful.

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
HBP. It conveys the wide range of emotions that the film does really well, IMO.

What is your favourite music track?
Dumbledore's Farewell from HBP. It ripped me to pieces in HBP and it tore me apart when it reappeared in DH2.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
I don't take too much attention to this, but HBP had some of the most beautiful shots in it.

Best set design (props etc)?
I love the time-turner, but all of the sets and props in the film are amazingly made. Stuart Craig, Stephanie McMillian and the entire art department did a magical job (excuse the pun) bringing the sets and props to life!

Best special effects?
This is hard to say. Definately not PS (the quidditch match is so fake) but all of the other films have done quite an amazing and for the most part realistic looking job at portraying things that can not happen in the real world :lol:.

Best costumes?
Again this is hard to say. I do prefer the PoA onwards uniforms compared to the PS/CoS uniforms, but all of the films have amazing costume design.

Overall verdict

Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
I think I will have to watch DH2 again, but at the moment I think yes for the main part. Although the series doesn't actually feel like a series until OotP, this is like the books too, with the previous entries being single stories with minor plots continuing throughout.

I am very proud of these films. Although I can say they are not perfect (nothing ever is), it has brought me great entertainment and made be smile, laugh and cry. They've also made me find some amazing friends on this forum.

This is probably the soppiest post I've ever written - I'm almost crying just writing this - but that you WB, thank you Jo, and thank you CoS forums :).

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
I go for Prisoner of Azkaban, it's a breathe of fresh air after the Columbus age, and it threw the basics for Yates to do what he did now.
[
B]If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it? [/B]
The little chat between Harry and Lupin on the bridge in PoA, there was that kind of tragic emotion I found in the books translated to screen.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Alfonso Cuaròn.
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
No, I think it was regenerating for the series to have different point of views, but I'd replace Newell with someone else still today.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
I'd say the Draco story arc was fleshed out the best, the Trio to me looks the same from the first film.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Michael Gambon's Dumbledore! He has that whimsical air of wonder and humour that I find absolutely delicious.
Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Michael Gambon and David Thewlis, I had no idea who they were prior to HP.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Very, music creates and helps set up the mood.
Who is your favourite music composer?
Nicholas Hooper no doubt, he created a powerful score for HBP, sadly under used.
Which soundtrack is your favourite?
Half-Blood Prince
What is your favourite music track?
In Noctem

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
Prisoner of Azkaban
Best set design (props etc)?
Order of the Phoenix
Best special effects?
Well, Deathly Hallows Part 2, I'd be very surprised if this daesn't win an Oscar.
Best costumes?
Deathly Hallows 1 and 2.
[
B]Overall verdict[/B]
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?

Yes, even though Chamber of Secrets and Half-Blood Prince remain painful to watch to me, and curiously they're both connected in some way...the writer was inserting the HBP story in CoS you know, but HBP didn't need to be a rom-com, they had it wrong there.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?

POA will still always be my favourite. Cauron's eccentric camera shots, Dan's huge jump in acting ability and Snape's "Page 394" line are too good for me to say otherwise.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?

This is hard. I still to this day become an emotional wreck when Amos cries over his son's body. I think that moment is the most heartbreaking moment in the entire series, more so than dumbledore dying. Aberforths patronus or the prince's tale are now strong contenders for favourite scene tho.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?

I think Colombus captured the wizarding world from the books perfectly, tho Cauron added a wonerful sense of quirkyness.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?

Yes. I'm a continuity nut, and the Potter films have been a mess continuity wise. I feel the films should have been made as a series, not as stand alone films, which they were until about HBP.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.

The trio coming of age has always been the centre of the films, due to the three actors literally growing up on screen. Many of the other subplots mentioned above took a back seat in the middle few movies.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?

Casting has been the series strongest point. No one gives a bad performance. Alan Rickman has always been great, but having seen DH2, I found Snape much more sympathetic in the film than I did in the book due to his performance. And I dont think ive ever heard a single word delivered with such gravitas, weight and danger as "NOW."

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?

Not sure what this means, but I will say I was surprisingly impressed with Matt Lewis in DH2. His speech was genuinly moving.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?

I'm a muso and and a film music buff. To me, the music is one of the most important aspects of the films.

Who is your favourite music composer?

No one can beat John Williams, tho Doyle and Desplat certainly didnt disappoint. Not a big fan of Hooper, but I suspect if Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and In Noctem had made it in to HBP, my opinion would be different.

Which soundtrack is your favourite?

I have a soft spot for COS actually, tho recently I havent been able to get Lily's theme out of my head.

What is your favourite music track?

In Noctem. Shame its full version was cut.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?

possibly DH2. HBP was far too dark and murky/

Best set design (props etc)?

I really like POA's redesign of the castle and the character's wands. The astronomy tower is probs my favourite set

Best special effects?

DH2 hands down. I honestly didnt think they had that ability in them after Grawp.

Best costumes?

I love lucius's battle gear. Also, hermione's tops and jumpers in DH1 are all really well suited to her. Harry's jumper in the tent dancing scene however ...

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?

The continuity issue always bug me, and often the series didnt explain plot devices (the marauders map, priori incantatem, the taboo, the mirror shard). I do, however, appreciate David Yates' attempts to reconcile the films' differences (explicitly refering to Warwick Davis' character as Flitwick, combining the penseive designs, reintroducing the marauders map). Emotionally, i think the series has excelled. To literally watch Harry, Ron and Hermione grow up on screen gave the character's journey a sense of realism, as of course, Dan Rupert and Emma were going on their own journey. I enjoy the notion that casual viewers will now go back with renewed zeal and watch the earlier films with Snape's and Dumbledore's revelations in mind.

I do, however, appreciate David Yates' attempts to reconcile the films' differences (explicitly refering to Warwick Davis' character as Flitwick, combining the penseive designs, reintroducing the marauders map).

I agree. Yates did a very good job of tying the series together. I loved what he did with the pensieve in DH2 by connecting the two designs from GoF and HBP :)

The movies

I haven't seen Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, so I'll edit once I have.

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
Prisoner of Azkaban hands down. All the artistic aspects were top-notch, beautifully directed and casted, and the entire thing just makes me grin like an idiot.
[
B]If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it? [/B]
Yikes. I'd say either the Shrieking Shack or the part where the OotP comes into the department of mysteries. WAIT or the whole climax of Goblet of Fire.
Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Alfonso Cuaròn.
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
Columbus did well on the first two and did a good job drawing non-readers in, Cuaron obviously was spectacular in a completely different way. I think each director except Newell did a different job and that made the movies more interesting.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
I`d say the coming of age story. The different directors really accented that aspect of the story.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Rickman, Thewlis, and Oldman.
Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Matt Lewis really came into his own in the last 4 movies.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Somewhat, although moreso in the early movies than the later ones.
Who is your favourite music composer?
Williams. He defined the movies musically and wasn`t afraid to try something new.
Which soundtrack is your favourite?
Azkaban
What is your favourite music track?
The Hippogriff one

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
Prisoner of Azkaban (by faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar)
Best set design (props etc)?
Tie between Azkaban and Phoenix (the department of mysteries is beautiful but I didn`t like the veil room).
Best special effects?
Deathly Hallows Part 2
Best costumes?
I don`t really know
[
B]Overall verdict[/B]
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?

Goblet and Prince are misses, but other than that, I`m very happy with the series of movies.

Cool story. A total newbie to Harry Potter is watching and reviewing all the movies this week.

http://grabbagok.com/2011/07/11/the-harry-potter-project-a-harry-potter-virgin-watches-all-8-movies-in-5-days/

The movies
Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why? Deathly Hallows Part 2; David Yates and Steve Kloves prove once again - and once and for all - that they know HP and the world of Rowling's books inside and out, making stylistic and storytelling decisions that only enhance JKR's words and storyline (case in point being the decision to move Snape's death out of the Shrieking Shack, and the decision to have the final showdown between Voldemort and Harry range all over the entirety of the Hogwarts grounds)

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it? The Prince's Tale

Directing
Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World? David Yates

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies? Yes As to who I would want to have seen direct the series in its entirety, it comes down to a choice between Alfonso Cuaron and David Yates, with the nod going to Yates because of the masterful and genius way he adapted the final three books in the series.

Storytelling
Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? The Prince's Tale Severus Snape is by far my favorite character from the books and films, and, although it didn't seem like it at times, the films were able to perfectly capture his story and the various nuances of his character (thanks in part to the masterful performance of Alan Rickman).

Acting
Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)? Severus Snape Alan Rickman was perfectly cast, and played Snape perfectly from beginning to end, offering up subtle hints as to the true nature of the character (something he knew from very early on, having been given 'inside information' by JKR herself).

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series? Emphatically yes Despite liking some of the films moreso than others, I can honestly say that the producers, writers, directors, cast, and crew of the films have succeeded with flying colors in translating and adapting JKR's magnificently written and imaginative novels.

You have seen Deathly Hallows Part Two. Ten years ago the first Potter movie hit the cinemas. Now years later we have reached the end. This thread looks back on those ten years and eight movies.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
Prisoner of Azkaban. For me it just captures the spirit and emotion of the books the best, and I love Alfonso Cuaron as a director.
If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
I really can't. There are several. I guess the climactic sequences of every movie.(The time turner scene, the grave yard, the cave etc.) Right now though, I'm feeling like it might be the forest scene with Harry and his loved ones, but that's probably just because i'm fresh out of the cinema.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Alfonso Cuaron
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
Nah. I think any director, no matter how good, would get creatively exhausted doing the same project for 10 years.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
Probably just the story of all the kids growing up: The trio, Neville, Draco etc. Due to the constraints of cinema, pretty much all of the actual plots and story arcs were given short shrift to varying degrees.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Probably Harry.
Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Tom Felton, specifically in HBP. He came out of nowhere to give a great performance.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Very
Who is your favourite music composer?
Williams
Which soundtrack is your favourite?
Prisoner of Azkaban
What is your favourite music track?
A Window to the Past

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
Half-Blood Prince for sure
Best set design (props etc)?
I feel like you can't really single out any film here.
Best special effects?
Probably Deathly Hallows Part 2
Best costumes?
Can't single out a film.

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Yes. There will always be things to complain or nitpick about, but I think they did a dang fine job.

Overall verdict

Starting writing my HP film retrospective. Will see DH2 this weekend hopefully, it work doesn't interfere....it always does. But after having a HP film marathon last weekend, I noticed something. The lack of flow...well not the complete lack of it, you'll notice how you can put all 7 HP books into one book binding and the entire series just flows beautifully, almost perfectly. I find the movies lose flow after CoS. But gotta rewatch all as one before I put my final thoughts on them.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
Defenitely DH 1+2. DH is in my opinion the best book and the film(s) manage to tell the story of it in a fantastic way...and they add some differences that I like.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
The prince's tale.....what a brilliant summary of the Harry Potter story.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
I am not sure about that. Every one did a nice job, in his own way.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
Maybe. But it is good as it is.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Snape and Voldemort. Allan Rickman and Ralph Fiennes are just brilliant. No one would have done the job better!

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Daniel Radcliffe. If you want to estimate the quality of an actor you have to consider two things:
How well does the actor/actress manage to make his character "real" and how much does he differ from this character.
I think most of the people of the cast seem to be like their characters. Alan Rickman is quite a deep unsearchable man like Snape is. If you talk to him you don't know what he is thinking.
Ralph Fiennes also is quite scary in times though I doubt he is a nice man.
Emma Watson is very intelligent, she studies...Rupert Grint is afraid of spiders and has this typical Weasly-mantality......and so on.
But Daniel Radcliffe differs a lot from Harry. And though he makes the best of what the script gives to him. And this is what an actor has to do.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Music is soo important, especially in Harry Potter movies....
Who is your favourite music composer?
I like every soundtrack so I think I like every composer...but The music from the first films is bourned in my head very deep so I think it should be John Williams...

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
Don't know :/ I like them all.

What is your favourite music track?
Has to be Hedwig's theme. This gives me this typicall Harry Potter feeling :)

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?

I am. They are great but they cannot reach the books...I love this world, this story, these characters. And the films are a very good interpretation of them. Well done Warner Bros :)

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why? Probably DH1. I hate all of the movies. I can't enjoy them becuase every time I see the director changing or even completely skipping a part of the plot, I get annoyed a lot. However, DH1 had that one scene that wasn't in the films but fit perfectly. It is slightly out of character for Harry but I can't help but enjoy it.
If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it? In Noctem. Or the prince's tale just because it is my favourite book chapter.
Any scene with Alan Rickman is also a legitimate answer :p
Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World? David Yates probably.
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies? Depends on who would it be. I don't know if I'd want one of the 4 to do all the films though.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
Probably the romance between Hermione and Ron. I don't see any particular flaws there.
Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)? Snape
Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you? Alan Rickman

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies? Very.
Who is your favourite music composer? Nicholas Hooper.
Which soundtrack is your favourite? Half-blood prince.
What is your favourite music track? Snape & the Unbreakable Vow or Draco's mission.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography? Tough one. 3rd or 6th.
Best set design (props etc)? I like diagon alley in every movie, and how it progresses into a darker place. Hogwarts is usually very nice too. And the burrow is sweet.
Best special effects? Obviously DH2.
Best costumes? I liked a lot of them. My favourites would be most of the death-eaters, the snatcher leader and Serious in the 5th film.

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series? No I hatee them :)

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?

At the moment I'd say Deathly Hallows part 2, just because I'm so hyped up on it right now and I think it was done beautifully. Very close behind is Prizoner of Azkaban, that one has always been a very big favorite of mine and for some reason I can never put my mind on it as to why it is. It wasn't my favorite book but I love the way it was done.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
Oh god there are so many. The Patronus scene in POA, The Prince's Tale, the story of the three brothers.

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Columbus did brilliantly with the first two films in my opinion, for me he really brought the world to life, and then I loved how Curan then gave the next one a different feel it was a breath of fresh air the change in them.
I loved Yates, I admit I think he could work on the pace of his movies a bit more but otherwise I think he was my favorite director.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies? I'm not too sure, I think change is good but at the same time some directors have very different styles and sometimes it doesn't quite work. For me I was disappointed with GOF, I dislikes the directors style and wished they had kept with Alsono Curan.

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
No doubt about it, Alan Rickman and Snape. It was perfect, the way he delivered his lines.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Snape, especially in the last film. Also Neville too, seeing how much he has grown and changed.

How important has music been to you while watching the movies? I think it's very important, the music needs to give the right feel to the scene.

Who is your favourite music composer? I'll have to say John Williams because I loved his scores, but I am in love with the soundtracks for the Deathly Hallows movies.

Which soundtrack is your favourite? Prisoner of Azkaban.

What is your favourite music track? So many it is hard to choose. I loved the ones at the end of the first two movies which were a montage of all the different songs into one big one for the credits. I pretty much really enjoy the opening track to each score.

Which movie has the best cinematography? POA or DH
Best set design (props etc)? Diagon Alley, this one is hard to decide upon really there have been so many good sets.
Best special effects? DH2. I was rewatching the first few movies the other day and you can really see how special effects have developed over the ten years.

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
I am content with them. I think others are better than some of the movies, I'm very pleased with the first three movies and the last three, they really introduced it and ended it very well for me and I still enjoy watching those ones. I do enjoy OOTP, however I feel that the beginning could have been done and paced a lot better which is why I'm not too fond of that one nowdays, but I can live with it. For me it is unfortunately GOF that has not given the series as a whole the most potential for me, I didn't enjoy how that film was done, and that is what unsettles the middle of the series for me.
Otherwise I am extremely pleased, especially how it was all concluded. There will always be things we as fans didn't like, but we are so loyal to the books I don't think they could have ever made the films to our standards, but I've really enjoyed the past ten years and these 8 films.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why? Probably DH2, because this movie brought me to tears, which is a first for a movie. It's very emotional, but also action-packed. I LOVED all of the battle scenes and was very pleased with how the Trio, especially Harry, got to show off their skills and abilities, something that I thought was lacking from the actual book.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it? My favorite? I'm not sure if I could pick which one... although I did enjoy Hermione and Ron's first kiss. :) I was fist-pumping in my chair at the theater when I saw that.


Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World? I wish I could take Colombus, Cuaron, and Yates, and smush all of their portrayals together. I loved how wonderfully magical and exciting Colombus made the WW seem (Diagon Alley, anyone?), and I am also a fan of how fun and quirky Cuaron made the WW (the Leaky Cauldron, and the Night Bus), but I also liked how Yates connected the WW to the Muggle world (the Bridge scene in HPB), which made everything seem more real.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies? I don't think so. Like the books get darker and more mature as the series progresses, the movies do the same. I don't think, for example, Colombus could have mastered the Battle of Hogwarts scenes, or could Yates bring the innocence and wonder and fun to the first two films like Colombus did.


Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.

I think the Malfoy family as a whole was a good storyline. Of course there's Draco, who went from being a menace to a legitimate threat, to a bad guy who wants to turn good again. Also Lucius. In the beginning of CoS, he's a slimy, insulting, rich, powerful man who manages to give Ginny Riddle's diary and get Dumbledore to resign. But by DH1, Lucius is a weakened man, who's been to Azkaban and back, and who lost his reigns on the WW and his family, who is losing everything, and is desperate to keep anything he can. It's really well played.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)? Yikes, I would have to say Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall. She's tough and firm, but not mean, and she has that wry sense of humor found in the books. Good casting, WB.
Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you? huh-what? Weird question is weird.


Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies? Apart from SS/PS, it hasn't been all that important to me.
Who is your favourite music composer? Williams. Everybody recognizes Hedwig's Theme, it's so iconic.
What is your favourite music track? Again, Hedwig's Theme.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography? I know it's just one scene, but I really liked in GoF where the camera panned up over the maze, showing exactly how grand and dangerous it really was.

Best set design (props etc)? PoA. The Leaky Cauldron and the Knight Bus are both amazing pieces of art.

Best special effects? DH, both 1 and 2. Loved the fight scenes in DH2, and I was also blown away by the Three Brothers in DH1. That shadow-art was amazing and completely unexpected.

Best costumes? I liked Emma Watson's not-Hogwarts-uniforms. Perhaps it's not really a "costume" costume, but I still like them.

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?

Absolutely. Harry Potter has defined the past ten years of my life. Even though there are some things that, as fans, we will never be happy with, the series overall has been excellent. It brought the characters and the Wizarding World itself to life. It's hard to believe that it's all gone.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
Deathly Hallows - Part Two because I feel as if it was the best adaptation of the novel. It also captured the emotions of the book and I felt it was powerful in moments. The acting was superb and it was truely spectacular to watch.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
Snapes's Death Scene - that moment was powerful and beautifully acted.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
I'd probably have to say David Yates.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
Probably not - a mixture added diversity to the series

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
Coming of Age story was done well because of the continunity of the trio actors and they grew and changed with each movie.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
I'd probably have to say Snape (with the exception of GOF - the hitting Harry and Ron on the head with books was unsnapish)

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Alan Rickman as Snape

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Not a massive deal.

Who is your favourite music composer?
Not Sure

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
I like Hooper's Half Blood Prince soundtrack

What is your favourite music track?
Obliviate from DH1 or Journey To the Cave or Opening from HBP

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
HBP or DH2

Best set design (props etc)?
I'd probably say PS??

Best special effects?
Definitely DH2

Best costumes?
Not Sure

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Yes, most definitely. GOF and OOTP were weak points but as a whole the series is fantastic.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
Cant say for sure. but here it goes
1.POA
2.DHP1
3.DHP2
4.OOTP
5.SS
6.GOF
7.COS
8.HBP

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
Honestly cant do it. Maybe whenever the trio is together!

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Best movie was POA. But potraying the magical world had to be Yates.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
At first I always thought yes but the more I think about it I change my mind. Reasons are. Director could get tired and worn out and rush the film and more importantly the tone of the books change from light to dark around book 4. The bringing in of Yates really felt like a good transisition. Based on film 1/2 could u see how the rest of the series had gone based on that route. Good films but hmmm.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.

hmmm. very tough to say...I would say Trio but compring books to movies is hard on that because they have so many more moments together in the book......Maybe id go with Harry Vs Voldemort



Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Emma Watson HANDS DOWN. Richard Harris close second.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Emma Watson. So brilliant especially P1 of DH

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Lately very important honestly.
Who is your favourite music composer?
John Williams (SS,COS,POA)
Which soundtrack is your favourite?
3rd. So different but very catchy.
What is your favourite music track?
Theme song of course. But other then that. Double Trouble

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
All Yates movies
Best set design (props etc)?
All Yates movies
Best special effects?
DHP1/P2
Best costumes?
OOTP

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Yes very. After watching SS in theatres thats when I grabbed the books and read them. Never would I have read them without the first movie so I owe it all to them.
The movies and books may have ended but Harry Will live on forever.

The Movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
I think POA or DH2, with HPB and DH1 tied for third. POA created such a different feel after the Columbus Era that it really set the tone for the rest of the series. DH2 was just an epic film. *Note that I'm a little biased, as I am still digesting DH2.*

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
Tie here between Snape's death and Amos' reaction to his son's death. Both were profoundly moving.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Cuaròn, but both Yates and Columbus did their respective films justice given the different climates of each film. I am not displeased with Newell, but the magic wasn't there for me.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
Each film has a different feel to it. Unless a director exists who would have been able to adapt (there isn't one), then no.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies?
The Marauders... Oh wait. :grumble: Probably the connection between Harry and Voldemort. DH2 was very graceful in that respect.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
No character has been portrayed poorly, but I stand in awe of Alan Rickman.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
A revelation? Hmm... Matthew Lewis.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Crucial to the success of the film.

Who is your favourite music composer?
Williams for creating the sound of my childhood, and Desplat for having the appreciation to incorporate elements of all the scores into the final film.

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
DH2, which includes PS and HBP elements.

What is your favourite music track?
Hedwig's Theme, with Lily's Theme a distant 2nd.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
DH1 or POA.

Best set design (props etc)?
Wow... Um... PS for creating the world and POA for expanding it.

Best special effects?
A no-brainer here for DH2

Best costumes?
PS for creating the world.

Overall Verdict

Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Words cannot express what this series, both in book and film form, has meant to my life so far, as well as what it will mean to me in the future. I am very happy with the films as a completed series. While continuity as a series and faithfulness to the books remain two of the biggest problems, the scale of the artwork that has been created transcends these faults. Mischief Managed!

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
dh2. it captured the essence of the battle in an awesome way, though I still desperately miss the idea of them fighting in the great hall. snape's scenes were nothing short of fantastic. rickman deserves and oscar.
If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
the prince's tale and snape's death.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
yates
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
yes, yates. altho POA was awesome, too.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
snape as dumbledore's inside man.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
snape and ron
Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
mcgonagall

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
besides hedwig's theme, not very.
Who is your favourite music composer?
don't have one.
Which soundtrack is your favourite?
can't say
What is your favourite music track?
no clue

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
dh2
Best set design (props etc)?
dh2
Best special effects?
dh2
Best costumes?
dh2, ootp, ps

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
yes.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?

I would have to see DH:2 again before I can accurately judge that one but after seeing it once its probably second to PoA. That movie just captures the magical world.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?

The Penseive scene in DH:2 where Snape's whole character is revealed is great. But for some reason the beginning to PoA is just awesome. The dinner with Marge and the Knight Bus just have great music and dialogue I don't really know how to describe it. Also love Buckbeak's Flight with Harry.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?

Cuaron.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?

I liked the variety. It would be interesting to see how Yates or Cuaron would've done with the whole series.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.

I absolutely love the Snape arc. But the Coming of Age arc was done really well too.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?

Rickman

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?

Grint has gotten a lot better, and Lewis has been fantastic OotP and on.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?

Immensely important. I'm a music buff.

Who is your favourite music composer?

John Williams, without a doubt.

Which soundtrack is your favourite?

PoA. Also like PS, DH:2, and GoF.

What is your favourite music track?

I've always really liked Mischief Managed in PoA because its such an awesome montage of music, but the song that played in the epilogue scene, Leaving Hogwarts from PS, now just takes up a whole new level of meaning.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?

PoA, DH:2 close second.

Best special effects?

DH:2

Best costumes?

PoA

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?

Definitely.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
I'd say Deathly Hallows: Part 2, amazing battles and action.
If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
I'd say the flashbacks of Snape in the final film, they did an amazing job of showing the real Snape we, the audience, had never saw.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
I'll say Yates.
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
No, although certain things were inconsistent I think the franchise would've gotten stale with just one director, Like it or not, Columbus' first two films just seemed too dull and I'm not sure he could've handled the other films.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?

Snape and Draco.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
Half-Blood Prince
Best special effects?
Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Definitely, while they were far from perfect each director did a great job contributing to the Potter movie franchise in a different way.

The movies
Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
I think Part 2. Just because of the events, the acting, everything. And it was the most accurate, with the least amount of material cut, I believe.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
The Prince's Tale and I don't even need to think about it. I have never seen better acting. Ever. They made it interesting to watch. You have Snape and Dumbledore talking for about 10-15 seconds, then a flashback to Godric's Hollow, which, by the way, was a fabulous addition and definitely hit everything home for me. If that hadn't been in there I don't think I would have cried.

Directing
Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
It is kind of hard to say because the WW changes throughout the films, but Columbus's style worked quite well. Obviously Yates emphasized the darker side of the WW which I thought was good and believable.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
No. It is interesting to see how certain directors portray the Potterverse and how they thought certain things should look. I've been happy with all the Yates movies though.

Storytelling
Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
Well obviously we got a lot of Harry vs. Voldemort but Alan Rickman, being awesome, helped the Snape/Dumbledore storyline along quite well.

Acting
Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
I feel bad for not saying any of the trio, but I think Rickman got Snape so well it's not even funny. And it took watching HPDH2 to make me see that.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Alan Rickman, for those reasons mentioned above.

Music
How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
The soundtrack is with any film, the most important component. I feel so strongly about this, too. The way I see it, "You could have fantastic acting and horrible music and the music will ruin the acting. But if you have horrible acting and fantastic music, you stand a chance of being saved." That is my quote. :D

Who is your favourite music composer?
I feel inclined to say Williams, but honestly, Desplat has given me something to love forever. Desplat's music blends so well with the film. Williams helped to paint the image of the Wizarding World. I also loved Hooper's score.

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
I have a good deal of trouble trying to pick one. I think PoA's and DH pts 1&2 were amazing.

What is your favourite music track?
Nope. I can't possibly pick one. Although I have always been blown away by "Statues."

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.
Which movie has the best cinematography?
I'm actually going to say Part 1. I think they really seized an oppurtunity there.

Best set design (props etc)?
Hmm...HBP.

Best special effects?
Part 2.

Best costumes?
I have no idea. :whistle:

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Yes, very. All except for GoF. Notice how I said nothing about it. But the last 4 movies were really, really good and I do think they were rounded off nicely.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
I'd have to say DH2, just because I love the ebb and flow of the battle, the Gringott's sequence is simply spot on, and The Prince's Tale... There are no words.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
This one is hard. I think the most heartrendingly beautiful moment is seeing Tonks and Lupin in the great hall after their deaths, their hands nearly touching. I held it together until then, but that one moment made me cry like a baby.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
It's a close one, but I'd have to say Yates.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
No, I love the variety. Just as all of the characters and the books change, I feel like the different directors bring a wonderful new perspective each time.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
I feel like the obvious is the trio, but for me, I think my favorite is the evolution of Voldemort. How he moves from a parasite, to a weak creature, to a powerful wizard, and then his unraveling as his horcruxes are destroyed.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
I feel like my favorites are a tie between Helena B-C (I have a soft spot for Bellatrix), Maggie Smith as McGonagall, and, of course, Alan Rickman as Snape.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Hmm, I'd have to say Emma Watson.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
I feel like it ties it all together, and it's very important.

Who is your favourite music composer?
Ooh, tough one. I'm going to say Desplat.

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
DH1

What is your favourite music track?
Farewell to Dobby, nearly has me in tears every time.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
DH1

Best set design (props etc)?
Oh, hmm... DH2, I love the intricacy of the RoR.

Best special effects?
OotP, the battle at the Ministry is exquisite (imo)

Best costumes?
GoF, I absolutely love the Yule Ball scene.

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Yes, of course they are quite different from the books, but judging them separately, they were fantastic.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
It was Chamber of Secrets but now...Its Deathly Hallows Part 2. Why? Hahaha..hahahah! DH2 was executed so perfectly, there are no words!

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
The Prince's Tale! It was so good!!!

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Yates. Bro knows whats up. Columbus was fine for the first two films but as the series progressed, we needed a more...artistic direction.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
Ultimately, yes but the way it works now is ok. Each film has its own feel to it.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
The growth of the trio is huge. Its possibly the best thing about the films. Also Voldemort's own development.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Alan Rickman no contest. He was the best. He could do things with Snape that no one could possibly do. Daniel Radcliffe also gets honorable mention. Hes come such a long way and its wonderful!

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Dan Radcliffe and Emma Watson both. I see huge futures for them.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
It is important. We need it to capture the mood.

Who is your favourite music composer?
John Williams.

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
Prisoner of Azkaban. I do like Sorcerer's Stone as well.

What is your favourite music track?
You know, i cant really answer that...

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
Ohhhhhh thats a tough one! I really liked the cinematography of Half Blood Prince. Both DH movies as well.

Best set design (props etc)?
I loved the sets of the first two films a lot. But Prisoner Of Azkaban's change of Hogwarts worked really well. OoTP gets special mention for Grimmauld Place.

Best special effects?
Deathly Hallows Part 2. Easily.

Best costumes?
The last 4 films.

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
I am actually. Sure, Goblet of Fire was the weakest of the lot but i think as a whole, the films are great on their own.

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?

Split between DH1 and DH2 - they're the only two movies which stay extremely close to the text without being detrimental to the film. Not sure about my favorite moment because I haven't watched the movies enough to know for sure.


Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?

David Yates, without a doubt. Cuaron second. Columbus got the job done in PS and CS but I'm glad he was replaced. I only wish one of Cuaron, Yates or someone like that could have directed GoF - Newell was awful.

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.

Snape's story was portrayed brilliantly, but I'm biased because that's one of my favorite arcs. Only flaw was that it made him a bit too good - obscured his deep complexity and genuine character flaws. I just wish they gave more for Rickman to do either way.

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?

My favorite portrayals are Snape, Luna and McGonagoll. I think they're the only three who I visualize, and read in their voices, when I read the books.


Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?[/QUOTE]

Yes. Only two things that stick out for me - the watered down Marauders arc, extremely watered down GoF plot (virtually everything in GoF actually).

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
I really can't pick between DH Pt. 1 and DH Pt. 2. They were both phenomenal to me. I think that Part 1 had some of the greatest character developing moments for the trio. I loved the pacing. It was the first film that I felt didn't feel too rushed. I absolutely loved it.
And then Part 2 comes along and has some of the most thrilling action scenes. The battle was fantastic. I am thoroughly pleased with the the series finale. It perfectly conveyed the emotion of the book, despite minor tweaks here and there. It left me satisified with the way the film series ended, and crying because it was over.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
Well right now, because DH2 is still fresh in my mind, I am still amazed at how excellent "The Prince's Tale" was. I cannot get the image of Alan Rickman's portrayal of Snape, crying and holding Lily's body, out of my head. Gave me goosebumps and had me in tears.

Another moment that also stands out to me though, is Ron destroying the locket horcrux. Incredible scene, and it showed tremendous growth in the trio's acting. Dan and Emma were perfectly eerie and haunting in the way they taunt Ron. Ron's emotional reaction is fantastic. The whole look of the scene--perfect.

So--I've cheated and named two moments. Sue me. :rotfl:


Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
David Yates.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
Yes. I've been so pleased with how Yates has done the final films, that I have to wonder how the series would have been if he had done the whole thing. The shifting directors I think actually hurt the films a bit. It messed up the continuity. The series could have really benefited from one single director all the way through, though I realize perhaps this was not convenient because directing 8 films back to back would have been a pretty tall order.

I also like Alfonzo Cuaron, as POA is near the top of my list. With DH1 & 2 equally sharing the top spot, POA ties for my next favorite with HBP.

Maybe it would have been interesting for Yates and Cuaron to split the films--each doing 4. I wonder how that would have been.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
Well, it's definitely got to be the trio's coming of age. Watching them grow up on screen before our eyes through the tale is one of the most intriguing things about the films--and I think this is also true of the books. It is the story of Harry, Ron, and Hermione that gets people hooked. And because the 'coming of age' bit for the trio is embedded within the whole series, it has to be the most fleshed out.

Harry vs Voldemort would be the next major storyline--though this too, I believe is a part of the coming of age storyline. We watch Harry, as this wide-eyed small little boy who knew nothing about the wizarding world grow into a young man who has been slowly working his way up to becoming strong enough the face his fears and ultimately save the wizarding world.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Script wise -- The trio.

Acting wise -- Alan Rickman as Snape and Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix stand out to me most. Alan Rickman as Snape is simply incredible. The Prince's Tale. No words. Just brilliant.

Helena was able to bring so much life and menace to her relatively small role. She managed to be a scene-stealer whenever she was onscreen, even if it was just for a few minutes. Even the very brief depiction of her coming out of Azkaban in OOTP stands out. Her introduction into the series was powerful, and her exit was powerful. And by the time we get to DH, I'd say Dan, Emma, and Rupert too. The series turned them into some pretty fine actors by the end.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
See my answer above regarding Dan, Emma, and Rupert. ;)

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
I must admit, I'm not one of the people that gets very caught up in the music. I don't listen to or buy the soundtracks for instance. Just not my thing. However, while watching the films, the music fits perfectly. I guess since I'm never consciously thinking about the music and it just always feels that it is simply a natural part of whatever scene is playing--the music serves its purpose successfully.

I do, however, love Hedwig's Theme. I'd recognize it anywhere. And I think it has earned its place in history as one of the most recognizable pieces of music.

Who is your favourite music composer?
N/A.

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
N/A.

What is your favourite music track?
Hedwig's Theme. :D

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
DH Part 1.

Best set design (props etc)?
DH Part 2.

Best special effects?
DH Part 2. The giants were decent this time. :D

Best costumes?
Hmm. Well, I think I've got to say Sorceror's Stone for this one. Because it was the first, and things actually looked witch-and-wizardly. The costumes became more casual as time went on. But SS is the beginning, and while it is now last on my list now when ranking favorites, the look of SS drew me in just as the SS book when I first read it. It was just so magical. :)

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?[/QUOTE]
Yes. :agree:

And just like the books, I am so sad to see it end, but so happy to have experienced it and to belong to the "Original" Harry Potter generation. An incredible gift from J.K. Rowling that I will always be thankful for.

The movies
Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
So hard, but I'm going with DH part 1. It'll probably be part 2 after I see it again... right now my mind is just reeling, I can't look back on it rationally.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
I love everything about the doe scene in DH part 1, starting with Harry jumping into the lake and ending with Ron and Harry walking back to the tent to find Hermione. Great moment for Ron, great successful moment for the trio! Ooh, and also the Shrieking Shack seen in PoA. I loved the mix of humor and suspense; I laugh every time Sirius announces Pettigrew's presence and points to Scabbers (on Ron's lap) and Ron says "me???".

Directing
Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Yates

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
I think it works the way it is. The books are all different in mood; the first two, for example, seem so much more lighthearted, and the difference in directors definitely shows that. SS and CoS seem almost like novelties; I don't mean that in a bad way at all, just that it was more about getting a feel for the Wizarding World.

Storytelling
Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies?
Hmm, I'm going to say the coming of age stories, but not necessarily the trio. I'm thinking Neville, Draco... I keep thinking of Draco in the first movie, going from childishly sneering at Ron and being thoroughly irritated at Slytherin losing the house cup, to Draco at the end of the series, given the task of killing Dumbledore, and then that hesitation in his eyes when his parents call him over in part 2.... ugh.

Acting
Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
I probably wouldn't have said this last week, but Snape.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Alan Rickman is just fantastic but he's always been great. I'm going to go with Tom Felton.

Music
How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Very. It completely sets the tone.

Who is your favourite music composer?
Williams, because his music is just so iconic to the series. I really like Desplat, too, though.

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
I'm not sure.

What is your favourite music track?
Hedwig's Theme, because, come on. I do like Lily's Theme a lot, too.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.
Which movie has the best cinematography?
Ooh, tough. OotP, maybe.

Best set design (props etc)?
DH part 2.

Best special effects?
Not even a question, DH part 2.

Best costumes?
DH part 1.

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Yes, yes, yes. Looking back on it, the movies were so instrumental in amplifying my love of Harry Potter. I love all the actors and actresses; thinking about some random brunette as Hermione is so strange. It has to be Emma Watson. Hogwarts is perfect, the Burrow, Diagon Alley... it just all feels right. There's a few things I'd change here and there, a few lines I think are silly, a few moments of which I preferred the book's version, but overall, the movies are fabulous supplements to the books.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
Prisoner of Azkaban. I still think it's the film which does the best job of being able to stand alone as a film, while at the same time being a faithful adaptation of the material. It's the point at which they started to focus on telling the story and not just including everything for the sake of it, and there's a truly magical atmosphere due to the cinematography. And it has the best soundtrack.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?

You've really got me thinking now ... Probably The Prince's Tale. Thought that whole segment was beautifully handled, and conveyed all the necessary information in a visually interesting and very moving way.

Directing
Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Cuaron. He really got the magic and the whimsy, and also the underlying darkness, of it all. And it's his style that all the rest of followed on from.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
I'm not sure I would. In theory it would have been great, and provided a consistency, but in practice I can't imagine one director committing to that, and if they did, they'd have been thoroughly exausted by it by the end. I can't imagine the finished product wouldn't have suffered because of that.

Storytelling
Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
Harry's coming-of-age, I think. Focusing the films from 3-onwards entirely on Harry was what needed to be done, and they placed his journey at the heart of the whole thing.

Acting
Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy is just spot-on in every respect. It's a fantastic performance, and there isn't enough of him. Close behind - Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort, Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Tom Felton in HBP - I didn't know he had a performance like that in him. He was excellent. Closely followed by Emma Watson in DH part 1, for the same reason.

Music
How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Very important, and one of my complaints with the later films is not only the lack of memorable soundtracks, but also the lack of themes from earlier films being re-used. Changing directors I can live with, same with composers, but there should at least have been an attempt to keep some kind of thematic unity through the score.

Who is your favourite music composer?
I know it's boring to say it, but John Williams, purely for PoA.

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
PoA by some distance. It's an unusual score for John Williams, and it has a magic and a sadness to it that suits the film perfectly.

What is your favourite music track?
"Window to the Past". One of the best pieces of film music in the last 10 years.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.
Which movie has the best cinematography?
PoA
Best set design (props etc)?
I liked OotP, for the Ministry of Magic/Grimmauld Place sets.
Best special effects?
DH part 2.
Best costumes?
Hard to pick, they're pretty consistent all the way through.

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Yes, I'd say so. It got off to a bit of an uninspiring start, picked up massively with PoA, and has stayed pretty consistent since then. I actually can't say it's let me down at all from PoA onwards, which is a nice thing to be able to say. How well it works as a series, I won't know until I sit down and watch them all in order, but pretty well, I imagine - about as well as any series made over 10 years could work.

My favorite movie was and still is POA. I really don't know about my favorite moment in the movies.

The music has been very important. The music has the potential to make a film for me, though I'm not sure if it could break a film for me. When the music works well, it really enhances my connection to the movie, to the characters, to the moment. POA was my favorite soundtrack (SS was good, too) and, thus, John Williams was my favorite HP composer. I'm not sure of the name of my favorite track, but it's the one where Harry, Hermione, and Sirius are on Buckbeak, the one used at the beginning of the GOF teaser trailor (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md83SeFG9VQ).

Overall, I'm happy with the HP movie series. The ending was not as good as it should have been (the last movie didn't seem to fit with the series as a whole, in my opinion), but overall, I'm satisfied.

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
For me the music has been a big part of the movies for me because of my musical background having played the flute for 7 years. I wanted the music to be good and be a genuine reflection of the films and books themselves. I thought for the most part they did that.

Who is your favourite music composer? John Williams for coming up with Hedwigs theme. That man is brilliant!

Which soundtrack is your favourite? Probably PoA or a tie between 7 part one and two
What is your favourite music track? Hedwigs theme, Obliviate, or A New Beginning. A new beginning really reminds me of a lullaby. When the bells come in and the strings start to slow the tempo its almost like you can hear Harry's mother telling him "It's over son, I'm so proud of you. Sleep now and all will be well." Or you could look at it from Harry's point of view and feel him breathe a sigh of relief that it's over it's all over.


Which movie has the best cinematography? PoA hands down!
Best set design (props etc)? PoA hands down!
Best special effects? GoF or maybe DH 2
Best costumes? GoF because of the Yule Ball


Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series? I am. JKR wasn't kidding when she said that when it's over it's over! Looking at the series as a whole you can really see the growth of the characters as the readers age. Just looking at SS and DH 2 the scenes are more graphic and the story is much more complicated. I will miss getting fired up about the upcoming films or the new book thats on it's way but I think the films did the books justice and now I can sit back and enjoy reading the books and watching the films together. I doubt there will ever be another book or series of books that have captured the hearts of so many people! We all could do well to remember the lessons learned from the characters of these books and even mimic the characteristics of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Snape. I believe this world would be a much better place if there were more of those characters like that in this world.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
~Deathly Hallows 2. It was so well done. The acting was amazing, the effects were amazing, and it was just an excellent movie!

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
~Oh jeez. This is a tough one. I pretty much am obsessed with every minute of every movie. But I do like the epilogue of DH 2.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
~David Yates. He is such a great director, and I feel like the film really came together with him.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
~No. I think it is good to get a little bit from each director.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
~Harry vs Voldemort. It just seems to surreal the way that it all comes together.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
~I have to go with Daniel Radcliffe. (I know - everyone can come hit me with a stick and start protesting now.) But I think he portrays Harry very well (especially in DH 2!). I just think that he is a fantastic actor who was perfect for the role of Harry.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
~Daniel Radcliffe. (again). I really do think that he does the best job with making the piece of script he is given sound so real.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
~So important! I get all excited when it comes on.

Who is your favourite music composer?
~John Williams.

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
~DH 2. There are so many good tracks on it. :) I also really like GOF and OOTP.

What is your favourite music track?
~Hedwig's Theme. It's so classic!

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
~That's a hard question. But I think I have to say DH 2. The lighting and other effects were very well done.

Best set design (props etc)?
~GoF. They did a fantastic job with all the props for the Triwizard Cup. But I also like DH 2. The scenery from the Battle of Hogwarts was amazing, too.

Best special effects?
~DH 2. (Again.) But I think they really did do a great job with the battle.

Best costumes?
~Please don't ask me to answer that. I love all the costumes. :)

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
~Yes. They were the best movies in the world. They have been such a big part of me, and now that they are over, I am so sad. I can't believe that there will never be another movie. I love you, Harry James Potter, and I always will. <3

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2. Because it had all the elements from the book it needed to have to make me happy, had excellent acting, had good script choices as to what to cut out/simplify, had gorgeous special effects, and was suspenseful and thrilling to watch.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?

Perhaps the confrontation between Harry and Snape in DH2.

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?

Yates, but he had the most opportunity as well. :)

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?

No, I think having a few different ones was a good idea. It is not like a single director could have had a vision from the start that she or he would follow, anyway. The series was not written yet!

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.

The Ron/Hermione romance, I think. I enjoyed them and their interactions from the start, and liked how it was tied up in DH.

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?

Alan Rickman as Severus Snape. He did so much with so little. :love:

Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?

Delighted. :D Chris Columbus was lucky, or brilliant, or both, in his casting of the young actors. All the main ones were able to stay with the series until the end, and they all improved as they grew and the material needed them to. I consider this to be most true of Dan Radcliffe. DH2 could not have been what it was without his excellent performance, and I think he was able to deliver it because he took steps to work on his acting and gain different work experiences as he grew up. He did not have to do this!

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
Deathly Hallows Part 2 - it was shot wonderfully and combined emotional drama with spectacle. I also love Prisoner of Azkaban and Half-Blood Prince.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
Probably the Prince's Tale. Having said that, the whole final act of Deathly Hallows Part 2 is wonderful.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
It's an easy tie between David Yates and Alfonso Cuaron. But I'll go for Yates.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
No. I like the changes in visual style, even if the continuity was a little hurt in the process. I would love to see what Yates and Cuaron would have done with the rest of the films.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
Since we spend most of the time with the trio, I'll say their story.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Severus Snape.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Matt Lewis.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Extremely important.

Who is your favourite music composer?
John Williams. Alexandre Desplat is a close second.

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
Philosopher's Stone.

What is your favourite music track?
Oh this is difficult. I can't pick. Some of my favourites include, but are not limited to, A Window to the Past, In Noctem and the Resurrection Stone. I can't pick a favourite!

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
Half-Blood Prince.

Best set design (props etc)?
They're all fantastic.

Best special effects?
The Dragon is Deathly Hallows Part 2 was phenomenal.

Best costumes?
Every film has superb costume design.

Overall verdict

Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Yes, very much so. I feel some plot points need to be ironed out a tad more and the continuity is all over the place, but that doesn't take away from my opinion that we have been blessed with these films. I love them all, not only as good Harry Potter films, but good films in general.

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
This is quite hard to pick! I'd go with Half Blood Prince and Prisoner of Azkaban. I did like Deathly Hallows 2, but I need to watch it again before I can decide how much I love it.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
Tough to pick just one, again. But I loved the whole Battle of Hogwarts and Neville slaying Nagini.

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Yates and Cuaron.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
Yes, I think so.

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies?
The relationship between the trio, so naturally and beautifully done. I suspect aided by the chemistry between Dan, Rupert and Emma in real life.

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Harry and Snape. Special mentions for McGonagall and Neville in the last movie.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Dan Radcliffe. It took me a long time to get used to him as Harry, but he's been brilliant, especially in the last movie. Evanna Lynch and Matthew Lewis need a mention too.

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Very. I cannot imagine the movies without Hedwig's Theme, for instance.

Who is your favourite music composer?
John Williams and Alexander Desplat.

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
Hedwig's Theme, Fireworks (Nicholas Hooper, OOTP), Lily's Theme

What is your favourite music track?
Philosopher's Stone

Which movie has the best cinematography?
PoA, DH Part 2

Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Yes, but I do think it could have been much better :)

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
OK, I chose POA, but I wish I could take back my vote and put GOF instead. GOF is seriously underrated! I love it just as much as POA, and it is those two films that really made me fall in love with Harry Potter. They both are full of magic, really make the wizard world come alive for me, and most of all above everything, have two absolutely wonderful soundtracks. Plus, I can keep watching them over and over again without getting bored.
I can't actually believe OOTP has got more votes than GOF. OOTP is by far the worst, and was the disappointment of my life. Seriously, it was. I considered giving up on the films after OOTP. I had such high expectations for it, I expected another masterpiece like the first four but it was a total flop.
If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
I can't choose one. My favourite moments have always been Buckbeak's flight in POA and the first task in GOF. Both have amazing scenery and the best music. Pretty close now will be the Prince's Tale. I thought that, for Yates, was pretty darn amazing.

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Well, probably Cuaron. I think he *got* the wizarding world the best, but I think all the first three directors did fine.
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
No... I don't think that would have worked. But hey, if Cuaron had wanted to do all of them i'd be far from complaining!
Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies?Snape by far!

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Snape, Hagrid...McGonagall... Harry...
Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
I don't know... Alan Rickman has been amazing.

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
OMG! The music is everything! If I don't like the music, I find it really hard to like the film. Hence, why I lost alot of my enthusiasm for the films after Patrick Doyle left. To be quite frank, I found Hooper's scores too quiet, short, dull and boring. I don't really have an opinion on Desplat.
Who is your favourite music composer?
John Williams and Patrick Doyle! I love them both! I just listen to the soundtracks in my head all the time... they really captured the beauty of Hogwarts in my opinion.
Which soundtrack is your favourite?
POA and GOF.
What is your favourite music track?
God, so many. Buckbeak's Flight, Window to the Past, Double Trouble, Fawkes the Phoenix, Harry in Winter, the Golden Egg, Leaving Hogwarts, the second task music (can't remember track name), basically, any from films 1-4. :D

Which movie has the best cinematography?
I'm not sure what that means but... i'll say POA.
Best set design (props etc)?
I couldn't choose.
Best special effects?
Any from POA and GOF, they were incredible. DH 2 wasn't too bad though, the dragon was beautiful.
Best costumes?
I don't know

Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Honestly? No. OOTP was awful. I think they made a mistake in choosing David Yates as director, he really changed the series... badly.
Still DH part 2 was an improvement... mostly.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
DH2. I found it the most emotional and exciting. Was never boring for a second and the perfect ending to the series.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
I adored the whole of the Great Hall scene with McGonagall getting rid of Snape and all the preparations for the Battle - that was definitely a series highlight.

Also, when Harry says goodbye to Ron and Hermione and Hermione says 'I'll come with you' and Harry and Ron exchange a heart-breaking look. That killed me.

Also, in HBP when Hermione is crying on the stairs about Ron kissing Lavender. I don't know why, but them growing up really hit me in that scene and it was very emotional.

Loads of PS scenes, like "...before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed, or WORSE, expelled"... "She needs to sort out her priorities."

But also, just the trio standing on the Platform at the end of the Epilogue. A fitting send-off.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
Probably Alfonso Cuaron, I thought he captured the essence and feel of it best. Even if I'll never forgive him for leaving out the Marauder's backstory.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.

I think it has to be the coming of age story of the trio. That really has come across brilliantly and always been believable and well-acted and incredibly emotional. We have seen their childhood progress.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Probably Snape - always perfect. Others include McGonagall and to an extent Ron. Out of all the characters I think Ginny got the worst portrayal in the script, which is a shame since Bonnie seems to be a decent actress.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Probably Alan Rickman again. The stand-out of the whole series as far as I see.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Incredibly important, scenes can be destroyed by an average score.

Who is your favourite music composer?
Probably John Williams - he just made it. Alexandre Desplat was also brilliant, but no one could recreate the magic.

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
Philosopher's Stone, without question. It just defines the series.

What is your favourite music track?
Leaving Hogwarts. It always makes me cry!

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
Prisoner of Azkaban, for me.

Best set design (props etc)?
Again Azkaban, or possibly DH2

Best special effects?
DH2, but that's expected with advancing technology. And the battle allowed them to really show off.

Best costumes?
I really like Ootp for this actually. If they're gonna wear muggle clothes - I like the trios ones here.

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Indeed. It was splendid. There were failings but there were always going to be. They did very well.

I love all of the movies, but Deathly Hallows Part 2 was my favorite. The book is much better but I still loved the movie so much. I think it was beautifully done (though not perfect, some of the mistakes bothered me a little) but overall the parts I love outweigh the parts I dislike. I cried through about a third of it the first time I saw it, including crying when the title came on the screen....haha. Does anyone else feel this way? Because almost all the posts I see are about people saying what they didn't like about the movie.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why? DHP2. I can't even describe it in words. It was a magnificent emotional journey.
If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it? That's so hard! Hmm. I love the Prince's Tale. But its so sad :'(

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World? Yates and Cuaron
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies? I like the way it turned out.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc. Hmmm. Probably Harry vs Voldemort. Every film has really been leading up to their final battle.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)? Severus Snape
Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you? Daniel Radcliffe. Ever since POA he keeps getting better as Harry!

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies? I think the Harry Potter music is perfect. It really sets the tone.
Who is your favourite music composer? John Williams
Which soundtrack is your favourite? I'm not sure.
What is your favourite music track? Hedwig's Theme, because it reminds me of the excitement of going to the movie releases. :) Also Leaving Hogwarts because it makes me cry.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography? POA
Best set design (props etc)? DHP2
Best special effects? DHP2
Best costumes? Can't pick

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series? YES. They are all I ever wanted and more.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2. The Battle of Hogwarts was just phenomenal, the performances by this great cast was absolutely outstanding, and they nailed the big moments. Gringotts, the preparation for the battle was AMAZING sending chills up my spine, the battle itself, the Chamber of Secrets, the RoR, Snape's death scene, The Prince' Tale, The Forest Again, the speeches by Voldemort and Neville, and than the big battle we been waiting a decade for... Voldemort vs. Harry, and it was AWESOME! Everything about this movie was just amazing. Perfect.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
Wow, this question is insanely hard to answer because I love every moment in the HP series! My absolute favorite moment is The Prince's Tale, closely followed by the Battle of Hogwarts and the Graveyard scene in GoF.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
David Yates.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
I am very pleased with how it turned it. Yates was the best though, I would have loved to see his direction in the first four films.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies?
The Snape story arc.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, closely followed by Ralph Fiennes portrayal of Lord Voldemort.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
The trio of Dan, Emma, and Rupert, especially in the last 2 films, they have been outstanding and have turned into really great young actors and actresses.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Incredibly important. A great score makes a film feel much more epic. All of the score's for HP have been amazing! During battle's and emotional scenes the music has always been perfect.

Who is your favourite music composer?
Alexandre Desplat

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2

What is your favourite music track?
So many amazing ones to chose from! Courtyard Apocalypse, Leaving Hogwarts, Hedwig's Theme, Obliviate, and Dumbledore's Farewell

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
DH1 and DH2 had some outstanding cinematography, but the cinematography in HBP was absolutely mind blowing!

Best set design (props etc)?
DH2

Best special effects?
DH2.

Best costumes?
HBP

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
YES. It brought this amazing magical world that JK Rowling created to life. The cast has been amazing! the filmmakers have been amazing! I thought the films kept getting better and better especially when David Yates took over. DH1 and DH2 were masterpiece's.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
Since i can't decide if Deathly Hallows Part 1 or 2 is better im going to say Deathly Hallows is one movie and its my favourite :D The first six movies is so alike. Giong to Hogwarts-Classes-Plot-Climax. Deathly Hallows was so exciting, even though i knew what would happen i was on the edge of my seat. So many good scenes im them.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
Anyone remember that scene with Snape's memories in tha Pensive? Thats my favourite moment :lol:

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
I really loved how the Wizarding World is portrayed by Cris Columbus in the first two movies. He managed to introduce the magical world in a great way!

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
Yes - I believe this would be the best way to go for the movies. I understand that every new director want to bring something new to the series, but i would have loved it if it was more consistent.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)? Luna! Evanna Lynch is perfect for the role. Really odd and really cute at the same time. Really love her :love:


Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Alan Rickman! Not a single bad scene in the entire series.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
I didn't think about it that much before, but now i listen to it, and it's important to the mood of the scenes/movies.

Who is your favourite music composer?
Alexandre Desplat i think. Obliviate and Lily's theme are amazing !

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
Philosophers Stone and Deathly Hallows Part II

What is your favourite music track?
Right now, im really loving 'Lily's theme', but i have to say 'Hedwigs theme' is the best, one of the best movie themes ever!

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
Half Blood Prince i think.

Best set design (props etc)?
Philosophers Stone!

Best special effects?
No doubt; Deathly Hallows Part II. Oscar worthy..?

Best costumes?
I don't know..All of them :p

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Yes - im really happy with the way the series ended. Im proud to have been a part of this amazing journey from Philosopher Stone in 2001 and till "the end" now in 2011. I love these movies and they will allways be among my favourite movies! I will watch them many more times, they just never get old!

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?For a long time it was PoA. I loved Alfonso's imagery and just the movie as a whole was just beautiful but I really like DH2 and I think it's my favorite. This was such a hard decision to make because I really couldn't choose between PoA and DH2. I just loved that when this movie ended, I was satisfied with how everything turned out. It was sad and it will be forever memorable.
If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it? I think nothing surpasses the battle of Hogwarts at the end of DH2. Just seeing the Hogwarts castle which is something that we, the readers, have grown up with and have such a close connection to suddenly demolished and destroyed was truly heartbreaking.

Directing[B/]

[B]Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World? Alfonso Cuaron because he, to me, is a visionary. I liked that he was the one who brought the darkness to the Harry Potter movies first. Even though most of the other movies have darker material, PoA was the only movie that actually felt darker than the rest. I loved his style the best as well.
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?No, because sometimes two or in this case four heads are better than one ;)

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
I think that Harry vs Voldemort has been more fleshed out. We really see what Harry is up against in the very first movie. Harry realizes that this is going to be a long journey that he has to go through to defeat Voldemort and Voldemort realizes that Harry isn't an ordinary child that he can finish off with a wave of his wand. It will take lots of effort and hard work for either to defeat the other. Both are strong and similar yet different characters that I love that really developed throughout the series.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
It's hard to say but I think that Snape probably had the best portrayal. There is no one that I could imagine in my mind to play Snape besides Alan Rickman. He embodies him and his acting is just phenomenal. His voice, his mannerisms, his glare all scream Snape to me. Perfect casting.
Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Definitely Alan Rickman as Severus Snape.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
It is EVERYTHING. Music sets the mood and creates emotion. Without the proper music, the movie is nothing.
Who is your favourite music composer?
John Williams with Alexandre Desplat coming in second.
Which soundtrack is your favourite?
I can't choose my favorite. Probably a tie between SS, PoA, and DH2.
What is your favourite music track?
I can't choose one. Leaving Hogwarts, Hedwig's Theme, Harry's Wondrous World, Fawkes the Phoenix, Harry in Winter, A Window to the Past, Finale, Buckbeak's Flight,The Oblivation, Snape to Malfoy Manor, Lovegood, Statues, Courtyard Apocalypse, and Lily's Theme.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
PoA
Best set design (props etc)?
PoA
Best special effects?
DH2
Best costumes?
GoF

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
You know, I was very hesitant about how the last movie was going to turn out. I wanted to see a phenomenal ending to the most cherished book series of all time and I did see that. DH2 really wrapped everything together perfectly. SS showed us the beginning of Harry's journey and DH2 showed us the end. Everything overall has been perfect. Yes, there were parts from the books that weren't included in the movies but that's what makes the movies stand out from the books. Now that I really look back, I really wouldn't want the movies to be EXACTLY like the books. It was nice to see new additions to the story that Jo Rowling didn't include. The movies are not and will never be like the books. Both are phenomenal in their own way. I'm very proud to have been a part of the Harry Potter generation. I've grown up as I read the books and as I saw the movies. I'm very satisfied.

I find myself watching GOF over and over...... love all of them, but this one really was the turning point in the series for me. it catched the essence of innocence from the first 2, and also mixed in the darkness fro m the 3rd movie that caught most people off guard.... So my vote is for Goblet of Fire!!

Deathly Hallows Part 2 without a doubt.

But that being said, I really liked SS and OoTP as well.

This is one of those things where I change my mind. A lot. However I voted for DHP1. I think it has one of the loveliest scores of any film, it's true to the book, and when it's not [like the dance] it still works. It think it was really well done. DHP2 was more exciting, but it was also so heartbreaking that it's almost hard to watch, even though I love it. So yes. I vote for DHP1.

I think my order is as such:

1. DHP1
2. OoTP
3. DHP2
4. COS
5. POA
6. SS
7. HBP
8. GOF

But really besides 1 and 8, the placement changes often.

I loved DH:2 and I think it finally took the place of PoA on the top of my list.

1. DH:2
2. PoA
3. DH:1
4. HBP
5. SS
6. GoF
7. CoS
8. OotP

This discussion is also going on in the DH:2 forum (meaning beware of spoilers) under A series completed: Analysis of all eight movies in one (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=128548). I'm actually really glad to see that DH:2 has taken such a strong lead. I know there is some negativity surrounding what was either done incorrectly in the film or left out, but I thought it was an incredibly fitting end to the series.

My favourite would have to be Deathly Hallows, both of its parts. I agree with Kings Cross that Deathly Hallows 1 had the best music, it was the most fitting with the events of the film. Part 2 was amazing for the action and the battle scenes. I liked the atmosphere of fear, urgency, unity and grief throughout the final film. Also the end was perfectly done, in my opinion.

So the movies from most to least favourite for me:

1. Deathly Hallows part 2.
2. Deathly Hallows part 1.
3. Prisoner of Azkaban.
4. Philosopher Stone.
5. Chamber of Secrets.
6. Goblet of Fire.
7. Order of the Phoenix.
8. Half Blood Prince.

Now that all the movies are out, I have to say that POA is still my favourite, only because it captures the magic of the books almost perfectly, it still got a little boring at the end, but otherwise a great film. A close second is Deathly Hallows part 2! I loved it simply for the epicness, the emotion was all palpable! beautful film!

I find myself watching GOF over and over...... love all of them, but this one really was the turning point in the series for me. it catched the essence of innocence from the first 2, and also mixed in the darkness fro m the 3rd movie that caught most people off guard.... So my vote is for Goblet of Fire!!
Yes, finally, someone else who thinks the same as me!
I love love love GOF.

Here is my order:
GOF / POA
PS / COS
HBP
DH 2
DH 1
OOTP

Of course, this may change once I have watched DH 1 and 2 on dvd. I might put DH 2 in front of HBP.:hmm: I'll have to see.

My inner fangirl says DH2 (twinned with OotP).

My inner film critic says PoA.

So it's PoA for the poll. :whistle: DH2 will get lots of love so I don't feel too bad. ;)

I based my list on how much I enjoyed the films for what they are and which ones I think I'll watch the most often from now on. I think the book nerd in me would rank them a little differently though.

As much I hate to say this, I think GoF is now my favourite. I like how they told a story that made sense, the script was good and they did justice to the death at the end. I think out of 1-6 it's probably the one I'll re-watch the most because its like a stand-alone film to a certain extent. It was my favourite book so that's part of the reason too.

I think I'll put DH 2 in second. Its difficult to rank it alongside films I've been watching for years but I think this is one of those ones I'll like more the more I watch it, especially when I don't compare it to the book. I wouldn't be surprised if it took the top spot from GoF when I see it again though.

I was really undecided with these next three but I decided to rank them like this:(There was really not a lot between them though)

I went back and forth on DH1. As its a part 1, I'll probably not rewatch it as much as some of the other ones but I still liked it. I watched it last week though so its as fresh in my head as the rest of them.

PoA is in fourth. It was my favourite for a long time so I'm gutted its slipped down so much but I think I'm more likely to reach for one of the other ones when I want to watch a HP film again . There was nothing really in particular that makes this one stand out, and the style is quite different from the rest of them. It also doesn't have any Voldemort. :(

HBP is next. I liked how it showed a lot of the trio but moved on to Draco and Slughorn's memory etc just when I was getting bored. I loved the love potion scene and Harry on the lucky potion though but it was a bit dark in some places. (Not as in scary-dark but I-can't-see-what's-happening-dark).

(small gap)

I'm going to put PS next. I feel sad putting it so low but the other films are better and this one has been out so long the novelty has worn of a bit because I've seen it so many times. I think that's partly why PoA fell a bit too.

I've forgiven CoS for being so disappointing the first time I watched it but I still don't like it as much as PS. I loved Lockhart but some of the other acting is really dodgy so its a bit distracting and I can't read Dobby's Warning without hearing that scene in my head . I like it more than I used to though.

OotP is my least favourite atm but I'm still not really decided on it. The script was really terrible and Americanized in places and I don't enjoy the story as much as some of the others so its easy to find fault with it. I'm probably being too harsh on it though.

OotP is my least favourite atm but I'm still not really decided on it. The script was really terrible and Americanized in places and I don't enjoy the story as much as some of the others so its easy to find fault with it. I'm probably being too harsh on it though.

No offense, but I personally don't see how you could rank GoF first with OoTP being last? I thought the films were similar to one another in the aspect that both films were much too quick when it came to pacing and both missed various things that were present in the books. Of course, this is naturally what happens when one tries to make movies based on some of the longest books in the series. (Pretty sure OoTP was, with GoF not far behind). I would only rank OoTP over GoF because of Luna and the epic Dumbledore vs Voldemort fight at the end. (of course, this is simply a matter of personal preferrence). But I would still rank the two films close to each other because both suffered from (what I thought) were the same downfalls.

Also, where exactly would you say the film was "Americanized"? :hmm: Just curious!

It's between OotP and DH2, but DH2 takes the win only because of the writing and flow of the movie itself. The beginning of OotP seems rushed and most of the scenes seem to be without a definitive end, with the next scene just coming up. I feel that both of the movies tell the story well, even with all of the changes, and both are the only movies to make me cry due to the actors's performances. I felt they got right the mix of action, humor, and general plot.

So for me:
1. DH2
2. OotP
3. DH1
4. SS/PS
5. CoS
6. GoF
7. HBP
8. PoA

1. DH2
2. OotP
3. DH1
4. SS/PS
5. CoS
6. GoF
7. HBP
8. PoA



POA last?:wow: Can I ask why?:hmm:

Here's my list- DH part 2 finally takes the cake!

1. DH:P2
2. PoA
3. DH:P1
4. SS/PS
5. HBP
6. OotP
7. CoS
8. GoF

My order would probably be:
1. Deathly Hallows Part 2
2. Deathly Hallows Part 1
3. Half-Blood Prince
4. Goblet of Fire (yes, it did miss alot, but I still liked it)
5. Prisoner of Azkaban
6. Chamber of Secrets
7. Philosopher's Stone
8. Order of the Phoenix

No offense, but I personally don't see how you could rank GoF first with OoTP being last? I thought the films were similar to one another in the aspect that both films were much too quick when it came to pacing and both missed various things that were present in the books. Of course, this is naturally what happens when one tries to make movies based on some of the longest books in the series. (Pretty sure OoTP was, with GoF not far behind). I would only rank OoTP over GoF because of Luna and the epic Dumbledore vs Voldemort fight at the end. (of course, this is simply a matter of personal preferrence). But I would still rank the two films close to each other because both suffered from (what I thought) were the same downfalls.

Also, where exactly would you say the film was "Americanized"? :hmm: Just curious!

I based my order on personal preference really, i.e which ones I enjoyed watching the most. I didn't take which one did a better job adapting the book into consideration at all really but I'm much more likely to watch GoF again because it has a clearer, more interesting plot (imo).
Some of the inconsistencies in OotP frustrated me, such Harry having a court case for using magic in front of a muggle when the Order just flew through London without consequence straight after and Harry saying Cho was crying when they kissed even though she wasn't etc.
I feel the same way about the books (GoF is my favourite, OotP least favourite) but I go back and forth on what I think of the films quite a bit so I'll probably end up changing my mind again at some stage.:rolleyes:

The only bit I can remember right now was the bit about extra credit for joining the Inquisitorial Squad. I only ever hear about extra credit in American shows/films.
I think there was more but I can't remember them right now. :hmm:

POA last?:wow: Can I ask why?:hmm:

It's probably more like a tie between this one and HBP for last place because the reasons are pretty much the same. The humor is excessive and with PoA there is more focus on CGI and special effects than the story and important plot points (such as the Marauders). We have too much "fun" riding around on the Knight Bus, stopping for an old lady but squeezing into the tiny space between two buses. Harry has a totally unnecessary fight with The Monster Book of Monsters. I think these scenes just waste useful movie time.

But mostly this movie bothers me because the story of the Marauders was not properly explained. I actually just watched it yesterday as part of my HP marathon, and, IMO, it would have been pretty easy to give Lupin a few lines explaining that he, Sirius, James, and Peter were the Marauders and why Harry's patronus is a stag. Also, the Shrieking Shack scene is horribly rushed and I greatly dislike the fact that up until the last.possible.second it seems like Sirius is there to kill Harry. It didn't sit well with me especially because the explanation was botched and rushed as well.

While most of the important Voldemort backstory was missing in HBP and it was turned into a rom-com, I still felt like we were pretty well prepared for DH. Initially I wasn't happy that we did not learn of what objects the horcruxes were thought to be, but they handled that well in DH. So it ranks only slightly above PoA.

It's funny, I seem to notice that most people who love OotP dislike PoA and vice versa. I wonder why that is.

I can't pick favorites of anything, so I'll just do a quick run-through of stuff, with a lot of babbling.

PS/SS & CoS: Great. Close to the book, love the portrayal of Harry's world. These will always be special for me, haha.
PoA: Great. Yes, they left out a lot of stuff and it had a darker mood, but this is an instance in which changing the book WORKS for the movie.
GoF: They also changed a ton, but overall it is a good finished product. Though I dislike some of the changes, I like the movie as a whole.
OotP: This was going to be a challenge, and I think it worked in general. Not my favorite movie, but they did what they could with such a complicated book.
HBP: AWFUL. My favorite book, and they ruined the movie completely. The whole mood of the book (a bit of a reprieve after a horrid fifth year) is altered, and scenes are distorted beyond belief.
DH1: I liked it more and more as the movie went on, with stunning portrayals of scenes like Godric's Hollow and the Tale of the Three Brothers.
DH2: I still can't make up my mind. I really wanted to like it, and they changed a lot but still followed the plot... some of it was a bit too ridiculous and cinematic for me. I felt bad for laughing at some of the serious scenes which I love in the book. Maybe I'll make up my mind in another month or so...

Directing

Columbus: Good, yes he made the Wizarding World a bit too much of a cheerful place, but the first two books weren't all that dark. I liked him.
Cuaron: Fantastic. Why did he only do one movie?
Newell: I read that he tried to portray the boarding school experience, which led to some enjoyable scenes. Not bad.
Yates: I think I have a bit of a grudge against him after HBP. I guess he wasn't awful, but I didn't like what he did with the last 3 books as a whole.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
Not necessarily, it's good to have different viewpoints.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies?
Not completely sure, but the Trio (and everyone in general) coming of age.

Acting

I basically agree with what everyone's been saying about Alan Rickman, though I absolutely adore Richard Harris's Dumbledore. For the most part, I like the acting, though many characters I picture differently.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
SOO IMPORTANT. I am a bit of a music nerd (like, classical music too haha) and music really defines a scene, or even a movie.

Composers
John Williams: My favorite, no doubt. He was amazing, and set the standard really high. (I love most of the PS tracks that can just associate me with the magical world, Fawkes the Phoenix from CoS, and Buckbeak's Flight, and Double Trouble from PoA. Just to name a few.)
Patrick Doyle: I really liked his catchy tunes (Quidditch World Cup, Neville's Waltz, Potter Waltz, Hogwarts' March.)
Nicholas Hooper: A lot of his music seemed to be based off itself, and despite lacking a sense of grandeur, lots of his tracks were completely appropriate with a mysterious, magical feeling. I enjoyed lots (Professor Umbridge, Dumbledore's Army, the Room of Requirement, the Ministry of Magic, Flight of the OotP, Loved Ones and Leaving, In Noctem, Living Death, Journey to the Cave.)
Desplat: I wasn't overly obsessed with his music like past composers, but it did enhance the movies.
BUT I flipped out when they played John Williams for the epilogue.


What is your favourite music track?

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Can't really say about these, but I am happy with them in general.

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
*sigh* no. I'd be lying to myself if I said yes.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
Prisoner of Azkaban. I love the director's style and all the little things that can only be noticed upon repeated viewings. The music, the acting, the script, and the breadth of the story were all there. Mostly I just like the seriousness with which Cuaron treated the material. I felt like I was watching the work of someone who was not just adapting a book in a series but making an artistic piece of his own, worthy of the story he was telling.
If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
The battle that takes place at the Ministry of Magic in OOTP. This was eons beyond how this was portrayed in the books. (prolly just my lack of imagination.) I was really impressed from the time they enter the Ministry, to the death of Sirius, to the fight with Voldemort. It was all superbly climactic.
Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Tough choice, but I have to go with Cuaron.
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
No. It needed to evolve to be fresh.
Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
Harry's frustration, fame, and destiny.
Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Alan Rickman as Snape.
Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Michael Gambon as Dumbledore. I can't imagine now how Harris would have been.
Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
The music is essential
Who is your favourite music composer?
Nicolas Hooper
Which soundtrack is your favourite?
PoA / Ootp
What is your favourite music track?
Posession
Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
DH Part 1
Best set design (props etc)?
HBP
Best special effects?
To difficult to determine.

Best costumes?
Prisoner of Askaban

Overall verdict
Prisoner of Azkaban
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Most certainly yes. Except that I could have watched a four part Deathly Hallows instead of two.

The movies

[B]Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
It's a toss up between OotP & DH for me. OotP because of the cinematography of it (I feel like the Wizarding World was captured incredibly well in it) and DH because it's my favorite book of the series and the movies just add to it.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
I have 2: The battle between Dumbledore and Voldemort in OotP. I think it turned out incredible! And the Prince's Tale in DHP2; I think they did that justice.


Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
David Yates; the final 3 films are my favorite of the film series and I think he did a great job making the world come alive; However, I want to pay homage to Chris Columbus for being the first to make the world a reality on screen and to Alfonso Cauron for his absolute dedication to the third film.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
Honestly it would depend on the director; every director has their own vision, and I think whoever's vision was the most honest to the books should've been chosen.


Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
I feel like they portrayed the Trio and their relationship very well; we literally get to see them grow up together from kids to adults and their relationship throughout the entire film series was never so much that it betrayed the books.


Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Definitely Snape! Alan Rickman outdid hismelf playing this role.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Again, Snape. His character had so many levels, that when the truth finally came, it was mindblowing.


Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Probably one of the most important traits of the films; music moves the story along and makes you literally feel the emotion in the films. "Lily's Theme" in DHP2 gave me goosebumps.

Who is your favourite music composer?
John Williams and Alexandre Desplat

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
I've never gotten a soundtrack, just pick and chose tracks.

What is your favourite music track?
Definitely "Lily's Theme" from DHP2


Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
OotP & DHP2; to me, both movies really made the Wizarding World and the entire concept of magic come alive.

Best set design (props etc)?
My favorite set is the Ministry of Magic, and I love how we get to see a lot of it in OotP

Best special effects?
Definitely DHP2!

Best costumes?
I love the Death Eater's costumes; very well done!


Overall verdict

Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Overall, yes. Every time I would go see a movie, I always had the books fresh on my mind, and I would be very critical of what they changed. But I've come to realize that the books and the films are pretty much their own, separate franchises. Yes, the movies come from the books, but there are two different fanbases: the book readers and movies watchers + the only movie watchers. Warner Bros. had to make sure that the people who watched the movies only weren't confused by the many many subplots and information that were in the books. I'll always be biased towards the books, but in all honesty, I think they did a wonderful job on the films and they will always be favorites of mine.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
-Right now it's a tie between POA and DH part 2. I loved the tone of POA, dark yet fun at the same time. I also loved the acting in it. DH part 2 was amazingly faithful to the book, and there are so many amazing parts in it.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
-Harry's flrst flight with Buckbeak in POA. For some reason it brings tears to my eyes. I love the music, the long shot, and I think it says so much about Harry's character. Sometimes he carries the weight of the world on his shoulder, but he's really just a kid.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
-I think to show the true magic through a child's eyes it would have to be Columbus. But then Yates showed how dangerous this world could be..so I guess I don't know!

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
-No, because if we didn't like the director's vision it would have been too bad, we would've been stuck with it for 8 films. I shudder to think if Mike Newell had directed all of them.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
-Oh Snape, absolutely. Rickman was my favorite portrayal, and while he wasn't in too many scenes in the middle movies he was always true to the character of the books.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
-Prisoner of Azkaban

Best special effects?
-Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
-Yes, overall they have been a joy to see. It was a treat to see the world come to life (even if I can't bare to watch GOF or HBP lol)

Movies

My favourite films are still Half-Blood Prince and Prisoner of Azkaban. Out of these, I like Half-Blood Prince most, since I find is the richest both in terms of details and characterization and the one which was most coherently edited in terms of its style/artistic work and story elements. It is also the the adaptation that added most to my interpretation of the book.

Prisoner of Azkaban has a fine interpretation of the story, is often beautiful and has some exceptional approaches in terms of aestethic and visual work, as well as a great acting performance by Michael Gambon, but it´s a more uneven film than HBP.


Would I have had one director doing all the films?

No, I think any director would have lost their inspiration along the way if they had to do all the films. Also the the universe of the films change along the way, which requires directors with different approaches.
I´m a little curious, though, what Cuaron would have come up with if he had got the opportunity to direct another film.

Best cinematography

Both PoA, HBP and DH1 have truly wonderful cinematography, so it´s hard to choose. In the end I think the cinematography of DH1 is just a fraction better than the two others.

Best props and set design

Half-Blood Prince has the best set design, "Borgin and Burkes", "Room of Requirement", "Dumbledore´s office" to mention a few. Yates more quiet approach also allows the details of the props and the set design to shine

Storytelling
The coming of age of the trio is the part of the series which is best fleshed out, although several aspects are developed well throughout the series.

Acting:

There are several outstanding acting performances, but out of these I think Alan Rickman as Snape has been the best. The way the films have been scripted he has been allowed a great range of scenes..
Michael Gambon isn´t far behind, though.

Overall verdict

Overall I´m very satisfied with the series, although I would have liked the directors to trim their films - only OoTP didn´t need any trimming at all - and dare to make more changes. When I look at all the films I think they´ve been able to retain and develop most of the significant elements of the story as well as having a good continuity throughout the series. When I see how consistent they´ve been in terms of developing the teenagers and which of the adult characters they´ve chosen to focus on, I think the continuity of the series has been remarkable.

The movies
Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
My favourite film is probably Deathly Hallows part 2. Of all the Films I felt it best told the story of the book but still managed to explore and be original. All of the key scenes, especially The Princes Tale, were done perfectly and it was the perfect ending. The only scene I wasn't fond of was Ron and Hermione running around Hogwarts hunting Nagini, I just didn't think it was necessary.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
The Chessboard Scene. I remember seeing it when I was 6 and being amazed, it was done perfectly and was an incredible to see on screen. I also loved Dobby's death as it was so emotional and such a touching scene to watch.

Directing
Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
I'd say Mike Newell. I think he found the perfect balance between the whimsical and fantasy world Chris Columbus created and Alfonso Cuarons darker more mature world.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
No, I feel that each director bought something new and helped to evolve the series before David Yates took over to finish it all off.

Acting
Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
I'd have to go with Bellatrix Lestrange. She is wrote well and Helena Bonham Carter was the perfect choice for her. Personally I feel she is the best actress in the films. However I feel completely different regarding Ginny. I think Bonnie Wright is fine as an actress but the scripts make Ginny seem really weak and just makes her seem dependent on Harry, whilst in the books she is confident and independent.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.
Best set design (props etc)?
Philosophers stone. It had a great aesthetic and Hogwarts was exactly how I envisioned. PoA also had very good sets and props too.

Best special effects?
DH2. The battle was incredible to watch and the spells and creatures (such as giants) seemed so real and the Gringotts sequence was stunning.

Best costumes?
Goblet of Fire. Purely for the Yule Ball sequence with all of the dresses and dress robes were amazing. I also loved Fleurs Wedding Dress in DH1.

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
I am very happy with the final series. I felt it did an excellent job adapting the books and letting us all see Hogwarts and the Wizarding world on screen. The sets, props and special effects were stunning. The scripts, although at times could have been adjusted, were on the whole very good and the casting, in particular, was excellent. To sum up it was an amazing series which stayed true to the original stories.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?

Prisoner of Azkaban, without a doubt - the pacing is particularly good, but best of all, there's more character development than any of the other films. It builds up to an epic climax which is far more frightening than any other scene in the entire series. The cinematography and general tone is consistent throughout, and it's the most stylized movie of the series. Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is a close second, but it's less quirky and has less character development.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
The dementors attacking series at the end of PoA. :)

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
I'd say David Yates did the best job, but perhaps that's just because he had the best opportunity - the other films don't really have enough substantial moments in which they *can* portray the Wizarding World.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
No. The thing I love about the Harry Potter franchise is that each movie (aside from the first two) is different, so if I don't like one, the next will surely be different. :)

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
Harry vs Voldemort was obviously the most fleshed out story arc, but Snape was actually fairly well developed, particularly in the final film. Draco's struggle (from HBP onwards) is also clearly defined.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Snape, far and wide.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Not sure I understand this question... :/

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Very important. I wouldn't be as big a Harry Potter fan as I was today, and I certainly wouldn't admire the movies much, if the music wasn't as high-quality as I've come to expect it to be.

Who is your favourite music composer?
John Williams did a fantastic job on the PoA score, and I'd say Desplat comes in next, particularly for his work on DH1. Doyle's work is not particularly appealing to me, and Hooper's is just amateur.

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
Prisoner of Azkaban, by a long shot. It's just such an emotional series of tracks. The subtle pieces are where it works best, which is perhaps why I disliked Doyle's soundtracks.

What is your favourite music track?
A Window to the Past from Prisoner of Azkaban. It's fantastically emotional.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
Half-Blood Prince, though I prefer PoA's, because it looks a bit more... quirky. It's not perfect, but that imperfection adds a nice touch.

Best set design (props etc)?
Hogwarts has always been well-designed, but I think it was at its height in Prisoner of Azkaban.

Best special effects?
Deathly Hallows: Part 2. Duh.

Best costumes?
I can't say I've given it much thought.

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?

Yes. For the most part, they stick together as a whole series, particularly given David Yates' efforts to bring back props from the old movies. Like other users on this thread, I adored what he did with the Pensieve in DH2. There are several general arcs that are for the most part tied together in the final minutes of DH2. Any audience members watching the series as a whole, one after the other, all 18 hours or so, would make the connections between the movies, and they'd make sense! And for that, I am proud to be a Harry Potter fan.

As I mentioned earlier, I like how each movie is different. I'd get bored of a PS-like tone throughout the films, which is why I'm glad they finally switched these things up for PoA. The tone worked because it was just one movie, and wouldn't have suited GoF, which was too bombastic for my liking. OotP is the emotional climax of the series, and works well as a film. Initially, I was concerned about bringing David Yates back for HBP, because OotP was somewhat boring for audience members, but he switched the tone around for HBP, and again for DH1, bringing everything to an epic, and suitable, conclusion in DH2.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?

Probably Deathly Hallows Part 1. It's the most faithful adaptation since the Chamber of Secrets but unlike the first two films, it doesn't suffer from it. It has a beautiful visual style due to the art direction and cinematography, a strong script and plot and brilliant acting from the entire cast. I also love dark fantasy films and on the road films (I think Hallows Part 1 fits into both categories).

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?

My favourite moment is during Voldemort's death scene in Deathly Hallows Part 2, starting with Harry smiling and ending with the sun rising over the castle.


Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?

David Yates. He has a great visual sense, he seemed to understand the characters and the Wizarding World far more than Columbus, Cuaron and Newell, his films got the best character developments and he got the best performances out of the young actors.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?

I honestly don't know. Like many have said, one director probably couldn't have handled all eight films and they could've flopped if they had the same one. I guess we'll never know. I would've loved to see what David Yates would've done the first four films.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.

Definitely the coming of age story of the trio and Snape as Dumbledore's man.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?

I can't just choose one. Alan Rickman as Snape, Maggie Smith as Mcgonagall, Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid, Tom Felton as Draco, Matthew Lewis as Neville, Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix, Imelda Stauton as Umbridge and Jason Issacs as Lucius. Their characters were perfectly casted and adapted.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?

Without a doubt it's Daniel Radcliffe. He's not an "natural" actor like say, Rupert Grint or Tom Felton in my opinion anyway. I wasn't impressed with him at all in the first three films, his acting was so bland and unemotional. However in Goblet of Fire he really climbed a ladder and proved to me that he could act - the scenes in the graveyard and when he brings back Cedric's body was heartbreaking. His strong performance carried on in Order of the Phoenix as the depressed and isolated Harry. Half-Blood Prince was where his performance went off track - his wooden acting had returned and his only stand out scenes were the Felix Felicis and the cave scenes. However he came back with a vengence in Deathly Hallows Part 1 and his performance was phenomenal in Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?

Very important. The geek in me loves film music and it helps raise your emotions high in a film.

Who is your favourite music composer?

Alexandre Desplat

Which soundtrack is your favourite?

Deathly Hallows Part 2

What is your favourite music track?

Too many to choose from.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?

Half-Blood Prince with both Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2 tied for second place.

Best set design (props etc)?

All of them.

Best special effects?

Deathly Hallows Part 1

Best costumes?

Goblet of Fire

Overall verdict

Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?

Yes very happy. They're brilliant but flawed adaptations. They have huge problems with plot-holes and continuity and they can be confusing as hell sometimes. But all of them have been a critical and financial success, most of the characters have been perfectly cast and audiences have grown up and matured along with the characters, storylines and actors, which is probably something that rarely ever happens.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
GOF is absolutely my favorite. And I am completely shocked that only 2.5% of people agree with me. The tournament is my favorite event out of the whole series! I just love how magical the whole tournament is. And introducing the other schools was really neat to see. I think that it is the one that strays the farthest from the book, so maybe thats why everyone doesn't like it. But I can't get over how great I found it. The dancing scene was hilarious, and I love that Neville is so great at dancing. This was also the first time that Hermione came out as a beautiful young lady. Just a great film that I have watched hundreds of times.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
Like I said above, the Triwizard Tournament was my absolute favorite. I love that it shows others going through the same challenges as Harry. I also love that Harry decides to share the win with Cedric, showing what kind of person he actually is.

I'm very curious now... What did y'all not like about GOF??

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
I'm disappointed that I couldn't pick more than one more, at least two options would've been nice. I loved HBP. The only real problem I had with this movie was the added in scene of the Burrow burning. Besides that, everything else I simply loved and next to Deathly Hallows part one, it stands as the only movie I can sit and watch through the whole movie. I think it was also because it was the only movie I went into knowing a whole lot about it and what to expect.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
Dobby's death in DH part one. Of all the deaths in the movies, this was the best one. They touched this moment so well in the movie. I was completely sobbing the first time I seen it and still do today. The other scene would be when Dumbledore and Harry journey to the cave in HBP. The two of them standing on the cliff in the ocean is simply stunning, and the whole cave is amazing with the inferi. The next one would be when Hermione and Harry are in Godric's Hollow, :sad: followed by Bathilda Bagshot and the snake. :eeep: I guess that's more than one...:whistle:

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
I loved Chris Columbus at the very begining. He touched the wizarding world like none of the other directors had. At first I would've wanted Columbus to continue with all the movies, but as the series darkened, I don't think he'd have done a great job with the last movies. He managed to touch the innocence of Harry's world at the very begining.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
The coming of age of the trio obviously. There were some parts that weren't fleshed out enough, like the Marauder's vs Snape. We see only smidgets of it, as well as Snape's being Dumbledore's inside man. :shrug:

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
The music plays a big part in setting the feeling of the scene in a movie, especially a gripping scene like Dumbledore's death. It's always something I pay attention to the second time seeing the movie, only because the first time around I'm too much into the movie itself. :yuhup:

Who is your favourite music composer?
I really liked John Williams at the very begining. He's been my favorite out of all the composers. I had wanted him to continue with the end of the series, but I was taken by surprise by Alexandre Desplat, especially in Deathly Hallows part one.

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
Although Prisoner of Azkaban is my least favorite movie, it is my favorite soundtrack. I also love Half-Blood Prince and Deahtly Hallows part one.

What is your favourite music track?
I have a few, but the ones at the top of my head are Harry in Winter, Dumbledore's Farewell, Buckbeak's Flight, Finale, Obliviate, The Sacking of Trelawney, and I'm sure I'm missing others.


Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Surprisingly yes. After all the years watching these movies and waiting for their releases, even though there were instances in which some parts of the movies angered me (all of PoA), I wouldn't change anything about them. The cast, directors, and all the people behind making these movies have really done an extraordinary job and I couldn't have asked for better. Considering the story they had to work with, they did the best of the abilities and it came out great. It's been a complete and amazing journey to have been there from the very begining, and it's something I'll carry with me as I continue to watch the movies now that they're all out. It's sad that they're all done, but it's amazing to be able to look back and know that it was something I was able to take part of.

Film Analysis of the Harry Potter Franchise

Might as well post my thoughts.

I'm forgoing the q and a route because it seems a bit simplified and not really an analysis from oneself rather than having someone direct your thoughts. I'll try to keep it short but as always I will look at how it is a film series and the relationship to it's book counterpart; not by the authenticity of it's adaptation but how artistic values and it's culture relates to each other.

The most accurate metaphor for the HP film series can be summed up as the perfect storm. Going through 4 directors, 8 films (from a 7 book series), a hand ful of puberties, a recession, two US presidents and 2 Dumbledores it's quite crazy to imagine that this 8 installment franchise survived without the need of being shot all at once ala LOTR, the need to be separated so SFX technology can catch up ala Star Wars or become a ongoing series that doesn't link up to each other ala James Bond. It's only through the absolute chaos of a rabid fanbase to answer to, an author being closer to development than most authors are allowed to film adaptations, the drive of capitalism keeping it alive even when the fanbase withers post Book!DH release and actors managed to stay through the entire series that we got this series as good as we got it in the ever cynical Hollywood culture. The fact that whether through nostolgia or pure sense of completism that people stuck around to see the final two films in light of the Twiihards, a new grown up culture and various other branches of pop culture vying for mindshare is beyond me. However they did it. Not entirely gracefully but that'll come later.

TBH as a film franchise, if it stayed with Columbus, it would have a greater chance of failure than the success you see now. Yes there are defenders of of Columbus and I credit him for a concrete foundation of characters and setting in order to build upon, I don't think there was any better choices in achieving a balance between what satisfied just on a visceral sense such as visuals and artistry. He made decent films. I repeat he made decent films. If you were to get anyone else to encapsulate the children's adventure vibe of the 80's, then Columbus is your man....because PS was timeless. You couldn't have done any better unless you got Spielberg himself to do it. It was a book that could have existed from the 50's up til now. However as the franchise progresses, it enters realms that Columbus is not a master at. He might consider himself capable of the task and to some degree he could have, but is he capable of adapting to the depths that someone like Spielberg who could direct a fun loving kid's film then to a hard reality of Munich? Asking him to switch gears would be asking a 5 year old to ride a motorcycle.

That is why Cuaron is so important. Along with the Trio taking one year off for schooling and other pursuits, it's as if they wanted to distance themselves as far as possible from the saccharine Columbus films. A new director, a new Trio in some ways (if you think about this Trio has more in common age wise with those in GOF than CoS) and a storyline that also breaks the scooby doo "curse of the year" formula of PS and CoS. This reminds me of a very important quote that someone said in regards to PoA's visuals. Cuaron makes you fall in LOVE with Hogwarts. It doesn't feel like a set piece, it feels like home. Columbus makes visuals that will satisfy the basic need of a child to see their imagination come to life, but only satisfying the most basic of wants. Like feeling a hungry person a hamburger. Cuaron on the other hand satisfies the artistic hunger to a point where you often don't know why you like it but you do. It reminds me of a Futurama quote: "When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all."
Of course people could argue that it was the worst turn of the series. Blasphemous to the sacred word of JKR, who do other artists think they are to interpret her words into something equally as good if just a smidgen of difference? Columbus all the way! However you have to look, Columbus brought all he could to the table in CoS. If he could flub up the moderately pg fright scale of giant spiders and a monstrous snake, what makes you think he's qualified or able to progress to the darker and maturing cast post-GoF? He can't. Even Yates had problems and it wasn't until DH that he actually caught up to a quality worth mentioning, creating some of the most beautiful shots in the HP world since Cuaron. HP and the Deathly Hallows? More like HP and I decided to actually listen to my cinematographer.

The beautiful thing is that you can see how Yates slowly gains control over the production over the series. From getting better control over his actors and actresses, from creating more of a distinct style and the ability to use the people around him. It's sad that we had to waste 2.5 films in order to get him to what seemed a peak performance, but it worked. I credits Yates for genre borrowing (not outright stealing because I feel HP has enough personality on it's own to outweigh any instances of stealing) to make shots that looked right out of LOTR, a zombie flick, horror films, a romantic comedy and silly superhero shenanigans. His style is forgoing HP's lack of and taking from others, hoping it'd stick. And he had to, I don't blame him. JKR's concept of a 7 installment book series petered out by book 6 and 7 came out because the limitations of the universe she created; Yates had to sort through the lore, backtracking, gap filling and world building (or referencing) to create an engaging story. What better to do than to take tested and true concepts and just fling them at audiences with the hope that they don't notice that an actual satisfying end will not come until much later.

All of a sudden it becomes a character study, but with the characters acting like a bunch of kids unlike the real world counterparts where they are entering adulthood at the speed of light; what do you do? Try your best and try to engage it the best you can which Yates was not up to the task until the content reflected the seriousness of how mature and deathly these installments are going to be. The only real constant viligence they shown was to make sure Grint at least had a quota of 2 bloody hells and no fewer than 3 sarcastic remarks. It's interesting to see because HBP, DH and DH1 are sort of like PS and CoS...they just exist. They exist and let the cultural of HP carry it through to the end. PS and CoS succeeded to a degree because it was at the point of absolute Potter saturation. HBP, DH1 and DH2, released post end of series; just ridden a wave of nostalgia and casual have-to-watch-it-coz-it's-the-latest-installment obligation. IMHO PoA, GoF and OoTp were the hardest working installments in the series; all of them being new directors, all of them working with an abstract concept that would have destroyed the normal pace of a single film. PoA with it's non-big bad appearance but instead a tale about finding out the truth than overcoming evil; GoF with the immensity of it's content storylines that just devastated flow of narrative to making it feel like a collection of short stories of Year 4 for Harry Potter; and OoTP with it's political and psychological undertones that was not conducive to Harry who was always pro-active. And then you have DH2 which was just putting everything into a pot without any regard for the audience and just showing it without any sort of explanation and grace. Kinda like PS1.

All in all HP the films were a good franchise but not a great franchise. It's the luckiest franchise this side of Dr. Who creating a fan culture that is the western equivalent of anime, but with less shame than Star Trek fic or whatever embarrassing underbellies of western pop culture has yielded for us. It truly was a perfect storm of capitalism, greed, love, sincerity and fame that kept it going until it left us as quickly as it came in. There was no grandiose ending, just a simple one, even simpler and more poorly handled in the books. But God did they ever look on, each and every one of them looking on not for a better Wizarding World but at that train hoping they'll go through calmer skies. They acted the best they can but look at the exhaustion on their faces, not only prematurly aging our trio et. al, but through the half effort in trying to age them via make up. It wasn't the end but it was giving up....giving up their existence for the sake of existing so they can move on. Do move on my friends, move onto better things as we shall and remember that you were part of a generation. Seek not to surpass it by existing past your limitations but only to remind us how good it was.

That's the HP film franchise in a nutshell.

You have seen Deathly Hallows Part Two. Ten years ago the first Potter movie hit the cinemas. Now years later we have reached the end. This thread looks back on those ten years and eight movies.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
My favorite movie is Order of the Phoenix. I thought it covered the book very well. My favorite moment of the movies over all is GOF, the Tri-Wizard Tournament itself.
Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World? the last one-David Yates
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies? Yes, I think one director for all the movies would have been best.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
I like the Coming of Age story of the Trio. I felt that it really focused on the three of them as individuals and as a team.
Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)? Matthew Lewis. I think he really did well as Neville. He played Neville perfectly.
Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Alan Rickman. i loved the way he played Snape.
Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies? Music is important
Who is your favourite music composer? John Williams
Which soundtrack is your favourite? don't have any sound tracks
What is your favourite music track? n/a

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
Best set design (props etc)?
Best special effects?
Best costumes?

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series? Oh, Yes! I think all the movies do a wonderful job of bringing the books to life.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.

It's my favourite film as it was beautifully shot, the acting from the trio was the best out of all the films and the whole film was based around the friendship of the three main characters, which i felt had been seriously lacking in previous films.

Plus, i loved the imagery that was used in Part 1, particularly the way the film makers portrayed the Death Eaters like Nazis and the muggleborns like Jews. To me, that hit me emotionally far more than any of the battle sequences in films 5, 6 & 8.

But what i loved most about Part 1, was that for the first time, i really felt as though the characters had grown up. It was great to see little references to the first few films, like Hermione teaching Ron how to play 'Fur Elise' as a reminder to levitating feathers in PS, and Harry revisiting his cupboard under the stairs.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?

The moment in Philosopher's Stone, when Harry is about to go and face Quirrel and Hermione basically sums up the moral of what the 7 books promote to children:

HARRY: Ron's right. I have to go on.

HERMIONE: You'll be OK Harry. You're a great wizard. You really are.

HARRY: Not as good as you.

HERMIONE: Books. Cleverness. There are more important things. Friendship and bravery. And Harry? Just be careful.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?

I think all 4 of them brought something very different and special to Jo's world, however for me it has to be Chris Columbus. The first two films just felt so magical and mysterious, whereas Yates brought too much of the 'muggle' world in to the films, like playing 'boys will be boys' in the Gryffindor common room IN OOTP.

Plus, Columbus made the spells feel magical in themselves. I loved the colours and 'bangs', whereas the last films effectively turned wands into guns.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?

No. A variety of directors kept the film franchise fresh and interesting.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.

For me, it would be Harry's relationship with his godfather. Gary Oldman brought a gentleness to the character of Sirius which i didn't think would work, considering he was meant to be a hardened 'criminal', however it *did* work.

Each scene with Radcliffe and Oldman is a joy to watch, as i could really sense a father/son relationship between the two and i particularly loved the scene where Sirius tells Harry that the world isn't split between good and bad people.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?

Script-wise, Dumbledore.

Acting-wise, Alan Rickman as Snape.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?

Emma Watson. A pure English Rose, who has brought the character of Hermione to life and has taught girls that it is OK to be clever and to simply be yourself.

******

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?

Music has played a massive role in how i consume the films. There are so many iconic themes that i instantly think 'Harry Potter' like Hedwig's Theme and and without the music, the films wouldn't be half as good.

Who is your favourite music composer?

I don't really have a favourite composer as such. I have favourite 'tracks' as each composer has provided songs that i love and hate.

Which soundtrack is your favourite?

I really can't decide - they're all fantastic.

What is your favourite music track?

'Harry's Wondrous World' - To me, it sums up magic, Hogwarts and the Wizarding World in general.

And of course, 'Leaving Hogwarts'. It was played at the end of PS and DH2. No matter which book i read or film i watch, that song is always in my mind.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Best set design (props etc)?

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone purely for the chess game. I still get chills watching it!

Best special effects?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Best costumes?

Goblet of Fire. The uniforms of the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students and the dresses/dress robes for the Yule Ball were simply beautiful.

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?

I am happy. Of course, the movies could never show Hogwarts in all its grandeur, and are just a pale imitation of JKR's imagination.
However, there is a beauty to the films, separate to the books, which allows me to engage with the wizarding world on a whole different level.

To me, Dan, Rupert and Emma *are* my Harry, Ron and Hermione. Whenever i read the books, they are who i see in my head, along with all the other brilliantly cast actors and actresses who have each played a part in delighting children across the world.

So yes, the films are pure movie magic.

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favorite? Why?
Order of the Phoenix. It doesn't have the best cinematography, but it has the best pacing of all of the films and it has some really nice moments between all of the characters and it has a great exciting ending. It isn't perfect, but still my favorite.
If you could name one moment which you consider your favorite for all movies which one is it?
That's hard. I really like the Voldemort/Dumbledore duel in OotP. I like the graveyard scene in GoF. I like the cafe attack in DH1. There are a lot of scenes i really like, but i will leave it at that.
Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World? Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
I would pick David Yates, but i actually think that having the same director and producers for the last few films was a bad thing. They seemed to lose track of the fact that they needed to make a good movie and instead just had fun with the actors. Like they thought it was funny that Rupert and Emma were doing the kiss so much that they didn't actually film a good kiss.
Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
I would say the coming of age story because i think they didn't do a great job with the others you mentioned. Though i wouldn't consider the marauders vs Snape a story arc in the books either just something that was mentioned in passing. I actually think they should have cut more of the Snape stuff then they did or at least done it in a different way.
Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Maggie Smith.
Which movie has the best cinematography?
Deathly Hallows Part 1.
Best set design (props etc)?
Sorcerer's Stone.
Best special effects?
I really think the special effects are one of the low points in the entire series. I think i would have to pick Deathly Hallows 2 just because it is the most recent and it has some fine moments with effects like during the courtyard apocalypse and then some awful ones like the fiendfyre and the chamber of secrets.
Best costumes?
Well i don't know. Half-blood Prince.
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series? No. I think if you fail at the end then you fail as a series and i think they failed at the end. And then there is Daniel Radcliffe which i could have done without.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
Deathly Hallows Part One by far. It feels like has something that the other films don't have, even though we're away from Hogwarts. I think they really captured the emotion in this film. It's just fantastic!

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
Oh no! This is a difficult choice... Very difficult... There have been many great moments in Harry Potter, it's tough to pick just one. But if I had to, I'd say Dumbledore's death. I'm not sure why, but its just brilliant. The actors, the setting, the lines... everything.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
David Yates. I have a few problems with his films, but they're a great portrayl of the Wizarding World. Take the Ministry of Magic for example, first seen in Order of the Phoenix. I mean, the scale of it! He did a very good job indeed.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
In truth, no. I actually think it worked well with four directors; and that it would have possibly been quite boring and repetative with just one director. If that makes sense...

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
Coming of Age. It's been the trio's story really; how they evolved, what challenges they faced etc. The final shot of the three sums it all up, ultimately.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
I would actually say Alan Rickman for both. Not because other people have been saying that, either. In my opinion, he is Snape. He has the perfect voice, the perfect lines, and the perfect role. Especially during Dumbledore's death and the Prince's Tale.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Strangely, Rupert Grint as Ron. It came has a surprise, how his character changed and evolved, finally becoming a major part of the trio. A great performance also!

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Very. Without music, the films would be nothing. Each track fit in perfectly with the scene it was played in, and it couldn't have been better.

Who is your favourite music composer?
Alexandre Desplat. I couldn't have imagined him composing any of the other films, though. It was him that made Deathly Hallows, Deathly Hallows.

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
Deathly Hallows Part 2. Definitely the most emotional of the eight.

What is your favourite music track?
Lily's Theme from Deathly Hallows Part 2. Just beautiful.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
I actually think Half-Blood Prince. It was very organised and placed together well, in my humble opinion.

Best set design (props etc)?
The Ministry of Magic. As said earlier, look at the scale of it! It's quite overwhelming and magical as a whole.

Best special effects?
Deathly Hallows Part 2, obviously.

Best costumes?
As to this, I'm not really sure. Goblet of Fire, maybe? I liked the Triwizard clothes.

Overall verdict

Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Definitely. It was fantastic, and I wouldn't have changed it for the world, not even the few moments that I cringed at. The actors were perfect; Dan, Emma and Rupert made the best trio I could have ever wished for, and played their roles very well. Overall, the Harry Potter series is one of the best I have ever seen on screen, and I hope to continue watching them 'until the end'. :)

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?

For me, GoF. GoF has some really hilarious scenes, such as Draco being transformed into a ferret. It has tons of excitement, such as when Harry battles the dragon, and also when he fights Voldy in the graveyard. I cry every time Cedric's father cries over his son's body. I laugh at some of the over acting, especially Gambon's "SILENCE." The deleted scenes are particularly funny. After interesting entrances by Durmstrang and Beaubatons, Hogwarts goes into it's school song, and I love the expressions on people's faces - it's as if they're trying to be kind, and not say what they really think. Also love the deleted scene where Karkaroff tries to confront Snape about the darkening dark mark at the Yule Ball, and I'm not surprised they cut it - I can't see Karkaroff being foolish enough to discuss it out in the open like that.

DH2, my second fave, is absolute perfection, right up until the last 30 minutes or so. I thought Harry's final battle with Voldy seemed lackluster, and I didn't like how his body just turned into pieces. Didn't like the Elder Wand being snapped. For the parts I do like, I have to really be in the mood to watch it. I cry when the dragon flies away from Gringotts, and when Lavender is seen dead, and then Snape dies, when Ron and Molly cry over Fred's body, and the Prince's Tale, and when Harry uses the Resurruction Stone and talks to his mother, etc.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?

"Momma loves you. Dada loves you. Harry, be safe. Be strong."
-lily, DH2

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?

I loved SS / PS. I thought Chris Columbus did a marvelous job making the Wizarding World seem so magical. Like Harry, i was completely entranced.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?

Up until the last movie, i would have definitely said yes, but I thought Yates did a great job and perhaps a better job with the darker subject matter than the previous directions would have done.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.

Definitely the Coming of Age for the trio. I really enjoyed watching Harry grow up and mature throughout the films, and in the end, willingly give his life for his friends and what was right.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?

Acting wise - Alan Rickman. He was often given the tiniest, briefest lines, but he could do more with the subtlest motions and glances than many actors can do with pages and pages of dialogue, I think. Script wise - hard to say. JKR wrote so many great lines for the characters, which ended up included in the movies.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?

Geraldine Somerville - thought she did an amazing job with Lily. She made the character completely sympathetic and flawless, I thought.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?

Very much so. the music adds to the surroundings.

Who is your favourite music composer?

Hard to say. I really enjoyed both Williams and Desplat

Which soundtrack is your favourite?

I loved both the magical, upbeat sounds of SS and the exciting, gut wrenching music of DH2.

What is your favourite music track?

For me, it's a 4 way tie between SS's Hedwig's Theme, and the opening of Christmas, and DH2's Courtyard and Snape's Demise

Overall verdict

Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?

Absolutely.

My list of favorite movies, in order:

1) GoF
2) DH2
3) SS / PS
4) HBP
5) CoS
6) PoA
7) OotP
8) DH1

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
Deathly Hallows as one. It doesn't work without them being combined, and they flow seamlessly. Plus, they have the best fights, most emotional dialogue, and some of the best scenes in the series, period.
If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it? Hmm. There's quite a few. Mine is kind of a quiet one. When Lupin is talking to Harry on the bridge. Don't know why, its just very well done...
Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World? Definitely Yates.
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies? No. I love Yates's films, but he would have lost it, having to do 8 films. I couldn't see it.
Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc. Coming of Age story. This is there story! All the movies are basically about THEM.
Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)? I don't know, really. Snape?
Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you? Alan rickman. Fantastic work, man.
How important has music been to you while watching the movies? Extremely. The music for DH made it one of my favorite movies of all time.
Who is your favourite music composer? Alexandre Desplat.
Which soundtrack is your favourite? Deathly Hallows Part 2.
What is your favourite music track? Statues, Neville the Hero, or Panic inside Hogwarts. Love Leaving Hogwarts though. Instant chills.
Which movie has the best cinematography? I don't really know what cinematography is. Holding the camera? Then DH1 I guess.
Best set design (props etc)? All of them
Best special effects? DH2
Best costumes? I don't know ha.

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Yes. There are quite a few continuity flaws but otherwise this series is fantastic. It changed my life.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
I would have to say.....SS/PS is probably my favorite of all eight. It's probably the one HP movie I will always have the time to watch, even if I'm not in the mood. I love it because it portrays the Wizarding World so well, exactly how I imagined in the book. But, the main reason of why I love it so is because it's the beginning, it's freaking magical, and I have a fuzzy feeling in my stomach at the end of it. :)

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it? When Hermione punches Draco. :rotfl: It's one of my favorites anyway.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
Chris Columbus. He brought this amazing book series to life. I don't think the other directors would've of done so well without the vision he already created.

I don't know. All of the directors did a great job.

Storytelling
Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
Hmmm. I want to say Coming of Age story of the Trio.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Snape.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Rupert.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Very important. The music is part of the story.

Who is your favourite music composer?
John Williams

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
DH Part 2

What is your favourite music track?
Hedwig's Theme or Courtyard Apocalypse.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
DH Part 1

Best set design (props etc)?
The Burrows.

Best special effects?
DH Part 1

Best costumes?
DH Part 1

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Yes, I'm very happy with the completed series.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?

It's very hard for me to choose between 4 and 8. I adore Goblet of Fire, and I adore Deathly Hallows 2 for different reasons. If forced to choose, I'd probably go for 8 (that's what I voted for, anyway).

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?

Impossible to choose only one, but The Prince's Tale is right up there, and I love the way it builds up. I am also deeply moved when McGonagall, Flitwick. Slughorn and Molly place the protection around the school before the Battle of Hogwarts, and I love the score here, and the sound of the words in the protective spells. I love the Yule Ball, too, Draco being turned into a ferret, the very well handled tension amonst the trio in the tent in DH1, and Harry and Hermione's dance - I find the choice of song extremely moving and appropriate, showing how the weight of the world is upon these very young, very brave people. And I see it as Harry trying to cheer Hermione up and a reflection of their friendship and how devastating the loss of Ron is. There are very moving moments in POA too - I love Harry's Patronus chasing away the Dementors, and the talk with Lupin on the bridge.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.

Probably the first of these.

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?

I think they all produced excellent work. I find Columbus's pace too slow (especially in the first film - it ruins the climax at the end - and could those chess pieces have moved any more slowly, or with less tension?), but I can't fault how he brought the magical world of Harry Potter alive. Terrific scenes like all Harry's Hogwarts letters arriving, Diagon Alley, the Dursleys, and Hagrid finding them at last.

As a film, I felt the third was better than the first two. A beautiful film, well paced, beautiful outdoor scenery used, and serious themes handled with more depth. James and Lily's sacrifice seems to be felt, not just stated, as if we are starting to properly understand it for the first time - due in part to the haunting. thoughtful tone and music and largely, too, to the excellent portrayal of Remus Lupin. Sirius Black, too, is very well portrayed (this performance/portrayal has grown on me over several viewings, and I can't fault it now). Also, I think the tension in the Shrieking Shack, leading up the the final revelation - with the 3 surviving Marauders and Snape - is much more fluent and effective than it is in the book.

I love the joy, colour, magic and romantic tone of the 4th film. I already loved Patrick Doyle's romantic scores, and I feel it was so right for this film. It wouldn't have been for any of the others, and I'm so glad he scored this one. In a way, it's the last one before things become deadly serious, and the way this is so expertly and and lovingly captured makes it very special. The death of Cedric Diggory, and Dumbledore's speech for him, were also very moving.

I wasn't keen on David Yates's direction at first, but I liked 6 better than 5, and 7 and 8 are very good indeed. I wasn't keen on his pacing at first, and I still feel that number 5 drags, but he was handling a world that had grown much more sinister. The performances and chemistry of the Trio were moving and excellent in 7 and 8, and I think we partly have Yates to thank for this.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?

No. They all brought very special things to the series. As did the four composers, and I wonder if we would have had four different ones without the change of direction, or rather if we'd have had those particular composers.

Composers

Love Patrick Doyle's rich, romantic, joyful scores, and so happy that he was the composer for Film 4. Love the magical hallmark themes such as Hedwig's, that we automatically think of when we think of Harry Potter. Desplat's themes are very haunting. Not as familiar with Hooper's music, but the music as Harry and Dumbledore approach the (previous) location of the locket Horcrux is very memorable, as is Dumbledore's Farewell Cue when it reappears in The Prince's Tale. So I'm not going to pick one - they all bring very special qualities to the different films.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?

Many perfect, or near-perfect portrayals: Lupin, Hagrid, Sirius, Mad-Eye Moody, McGonagall, Argus Filch, Draco. Love the Weasley Twins. I prefer Michael Gambon's Dumbledore's to Richard Harris, although I needed a little time to get used to it. Snape excellent too, although I wasn't quite convinced by "younger, grief-stricken Snape" in The Prince's Tale. I think the Trio were great too, though - the way they had developed by the end could qualify them for the best portrayals too. I can't really pick one performance that stands out over the others; there are too many. Yaxley was convincingly nasty and very memorable, too. Voldemort and Bellatrix also excellent.

Greatest acting revelation

The Trio, but especially Daniel Radcliffe. He had the hardest part, in my opinion, and I love his performance in the last two films.

Cinematography etc

3 for the beautiful outdoor and Patronus scenes; 7 for Godric's Hollow and the churchyard and the lost, "road movie" feel, 8 for the Battle of Hogwarts.

The costumes and sets were consistently excellent.

Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?

Yes, very. I like some of the films more than others, but I do love them all, and they capture the essence and magic of the books spectacularly well.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?

POA, it was the movie that got me to read the books. Loved that it was more atmospheric and more adult that the first two films (I was 19 when I saw it so the first two films were too kiddy for me)

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?

1) The Knight Bus scenes in POA
2) The Mr. Weasley and Harry scene in POA when he's telling Harry about Sirius and Sirius's poster is always in the shot =^)
3) The Snape/Karkaroff scene in GOF when Snape's out catching students making out in the carriages. So Snape - if he can't be happy, no one will be. lol

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?

Alfonso Curaron (sp?) since POA has a special place in my heart...

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?

I would have liked Alfonso to have directed at least one more but for the most part I liked that they kept switching it up and let other people add to the series.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.

None of them were satasfactorily fleshed out for me. With the first five films not having a clear direction by way of knowing the end of the series, too much was left out for me to really enjoy any one arc.

Snape's arc approached being the best but he wasn't as dislikable in the movies as he was in the books since he was left out of so much and his scenes ended up being shorted or not as vidictive toward Harry as I thought they should have been.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?

Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid was pretty spot on for me. I also liked Maggie Smith as McGonagall immensely, Alan Rickman as Snape and Warwick Davis as Flitwick.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?

Tom Felton as Malfoy I think really matured as the series went on and was clearly the best of the younger generation as far as acting ability goes.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?

The best music in films is so perfect you don't realize it's there. Mostly I didn't realize it was there.

Who is your favourite music composer?

John Williams

Which soundtrack is your favourite?

POA is the only one I own.

What is your favourite music track?

Double Trouble because it was so clever - incorporating the lines from Macbeth was cute and I liked that Alfonso chose to show that Hogwarts had things like a school choir which just enlivened the world in the films even more.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?

POA still is the one that comes to mind.

Best set design (props etc)?

I tend to like the brightness and colors of the first two films but like the direction the hogwarts sets went from POA and on. I especially love the Hogsmeade sets - so cute, want to live there... =^)

Best special effects?

OOTP for the end battles in the DOM and the DD/LV battle at the end - amazing! Every other battle for me is just wordlessly throwing jinxes that make walls explode. The DD/LV battle was a truely epic wizard battle and the only one that was cleverly thought out by way of spellwork and advanced uses of magic in combat. Loved it! Watch it on youtube all the time.

Best costumes?

They generally all looked the same to me and I have an issue with how '70s all the muggle cloths looked. I liked POA best because of Alfonso's direction of letting the kids do their own thing with their uniforms rather than keeping them buttoned up all the time and thought the muggle cloths were the least jarring and most era-appropriate.

Overall verdict

Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?

No. the first five films lacked a clear direction in story so important things were cut out. The scripts became jumbled messes of trying to duct tape the plots back together as the series went on, I'm generally unimpressed with the subdued acting of the younger actors and wish they would remake the films with clearer scripts, tighter character arcs, fewer plot holes and generally less of a schizophrenic approach.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?

Deathly Hallows Part 2. I feel like this movie was the closest to the book out of all of them. I felt it featured some of the best acting, touching moments and was just an epic way to end the series. It was the only one to make me sob throughout most of it.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?

Hmmmmm I have so many! The one I can think of right now is McGonnogal and Snape's duel in Deathly Hallows 2 and the protection of the castle that followed. It made me cry.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?

Chris Columbus. He really captured the magic and detail of the books.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?

Yes. There is an obvious different feel in the movies with each new director and I would have prefered if Columbus had directed them all.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.

Ron and Hermione's relationship. You can see it begin in the early movies from their constant bickering, the attraction growing through to them getting together, then the kiss, through to them sending their children off to Hogwarts.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?

There are so many but I have to say Alan Rickman. He is Snape. His line delivery was perfect and throughout the movies he helped flesh out such an interesting, and ultimately tragic character. Others are Maggie Smith, Helena Bonham Carter and Robbie Coltrane.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?

Daniel and Emma's acting improveda lot from the first movie to the last.

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?

Very. The music helps create the magic and adds to the epicness or emotion of a scene. Sometimes it has been the music that has brought me to tears rather than the actual moment. Also, some of my problems with the movies have been that I felt the music was lacking in a particular moment.

Who is your favourite music composer?

John Williams. Like Columbus, I wish he could have done them all. Magic.

Which soundtrack is your favourite?

Either Philosopher's Stone or Deathly Hallows.

What is your favourite music track?

Leaving Hogwarts :upset:

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?

Prisoner of Azkaban.

Best set design (props etc)?

Philosopher's Stone.

Best special effects?

Goblet of Fire or Deathly Hallows.

Best costumes?

Philosopher's Stone.

Overall verdict

Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?

Yes! There are some issues but yes, I love the series.

Oh a questionnaire! How fun. I'm going to read what everyone else says when I finish this.

The movies
Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
My favourite movie was The Goblet of Fire. It's such a pivotal point in the series, and I think it was handled marvelously. They had so much to fit in, and they did such a good job.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
When Harry jumps out of Hagrid's arms in DHII, when everyone thinks he's dead.

Directing
Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
I have a soft spot for Mike Newell. I think he did such a good job with the characters and relations between them during the coming of age point, and all the darkness. He'll always be my favourite Harry Potter director. But I have to give props to Chris Columbus. Because he really brought it to life, with the help of the people that he had to initially put together. Everyone else really drew from the vision that he, JKR, and his crew assembled.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
I think that would have been ideal, but I don't think I could choose one to do them all, because they all brought a different something to the series, and using all the different ones was very important to the development of the story.

Storytelling
Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
The trio were obviously the most fleshed out arc. A lot of people who only watch the movies have no idea about the Marauders, and need that explained. Harry is really the main character, and even in the books that's the most fleshed out part. So it would be impossible to better flesh out any other arc.
The entire story is about Harry Ron and Hermione growing up and learning to deal with the issues that they have been set with.

Acting
Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
I want to say Luna, because Evanna is Luna Lovegood. She just brought real magic to the role. Theres a magic, and joy to her, but also seriousness and growth that would have come across as a joke coming from anyone else, I think.
Also, Imelda Staunton as Umbridge. She really made you despise the character. Not many people can play someone so 'pleasant' in such a convincingly despicable way.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
I don't think I could really call anyone a revelation. This is very much the same question as the previous, in my mind.

Music
How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
The music is integral. Without the music theres no emotion to set the scene. Anyone who's watched the accompanying documentaries for Harry Potter Ultimate Edition: Part 4 will understand.

Who is your favourite music composer?
I feel like I'm committing treason by not choosing John Williams. But my favourite was the composer for the 5th and 6th installations, Nicholas Hooper.

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
Half Blood Prince

What is your favourite music track?
Leaving Hogwarts. Is. Heartbreaking.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.
Which movie has the best cinematography?
The third was very interesting, but I have to go with DHII
Best set design (props etc)?
Philosopher's Stone. Everything was so new, and it really just filled me with awe. But for props, I'm going to say PoA ties. Because Cuaron introduced the individuality of the characters through their wands.
Best special effects?
Obviously with technological advances, the latest. But I thought that what they did with the available technology in the first movie was astounding.
Best costumes?
Goblet of Fire. We get to see more than just the one school. And the Death Eaters/Dark Lord costumes were exquisite.

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Very.

Music
How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
The music is integral. Without the music theres no emotion to set the scene. Anyone who's watched the accompanying documentaries for Harry Potter Ultimate Edition: Part 4 will understand.

Sorry for my ignorance but what is the Ulitimate Edition? Is it the 1-8 box set because I'm thinking about getting that?

Sorry for my ignorance but what is the Ulitimate Edition? Is it the 1-8 box set because I'm thinking about getting that?

The Ultimate editions have an extra disc of special features, which includes an 8 part documentary each with a different theme. EG. Part 3 is Creatures, 4 is music, 2 is characters etc.

uhhh they look like this: http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/harry-potter-give-away-year-3.jpg

I've recently been delving back into the films after receiving the SS, CoS, OotP, and HBP Ultimate Editions for Christmas, and I have to say that there are several devisions made by either Steve Kloves, Michael Goldenberg, and/or the various directors that make much more sense when you are able to look at the films as a package. There are a number of things in GoF in particular that are greatly improved when you consider them in a wider context.

I've said before that I gained a greater appreciation for GoF after watching a number of behind-the-scenes features dealing with that film, but in looking at it in the wider context of the series as a cohesive whole, I've come to the realization that Mike Newell is my third-favorite director of the series, and that his approach to directing the film and adapting the story of GoF to film was actually perfectly suited to the direction in which J.K. Rowling took the overall narrative of the series, and the ways in which she evolved certain characters in the final three books. Even the way in which Michael Gambon portrays Dumbledore in the film, while initially jarring and seeminly out-of-place, is ultimately 'on-target'.

Newell's approach to GoF is also a perfect precursor and lead-in to David Yates' approach to OotP, HBP, and the two parts of DH because it really begins the trend of the individual novels' storylines being distilled down into a single thematic 'through-line'.

In fact, when you look at the series as a whole, it becomes clear that each of the directors ended up evolving the films in exactly the right ways to match where JKR was taking the story.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?

Out of all the movies I think that the Half-Blood Prince is my favorite. The emotion in that movie is off the wall. It is so sad throughout. From the opening scene to the end you just felt this weight over it. The soundtrack is subtle. Gentle and sad. The acting is really good (although this film isn't Dan's best acting wise, he really didn't have a lot to do.)

It's hard to explain. There is just something very poetic about that film. It's beautiful. It takes it's time and you really get to spend time with the characters. It isn't perfect (but what film is) but I think it gets points for the mood it created. Some say it's the funniest of the films but I think, in overall tone, it's one of the darkest aswell.

Now I love Prisonar of Azkaban and that's my favorite out of the earlier films but I can see me going back and watching HBP more than PoA for some reason.

Now my favorite moment is a tough one. I think it is in the Prisonar of Azkaban actually. It's the shot of Harry standing in the courtyard with the clock swinging behind him (after his class left for Hogsmeade). That shot always stuck out in my mind and summed up Harry's journey perfectly.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?

Well Chris Columbus did a great job with setting everything up I must say so I will give him that. I think you spent more time in the world with him. After that you were used to it as seen in PoA. Magic was second nature to everyone in that film.

One director for all eight? Nah. I love the variety. The series never got boring because you never knew what they directors would bring. I am glad that it ended with one guy though.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.

Oh the trio for sure. I think one of the joys of watching these films is watching not only the characters, but the actors grow.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?

How cliche am I but Alan Rickman did a great job. He was a joy to watch since movie 1 and I loved how he was always in the background until the end. I'm sure there is atleast one memorable scene per movie with him involved

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Who is your favourite music composer?
Which soundtrack is your favourite?
What is your favourite music track?

Music has been one of my favorite things about the series. I've anticipated the soundtracks I think more than the films themselves sometimes! :lol: Just like the directors, I am glad in hindsight that we have different composers.

My favorite? Hm. Wow. Well John Williams of course. The themes he made in just the first 3 movies are still great. I didn't enjoy his albums on a WHOLE like some of the later ones but the first half of The Prisonar of Azkaban soundtrack is enough to win me over and is some of the best music of the series.

Now saying that my favorite soundtrack is The Half-Blood Prince :lol: I think, out of all the soundtracks, it's the most complete sounding. It's simple and subtle but the emotion is HUGE. I think it works so well because there aren't many action cues, which are great in the context of the film but not go great listening to on record (which is the fault of the PoA soundtrack) I just loved how Hooper used so few instruments and got the range of emotion he got out of it. Love it.

A Window From the Past is my favorite Harry Potter track. No contest. I think it's a shame it didn't come up with Harry went to his parents graves in DH1 or a little hint of it in the forest when they surrouned him. Oh well.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
Best set design (props etc)?
Best special effects?
Best costumes?

I think HBP had the best cinematography. The sets for all the films have been incredible. Best special effects I'd say DH2. Costumes I never really notice much :lol: But they have been consistent with them which I love.

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?

One day I will attempt to watch all of the movies back to back. But as it stands I am very happy with the series. I think at the end of the day they are very entertaining. Each movie holds a dear memory for me and this crazy fandom I was a part of for 10 years.

I think it's incredible that we have 8 really good (and some great) movies that's all a part of the same series. If I were to rank the films right now it'll be:

HBP, POA, DH2, DH1, OOTP, PS/SS, GOF, and COS.

So as you see the later films are in my top which is a great accomplishment imo. I do love all the films though and I'm glad I was a part of the journey.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
"Favourite" can mean too many things. So, I’ll break them down.
Best Film as a movie: Prisoner. This was, hands down, the single best film of the series. It did an amazing job of telling Rowling’s story of Harry’s Hard vs. Wrong Choices in accepted truths. The direction, performance, pacing, etc., all were top-notch.

The Film I most enjoyed: Goblet. It was not quite as good a film as Prisoner, but for whatever reason, I found that I just enjoy watching it more. The film does a really good job of telling Rowling’s story of Harry’s Hard vs. Wrong Choices of Personal Valour. I think my objections were that it was not as well adapted as Prisoner: some of the "clunky" aspects of the books remained in the film when I think that they could have been easily adapted.

Best Adaptation: Order. Rowling’s story of Harry’s Hard vs. Wrong Choices of Personal Isolation might be her best story of the lot: but the book is by far her worst telling of a story. The film did a great job of streamlining Rowling’s poorly editted morasse and really focused on the story.

Best Guilty Pleasure: Prince. It is fun, even if it did totally lose Rowling’s story of Hard vs. Right Choices in Personal Politics for Tween Sexual Alchemy.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
The best "single moment" was probbly Harry’s Patronus moment in Prisoner: that was one of the few "spine tingles" I got out of the series.

My favorite scene was A Prince’s Tale.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
That is not a criterion by which I would judge a director: his/her job is to tell a story, not portray a world.

To that end, I think that Cuaron did by far the best job of telling a story. Yates did well in 3 of 4 films, and Newell did well in his one turn, but neither of them quite got to Cuarón’s level.

Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?

No, for several reasons. First and foremost, the stories are too different from one another. The first couple of films needed a director such as Spielberg who could spin a children’s tale in a way that would still engage adults. The 2nd two stories needed a surreal turn: Cuaron was great, but Rowling’s suggested director of Terry Gilliam would have been great, too. Order needed someone who could do "stark," whereas Prince and Hallows needed someone who could do young adult stories.

The second reason is that any director good enough that I would like to see do HP films was not going to committ to one project for that long.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore’s inside man etc.
The movies didn't really do these as arcs, but, then, most of these were not really arcs in the books, either! Neither books nor films did much with "coming of age" outside of poorly written romance (the Bildungsroman narrative style notwithstanding). Neither books nor films did much with Snape vs. the Marauders besides present it as a historical detail: there was no "middle" or "end," just a beginning. For Snape, it was not an arc so much as a "reveal" with one answer. Had the films followed the book, then we would have gotten the answer in Prince (but keep in mind that a lot of people rejected that answer then): the films simply saved the "reveal" until the last film.

The romantic arcs were done as well in the films as in the books, but that is faint praise at best! I did hope that the films would improve Harry+Ginny, and they did a little, but not enough to make it "good."

SPEW was a true arc, but that did not involve the protagonist, so it was well cut. (In a way, that is too bad: I liked the arc, but as it needed to be redone to have something to do with Harry.

That leaves the overarching plot of Harry vs. Voldemort, and that was pretty well done. The big "gotcha" of Harrycrux certainly was well tied-up in the end for both book and film. And we cannot say that it was presented more poorly on the films given how many Hardcore Harry Potter fans were adamant that Harry could not be carrying a piece of Voldemort’s soul on his forehead!

Finally, I would add that one constant failure of the series was to use short flashbacks to remind people of plot points established in prior series. In the books, Rowling always provided literary equivalents of flashbacks, with brief synopses of characters and plot points when they re-appeared. For example, why wasn't the Riddle from the Diary ever reshown in Prince or Hallows when showing people the destroyed Diary? Why wasn't the prophecy reshown when it came up again in Prince or Hallows? Etc., etc. If you are trying to communicate continuity, then this is the device for doing so. However, it was done all too rarely in the series.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Harry. He is the protagonist and thus gets by far the most with which to work. Radcliffe has grown into a really good actor, too.

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
None. I mean, it is cool seeing Radcliffe evolve into such a good performer. Grint did well, but Rowling provides so little for Ron to do that he does not get much of a chance: fortunately, Ron's lower moments from the books are largely cut, which will probably help Grint's career as being stereotyped as book Ron would be pretty bad for him. (I still am not sold on Watson as an actress.) However, I cannot call that a "revelation" per se.

The adult actors performed as I expected, having seen most of them before. (Well, I suppose that the series did reveal David Tennant to me!)

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
The right score in the right moment can really put a scene over the top. I mean, think of the Battle of the Pelennor Fields: yes, Théoden’s St. Crispin Day speech is wonderful on its own, but against that music, it became iconic. Conversely, there was the horrid score of Chamber, which actually undercut scenes by being out-of-place.

The series had quite a few good musical moments. The Graveyard "thematic dual" was brilliant, as was the heart-beat based Battle of Hogwarts theme. Major kudos to those!

Who is your favourite music composer?
After the first two films, they all did good jobs. (Williams redeemed himself with Prisoner!)

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
Death Hallows 2. There are a lot of really vibrant pieces, and the score does a wonderful job of capturing the story told by the film (if not that of the book).

What is your favourite music track?
Harry in Winter. That actually captures the poignancy of youthful infatuation wonderfully, and the nice "misstepped" counterpunctual nature of the two themes foreshadows that it is to be a near-miss.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
Goblet.
Best set design (props etc)?
Order
Best special effects?
Hallows 2
Best costumes?
Goblet.

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?[/QUOTE]
For the most part. With the exception of the first half of Hallows, the post-Columbus films did good jobs of telling stories, and Prisoner, Goblet and Order all succeeded in telling Rowling's stories quite well. I do wish that they could get a time machine and put someone other than Columbus directing the first two films. (Note to Time Travelers: please do NOT use Michael Bay, either.)

My biggest grip is that they should had been much more aggressive about adapting Rowling’s story to the cinematic medium: the greatest flaws of all of the films was adhering too closely to the books. I fear sharks when I am swimming, but not on land: it is the lions and T. rex’s that scare me then. It is the same principle here. We only have to look at how much more popular and acclaimed the Lord of the RIngs films were than any of the HP films to see what is possible with proper adaptation.

Just completed my own HP marathon. Watched all 8 movies in 8 days. Funny, but suddenly I think we Americans speak with a strange accent. Anyway, watching all 8 movies raised a million questions in my mind, which I'll have to sort out and post here on Mugglenet. My favorite movie is still Prisoner of Azkaban for its humor and artistry.

My favorite is also DHp2 because i think it's so touching, dark, and emotional even though i actually have 5 favorites ie GoF-DHp2. On my list from best to worst potter film:
1.DHp2 ^
2.DHp1 ^
3.HBP ^
4.GoF ^
5.OotP ^
6.CoS v
7.SS v
8.PoA v
I didn't care for the first 3 films once the darker movies came out but i used to like them when i first saw them but not no more. The ^'s represent thumbs up and the v's thumbs down.

Continued from the Hunger Games Thread

The latter films, like HG, did very good jobs of telling stories. That's why the public and (frequently) the critics liked those films nearly as much as the liked Rings and HG. And that's why the public (and the critics) disliked the first two films so much (they are called "the bad ones," after all): they didn't tell any story at all, never mind the story from the book.

Look at it this way: when all is said and done, people will not be referring to HG as "the bad one" in the series the way that they do the two Columbus films, and there will be no speculation about what "could have been" regarding Mockingjay's box office!

Ranking the HP movies is a completely subjective activity whether it's done by critics, by movie reviewers or by fans no one will have the same ranking or the same reasons for why they like one movie over the others. In the threads here in COS there's a group of people who claim POA is the worst of the series and yet there are those who claim it's their favorite of the series. Some claim that the Columbus films (PS/SS and COS) are the worst of all eight movies but there are an equal number who claim them as their favorites because they are arguably the most faithful to the their book sources. Many claim DHp1 is the best of the series but many claim that it was terrible and ruined the series. Critics often rank POA at the top of their lists and SS and COS at the bottoms but there are fans that hate POA and love SS and/or COS. Ranking the films is completely subjective.

Examples:
Jan Chaney of the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/celebritology/post/harry-potter-ranking-the-movies-from-best-to-worst/2011/07/15/gIQAAkbFGI_blog.html) ranked the movies thusly:
1. GOF
2. POA
3. DHp2
4. DHp1
5. SS
6. HBP
7. OOTP
8. COS

Robert Daughtry of Yahoo!News (http://news.yahoo.com/ranking-harry-potter-movies-worst-best-202500142.html)ranked the films thusly:
(DHp2 is not ranked in this list as it had not yet been released)
1. POA
2. OOTP
3. GOF
4. DHp1
5. HBP
6. COS
7. SS

Rueben Pereria of the Examiner (http://www.examiner.com/article/ranking-the-harry-potter-movies-from-worst-to-best)ranks them thusly:
(again, DHp2 is not ranked in this list as it had not yet been released)
1. POA
2. DHp1
3. GOF
4. OOTP
5. HBP
6. SS
7. COS

According to the fans it gets even more all over the place as many claim POA (which consistently ranks high on movie reviewer or critics lists) is the worst of the series:

(a sampling of fans top and bottoms picks)
Best: COS, Worst: OOTP
Best: GOF, Worst: HBP
Best: GOF, Worst: POA
Best: POA, Worst: GOF
Best: DHp2, Worst: GOF
Best: DHp1, Worst: HBP
Best: PS/SS, Worst: HBP
Best: GOF, Worst: DHp2
Best: PS/SS or COS, Worst: POA
Best: POA, Worst: PS/SS or COS

Ranking the films is completely subjective.

Saying "people will not be referring to HG as "the bad one" in the series the way that they do the two Columbus films" is therefore an inaccurate statement because there are many fans who don't call the Columbus films "the bad ones" at all and instead refer to DHp1 and DHp2 as "the bad ones" or OOTP and POA as "the bad ones" or HBP and GOF as "the bad ones..." No blanket statement like yours can be made with any amount of assurance that it's true in all circumstances.

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?

Order of the Phoenix was where the books lost me for a while, and it was only more recently with the release of the last book and the final films that I resolved to go back to Potter and pick up where I left off - with the book and film of Order of the Phoenix. And it's now my favourite movie (second favourite book after the Deathly Hallows). This film packs the biggest emotional punch for me, with the relationship between Harry and Sirius being so well built up, and then so cruelly ended. I wonder what a whole series adapted by Goldenberg and directed by Yates could have been like?

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?

When Voldemort possesses Harry, that is so well acted by Dan - a true defining moment of the series.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?

I love Columbus' vision, and who knows what may have happened to the series if he hadn't established it as well as he did. But for me, the nod goes to Yates. The last four movies are consistently excellent.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.

Tough one. Snape's story is the most enthralling for me, but by it's very nature, is not apparent until the end. And yet, the hints are there right back to the first film, with the quidditch match... so yeah, I think Snape. And all credit to Alan Rickman for that - legend.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?

Best portrayal - Snape.
Revelation - Dan Radcliffe. Who could have known when casting a 10-year old that he'd grow into the role so well?

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Who is your favourite music composer?
Which soundtrack is your favourite?
What is your favourite music track?

The music is vital to any film, it can change the whole feel of a scene. My favourite soundtrack is from Order of the Phoenix, and with the way Nicholas Hooper introduces so many new themes and makes them iconic, he gets my nod for the best composer too. But my favourite track - well, it's actually three in a row - is from Alexandre Desplat's score for Deathly Hallows Part 2, and that's the sequence from the pensieve to the forest. "Severus and Lily", "Harry's Sacrifice" and "The Resurrection Stone".

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
Best set design (props etc)?
Best special effects?
Best costumes?

Cinematography - maybe the only time I'll give the nod to Prisoner of Azkaban.

Set Design - Order of the Phoenix. The Ministry of Magic is magnificent.

Special Effects - Deathly Hallows, Part I. I love the animated story of the Hallows. Part II would have got the nod, but for a disappointing depiction of the giants. Still a close run thing though. Order of the Phoenix gets an honourable mention for the battle between Dumbledore and Voldemort, but a massive black mark for Grawp.

Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Overall - yes, and whilst it would have been nice to see the whole tangling web of subplots dealt with, it was never going to be realistic in the constraints of a movie format. I think they did great.

Hi all,

Nice to meet you all, this is my first post. I saw the first HP film when I was about 12 or so, and I loved how he lived in a cupboard under the stairs because I did. I opted for this as I loved small spaces. The first two films were very light-hearted and I really to this day can watch them over and over. However I have seen all but DH P2 which I'm getting this month so look forward to that, I really enjoyed POA can't say exactly why that's my fav so far but maybe its because it is darker than the first 2 but still has some light-heartedness about it.

I feel lucky that I grew up watching HP and was a similar age to the characters.

The movies
Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
I'm torn between Prisoner of Azkaban and Half Blood Prince. For me these are the two films that best capture the tone of the books but do so via captivating visual cinema

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
So many to choose from but if I really had to pick one it would have to be the Possession scene from Order of the Phoenix. The way it managed to convey the sense of Harry's love protecting him from Voldemort was so powerful. It could have come over as either confusing or really cheesy, but it was vivid and beautiful drama.

Directing
Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
Overall I would say Cuaron, but I really like Yates work as well


Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
No, I think the approach they took was perfect. A really safe pair of hands, good at working with children, to start the series off. Then they experimented by bringing in Cuaron who created an ecstatic reinvention of the Harry Potter world on film and gave the series the shot in the arm and confidence in needed to continue in an interesting way. And Yates, a director with a more understated style than Cuaron but who was terrific at creating atmosphere and getting performances from the young cast, saw the series home wonderfully

Storytelling
Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.
Overall the development of Harry as a character has been really well rendered in the films. Daniel Rafcliffe spent the entirety of PS reacting to the older actors but in the later films he does a terrific job of showing Harry interacting with the adults on an equal footing and on his terms. Look at the way Harry talks towards Ollivander at the start of DH Part 2 compared to Harry's wide eyed and stunned visit to the wand shop in PS


Acting
Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
This is hard. Acting wise, Alan Rickman dominated every scene he was in. But unfortunately he just wasn't on screen enough. At least he had the pay off the character deserved in DH2. I think I have to give this to Daniel Radcliffe as Harry. His performances got better and better and the scripts showcased this (see my reply to the question above about story arc)

Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
Probably Jim Broadbent as Slughorn

Music
How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Very important and the Harry Potter films have been well served by their composers

Who is your favourite music composer?
Probably John Williams but I really enjoy the work of Doyle, Hooper and Desplat

Which soundtrack is your favourite?
I have to sit on the fence and split my vote between PoA (Williams) and Order of the Phoenix (Hooper)

What is your favourite music track?
Harry in Winter (Doyle) from Goblet of Fire

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.
I adored the reinvention of the sets/costumes that PoA ushered in, and HBP I think has the best cinematography


Overall verdict
Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?

Very happy. They are by no means perfect but they get more right than wrong. They are very entertaining and I think display an artistic integrity throughout all 8 films to tell the story of Harry Potter in a way that is true to the themes and ideas of the books but in cinematic terms

The movies

Which movie out of all eight of them is your favourite? Why?
I'm torn between Prisoner of Azkaban and Deathly Hallows: Parts 1 and 2. PoA really sets the tone of the rest of the series, and I love all of the changes that Alfonso Cuaron made, from the changes in costumes to the alterations of the castle. As for the Deathly Hallows parts, I really like the whole storyline of the book, and therefore the movies, and I enjoyed the fact that they could include more due to it being stretched out across two films.

If you could name one moment which you consider your favourite for all movies which one is it?
I'd say either the cave scene from HBP - Michael Gambon's performance there is remarkable - or else the Prince's Tale - an emotional and amazing performance from Alan Rickman, as well as Gambon.

Directing

Which director did the best job of portraying the Wizarding World?
I think perhaps Columbus in the first film, or maybe Cuaron's new direction with magic and such in the third film. Those aside, I preferred David Yates' direction of the final two films.
Would you have preferred one director for all eight movies?
No, I like the different styles throughout the films, but I would have liked it if the directors worked more closely together to avoid continuity errors, and bring the films together as more of a series rather than stand-alone films, as they seem.

Storytelling

Which story arc has been fleshed out the best during the movies? Examples: Coming of Age story of the Trio, Harry vs Voldemort, The Marauder vs Snape, Snape as Dumbledore's inside man etc.

I'd say the coming of age story of the trio; their challenges and successes throughout the films are very accurately portrayed, and things like their struggles with Voldemort as well as their love life, all of them are greatly shown. I also thought Snape's story was fleshed out, but not as well or as in-depth as the trio's.

Acting

Which character has had the best portrayal (script wise and acting wise)?
Either Snape or Sirius. Both were scripted greatly, and both are amazing actors.
Which actor or actress in their role has been a revelation to you?
All of them. I never knew any of them until Harry Potter came along, probably because I'm American XD

Music

How important has music been to you while watching the movies?
Music definitely made the films. Other than the actors' acting among other little things, music sets the mood and conveys emotion beautifully.
Who is your favourite music composer?
I loved Alexandre Desplat's music, like Lily's Theme, The Diadem, and Voldemort's End. They're just great.
Which soundtrack is your favourite?
You'd probably expect me to say Alexandre Desplat, and his music is perhaps my favourite, but I also enjoyed the Prisoner of Azkaban's soundtrack.
What is your favourite music track?
The Diadem or Voldemort's End from DHP2.

Cinematography, Set Design, Costume Design etc.

Which movie has the best cinematography?
I loved Half-Blood Prince's cinematography, especially during the cave scene, but I also liked DHP2's.
Best set design (props etc)?
The final two films, I'd say; sets like the Ministry, Bellatrix's vault, and among other things. But I also loved Prisoner of Azkaban's, because Cuaron is the one who ultimately changed everything after the first time films.
Best special effects?
DHP2 probably.
Best costumes?
Dumbledore's costumes were always great, even Michael Gambon's bathrobes he always wore. I also loved the school uniforms after the third film, and not to mention Snape's and Voldemort's black robes they never seem to change.

Overall verdict

Are you happy with the Harry Potter movies as a completed series?
Not so much. I love the series, but I don't think they make a very good completed series. If you compare it to, say, the Lord of the Rings, you'll notice something: Nothing ever changes in the Lord of the Rings. Every character acts and appears the same from one film to the next, something which Harry Potter doesn't do so well.

Honestly, the final four films (probably due to David Yates' direction) serve as the most well tied. None of the characters really change, their appearances are consistent as well as their acting (perhaps excluding Michael Gambon as Dumbledore, who was still a little off in the fifth film, both acting-wise and costume (beard mostly)-wise). Then, if you compare them to the first four films, which change drastically from one to the next (uniform change from 2 to 3, drastic Dumbledore change from 3 to 4, unusually long hair for everyone except Dumbledore in 4 which the others lack)... and I could go on, and on, and on.