Rank the Harry Potter Films (2015 version)

[RyneOh1040]

I needed a study break and decided to take the time to do this, once again.

 

1. DH Part 1.  I truly think this is a perfect film, and not just as a part of the Potter series.  I was so incredibly frustrated with the TONE of the films when Yates was behind the wheel and then he just proved me completely wrong with this.  He got everything right.  It really is that simple.  I will always say that splitting the films into two parts was WAY more beneficial to Part 1, because I know a large majority of the plot from that portion of the book would have been cut for the sake of battles and action.  This film has several of my favorite moments of the entire series, including the graveyard scene which is the best single scene of the franchise.  10/10.

2. Prisoner of Azkaban.  I still remember seeing this and being somewhat haunted by it, but in the best way.  The scene where the first dementor is introduced on the Hogwarts Express is another standout scene in the series.  It's chilling and absolute perfection.  This is where the trio start to grow up very quickly and Alfonso did an incredible job of portraying the juxtaposition of the light-heartendess of the first two films (where the story had been), to this very real sense of terror (where the story was headed).  I also think this is when more casual fans, at least from my experience of discussion, took the series to be more of an epic.  It wasn't just a children's series, it was a story that would find it's ranks among the all time greats.  9.5/10.

3.  Sorcerer's Stone.  I know this is higher than what most people rank this film, but I think we often take for granted just how BAD the ship could have set sail.  The casting, for one, is out of this world.  I would argue the best in any franchise.  There isn't a single character who isn't spot on to Rowling's descriptions (with the exception of a few physical characteristics).  This film also gives me the biggest sense of nostalgia.   I rewatched it a few weeks ago and the end I was legitimately crying because I was just so happy.  Simple as that.  I know it's certainly more kid-fare than the later entries, but that's what it had to be and we can't forget the importance of that.  9.5/10.

4. DH Part 2.  I WANT to rank this film higher, I really, really do.  It's easily my favorite book in the series (a perfect novel, in my humble opinion) that is unfortunately translated into a pretty good film.  Don't get wrong, again, as is often for me with Yates, his films have some of my favorite moments of the series but also some that flat out spark outrage in me.  The forest scene, King's Cross, The Prince's Tale (dear god) all stunning, cinematic achievements.  But I feel like there are some very missed marks here that could have taken the film to the next level.  My biggest complaint will always be the final battle.  The epicness and sense of finality is just not there for me.  Why stray away from perfectly constructed source material?  I understand it's an adaptation, but sometimes you can't improve upon perfection and Rowling wrote the ultimate climax when this battle took place in the Great Hall, in front of everyone, with everything at stake.  Harry doesn't just kill Voldemort with a final spell, he destroys him with words.  Words that are so beautifully and expertly crafted and in the film we get none of that.  Don't even get me started on the Bellatrix death scene.  8.5/10.

5. Order of the Phoenix. - Arguably the hardest book to adapt due to sheer length, I think this is one of the most enjoyable films overall.  If I were just a casual fan of the series, this and GOF would be the ones I think I would like the most simply because of their entertainment factors.  The ministry battle between Voldemort and Dumbledore is one of the few times in the series where the action was actually better than I anticipated.  Plot wise, this film has to cover so much ground that it can't really go into depth with the narrative but again I think that's saved by highlighting things like the D.A. and Umbridge's torture of the school.  8.5/10.

6.  Chamber of Secrets. - I watch this film every year at Christmas, because for some reason it plays like a Christmas film to me.  I know that's inexplicable but it's just true for me. Maybe it was because I remember seeing this around the holidays or the overall warmth of the movie but at times I think I would rank it higher, maybe even above OOTP.  This is the film that seems to get the least love of the series and I don't really understand why.  The scene where Harry tells Hagrid there's no Hogwarts without you, to this day, destroys me. 8.5/10.

7. Goblet of Fire. - For most casual fans of the series, this seems to be their choice pick and I totally understand why.  The Triwizard Tournament is so damn exciting and works great as narrative structure for the film.  The graveyard scene is the standout moment in this film for me, and is flat out jaw dropping.  Fienes invigorates so much life into the series with his Voldemort.  The reason I personally rank this film lower is because I think omitting both Dobby and Sirius storylines (no the head in the fireplace isn't enough) from the film takes away from the gravitas of their loss later on.  Particularly Dobby, while who's death is heart-breaking, would have been even more devastating if he had a presence somewhere in the middle of the film series.  Also some of the characterization is way off, particularly the scene where Dumbledore erupts after Harry is chosen by the Goblet.  8/10.

8.  Half-Blood Prince. - I'll probably get shit for putting this here but I don't care.  I've definitely gotten over the majority of my dislike for this film, to the point where I can appreciate things like the cinematography, The Cave, and a few other scenes but I hands down have the most problem with this film.  At times it plays like a romantic comedy and I find that infuriating.  Yes, Rowling focused on the teen angst of it all and relationships but never in a humorous tone.  Ron was destroying Hermione, Harry was being eaten alive for his feelings for Ginny and what that meant with his friendship with Ron and Ron was oblivious to all of it.  I know the film covers that at times but I just don't think the severity of the seriousness of this book is adapted well.  And I will never. ever. ever forgive them for two things: 1. Having Snape kill Dumbledore while Harry isn't under the body bind curse and under the cloak and 2. Deciding to omit Dumbledore's funeral.  The latter is legitimate blasphemy and something that burns me up every time I watch this film.  For that reason, it get's my lowest rating of 7.0/10.  

Edited October 28, 2015 by RyneOh1040

[Infernus]

On 5/24/2015, 1:39:06, Noctis said:

I've noticed there's been a gradual change in the evaluation of the Potter films since the series ended, and it's been almost 4 years since the final film released. So how do you rank the films?

 

1. DH1

2. DH2

3. HBP

4. PoA

5. SS

6. OoTP

7. CoS

8. GoF

 

Deathly Hallows 1 remains near perfect in my eyes. Deathly Hallows Part 2 I have grown to have a bigger appreciation for it, despite the final 20 minutes. Even in the final 20 minutes, there were still enough moments of triumph and thrills. And the very final two scenes of the trio on the bridge and the epilogue were very emotional for me.

 

The first 4 are great films. SS and OoTP are very good, but CoS and GOF are easily the weakest for me. GoF butchered way too much of the story and characters.

 

You think GOF butchered off more story and Characters than OoTP? 

[Noctis]

Duh. 

 

In what universe can someone even possibly say that OoTP butchered the characters more than GoF?

[WrathOfHan]

POA

GOF

DH

SS
HBP

COS
OOTP

 

[Cynosure]

1 -COS

2 -DH1

3 -POA

4 -SS

5 -DH2

6- HBP

7- OOFP

8 - GOF

[Prime Mover and Shaker]

Something went very right with SS and PoA.  CoS was decent, but somehow it drags a bit... it's overly long, but admittedly follows the source material fairly well.

 

Heck, the first three films do well enough by the books (which I realize isn't the be-all, end-all of filmmaking, but it matters to me with a series this well crafted).

 

I enjoy the rest of the films well enough, but GoF set the trend of being influenced by the flashier parts of the books at the expense of (in my opinion) the things that really make the series interesting.

 

Almost everything that makes Voldemort an interesting villain is glossed over or omitted from movies 4-8.  Key elements of his "rebirth", the subtleties of the prophecy, and the import of the horcruxes all point toward the things that make the final confrontation as meaningful as it is in the book.... and these items are dumbed down in the movies. 

 

I have to remind myself that the movie universe is different than that of the books; when I am successful with this, the movies are more enjoyable.

 

So, if I keep that in mind, I'd rank them:

 

PoA - this is a whodunit, done right. 

SS - great intro to a world of magic. 

DH1 - growing on me.  Wonderful beginning.  Can drag a bit, but that's kind of the point; there's a desperation to the monotony of what the characters are experiencing.

HBP - now they've figured out how to act!  Relationships done well; overall story suffers, though.

GoF - lots of fun.  Great action moments.  Acting is sometimes distracting.

DH2 - great build, weird execution of the ending.  Very hard to not compare it to the book here.

OotP - great moments, but there are some acting issues (growing pains of transitioning from kid acting to a more polished craft) that detract.

CoS - too long.  Drags.

 

 

FWIW, HBP and PoA are my favorite books.  OotP is sort of my least favorite, but some of that is dealing with it being the moodiest of the lot.

 

     

Edited June 27, 2016 by Prime Mover and Shaker

[RobinHood26]

Maybe I'll explain why later but for now....

 

 

1) SS

 

2) PoA

 

3) DH2

 

4) OotP

 

5) CoS

 

6)  GoF

 

7) HBP

 

8) DH1

Edited December 6, 2016 by Jay Hollywood

[Ethan Hunt]

SS

DH1

GoF

CoS

PoA

DH2

OotP

HBP

[Fanboy]

I've stopped caring about how faithful the movies are to the books, with one exception and I'll get to that. My ranking of basically every movie has changed over the years but this is probably my final ranking. 

1. HBP- Easily the most visually impressive of all the movies. Bruno Delbonnel's best work, and probably among my favourite cinematography movies of all time. I love how quiet the majority of the film is. Definitely a breath of fresh air considering how rushed GOF and OOTP were. Hooper's score is also far superior too OOTP. There's just something about the atmosphere of HBP that stands out among the rest of the films. 

2. PoA- Everyone knows why this one is great. 

3. DH1- Ironically I think the camping scenes are what elevates this most. I think it benefits from being allowed to waste the most time and let the characters interact without having to advance the plot. Emma Watson is leagues better in this than any of the previous films. Despite having no climax it does feel like more of a complete movie than DH2. 

4. DH2- Suffers from beginning in the middle of a narrative story so you really need to watch Part One first. The entire middle section from the trio arriving at Hogwarts to Harry going to the forest is brilliant and keeps me from ranking it any lower. Everything afterwards is hit and miss. I still hate the nineteen years later epilogue. 

5. CoS- Columbus' interpretation is way too obvious but Chamber is a perfect crowd-pleaser. The A+ CinemaScore makes total sense when you consider it took everything from the first film and made it into a darker more epic version of its predecessor. 

6. OOTP- Works really well for what is probably the most episodic plot in the series. It manages its pacing much better than Goblet of Fire despite cutting a longer book into a shorter movie. The score sucks. 

7. PS- A very literal adaptation of the book. It's fun, but it's too much of an introductory piece. Plus there is some cringe-worthy acting from the kids. 

8. Goblet of Fire- Despite having a great opening sequence and a fantastic score, it's easily the most problematic movie in the series. The pacing in the first act is all over the place, I can't stand teenage angst and the majority of the characters are completely butchered to the point where it feels like it belongs in another franchise. The first and second task is great, the graveyard scene is great, but uh... So much wasted potential with Barty Crouch Jr.'s conspiracy which was what kept the book so interesting. There's no buildup to Voldemort's return. 

[Simon Gibson]

1. PoA

2. CoS

3. HBP

4. DH1

5. SS

6. GoF

7. DH2

8. OoTP

 

I like the whole sequence movies !

[Rorschach]

My list is mostly the same with some differences of course.

 

1. Prisoner of Azkaban- A+

2. Deathly Hollows Part 2- A

3. Half-Blood Prince- A-

4. Sorcerer's Stone- B+

5. Chamber of Secrets- B+

6. Deathly Hollows Part 1- B

7. Goblet of Fire- B-

8. Order of the Phoenix- C+

[Lumos]

1. POA

2. DH1

3. GOF

4. HBP

5. SS

6. COS

7. DH2

8. OOTP

[ShouldIBeHere]

This seems to change constantly for me... but right now:

 

1. DH1

2. HBP

3. PoA

4. DH2

5. SS

6. CoS

7. OftP

8. GoF

[MrFanaticGuy34]

Here is my ranking of the Harry Potter-movies from lowest to highest. P.S (All movies are ranked A, though. There is no bad Harry Potter for me at all.)

 

1. DH2

2. DH1

3. GOF

4. COS

5. OOTP

6. POA

7. SS

8. HBP

 

I think all of the HP-movies are very well made.

 

[RobinHood26]

SS is the one that works as a stand alone. Its a fully story of a kid discovering who he is and finding a home & family. Can't beat it. I saw it at 8 opening day, so its my ET really. Thats how I feel about it. 

[23IsEverywhere]

FB&WTFT

DH1

POA

DH2

SS

COS

OoTP

GOF

HBP

 

The movies based on some of my favorite books ranked very low as I saw so much unfulfilled potential.  Yates took a couple movies to figure Harry Potter out, and he imo eventually had the second best handle on the feel of Harry Potter.  I think Columbus did the best at adapting the books, but he also adapted two of the weaker stories.  Fantastic Beasts brought the magic back, and may have been my favorite movie of the series potentially because it was not overshadowed by a novel.

[eXtacy]

Re-watched all the Potter films before I go see Fantastic Beasts tomorrow. I like them all to varying extents with the exception of Deathly Hallows Part 1 which is plain awful.

 

1. GOF

2. POA

3. DH2

4. SS

5. HBP

6. COS

7. OOTP

...

...

...

8. DH1

[Noctis]

6 hours ago, eXtacy said:

Re-watched all the Potter films before I go see Fantastic Beasts tomorrow. I like them all to varying extents with the exception of Deathly Hallows Part 1 which is plain awful.

 

1. GOF

2. POA

3. DH2

4. SS

5. HBP

6. COS

7. OOTP

...

...

...

8. DH1

 

You're disgusting and an abomination to the human race. 

[eXtacy]

14 minutes ago, Noctis said:

 

You're disgusting and an abomination to the human race. 

 

That maybe so but it does change the fact DH1 is a horribly dull movie that did not need to exist!

[FantasticBeasts]

Let me do one with FBAWTFT included:

1.)PoA 

2.)DH1

3.)DH2

4.)COS

5.)HBP

6.)FBAWTFT

7.)SS

8.)OOTP

9.)GOF