Ranking the Franchise - Harry Potter

It’s been 20 years since the first Harry Potter movie was released. Feel old yet? And since they have been showing them again on television (October is magic) I decided to take a closer look and actually rank all the eight Harry Potter movies. And it wasn’t an easy job.
 

8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
The beginning of the end. Warner Brothers decided to split the last book into two movies. In a way the right choice, since there is a lot to be told. But because of that, the seventh film doesn’t feel finished and is just a set-up for everything that will happen in the final movie.
 

7. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
A dark, exciting film. This part also made it clear that director David Yates was here to stay. The film was made with confidence, where everyone finally acknowledges that Voldemort is back. Together with Dumbledore, Harry tries to figure out how to defeat the evil wizard. Meanwhile, Harry, Ron and Hermione are also becoming real adolescents and slowly love blossoms here and there. And this is the part I hated and why the film is so low on the list.
 

6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Mike Newell directs this fourth film in the series and it’s one of the most complex films in the franchise. A visually good-looking film, in which the visual effects are more beautiful than ever, the characters mature slowly and the actors are completely invested. As the film begins, Harry wonders why his scar hurts from time to time. And where do these mysterious visions come from? In the fourth year of Hogwarts, Harry also has to enter the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
 

5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
The second Harry Potter film is worst received movie in the series. Mainly because director Chris Columbus has put just about everything from the book into the film, which makes it a bit overcrowded. For me, not less fun, since I actually really like it. It’s nice to see how the actors slowly grow into their roles. This was sadly also the final film with Richard Griffiths as Dumbledore, who I always found the better version of the iconic wizard. He had the calmness and wise nature that was described in the books. But since his passing, he needed to be recast.
 

4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2003)
One of the very best films in the franchise. The film strikes a wonderful balance between a dark tone, a complex story and a lot of magic. The first film in the franchise that became darker in tone and content. The film introduces Sirius Black, who escapes after twelve years in Azkaban. And we meet Remus Lupin, the new Defense Agains the Dark Arts teacher. Two of my favorite characters in the franchise.
 

3. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001)
The very first film in the franchise and the one that started it all. Director Chris Columbus managed to adapt the amazing source material to the big screen, without overcrowding the film. This is where we meet Harry, his friends and all the great characters we came to love over the years. And I think the audience was just as amazed and overwhelmed as Harry was.
 

2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
I was very surprised myself that I loved this film so much. Director David Yates was given a difficult task. He had to adapt the longest book to film. And it worked out very well. But it did result in the shortest Harry Potter film, which is therefore entertaining and full of action. Harry is distrusted in this film: Voldemort wouldn’t be back at all. Meanwhile, Dolores Umbridge is the new teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts, and she gets the task of keeping a close eye on Dumbledore, Harry and the other students of Hogwarts. In doing so, the entire curriculum in which the wizards learn to defend themselves is immediately destroyed. Harry and his friends decide to teach themselves. Imelda Staunton is the star of this film, since she embodies the awful Umbridge so well.
 

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
I never expected that the eight and final film to be my favorite. Harry and his battle with the evil Voldemort had to end at the top. It is an exciting, thrilling, well-acted and visually extremely impressive film. Especially the battle of Hogwarts is an epic and unforgettable scene. But what is especially clever is that this eight-part film series is brought to a very satisfactory ending. The battle between good and evil in the magical world has broken out into a real war. Harry, tother with Ron and Hermione, has the task to end it.

Marry, Kiss, Cliff - Round 14

Harry Potter (“Harry Potter”-series), Samwise Gamgee (“Lord of the Rings”-series) and Marty McFly (“Back to the Future”)

Marry: Marty McFly is one of the coolest movie characters and so loveable. And the guy has a time machine, come on, who can resist that? 1.21 gigawatts!

Kiss: A bit nerdy, but I would kiss Harry Potter. But the one at the end of the story, else it would get me in trouble.

Cliff: Sorry Sam, but he’s just so small. I love a guy who’s tall and I really don’t want to bend over for a kiss (that sounded really bad in my head).

Best Alan Rickman Performances

I honor of Alan Rickman, who passed away January 14th 2016 at the age of 69, I decided to make a list of his best performances. Here are Alan Rickman’s best roles, in no particular order.

Sense and Sensibility

In the adaptation of Jane Austen’s brilliant novel “Sense and Sensibility”, Rickman portrays Colonel Brandon. That makes him part of the love triangle for Marianne’s affection, putting him in competition with John Willoughby. Rickman’s performance is one of measured restraint. It’s a more warm role then we’re used to seeing him in.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

The very best actors have range and don’t back away from a musical either. Okay, singing might not be Rickman’s strength, but his character Judge Turpin is one to remember. Just a supporting role, but Rickman’s the man you remember.

Love Actually

“Love Actually” is a collection of loosely linked stories, set a few weeks before Christmas. One of the stories involves Harry and Karen (Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson), a husband and wife with a fractured relationship. This segment works because of the actors.

Harry Potter

Across eight films, Alan Rickman had a chance to develop the character of Severus Snap into someone far greater that the outright villain that he initially appears as in the Harry Potter story. The trick to his performance as Snape is that, in both his heroic and darker moments, he never lets us really like him that much.

Galaxy Quest

Alan Rickman does have a real flare for comedy as well and his performance in “Galaxy Quest” is there to proof that. “Galaxy Quest” is the film where a bunch of actors from a once-popular television series are doing the convention circuit. Where they encounter real aliens. Rickmans’ character gets a catchphrase, which he spits out with weary reluctance. That Rickman’s character continues to get pissed off by this more and more as the film progresses only adds to the comedy. Proof?

 

Die Hard

No matter how many sequels this franchise will have, there will never be a villain like Hans Gruber. The antagonist was perfectly portrayed by Alan Rickman and is without a doubt one of the best villains in movie history. An intensely clever man.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

This movie holds a special place in my heart. I’ve seen this movie so many times I’ve lost count. And the reason I love it so much, is partly because of the awesome villain role played by Alan Rickman. I think in fact the main reason people are still talking about this movie is because of Rickman. “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” is brilliantly entertaining and Rickman steals the show with his overly dramatic acting as the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Top 5 Thursday: Harry Potter Characters

I did this before, I ranked my favorite Harry Potter characters. But I’m a little older now and I reread and rewatched all the books and movies. My opinion has changed and I have adjusted my top 5. Here are my favorite characters from the Harry Potter series.

5. Minerva McGonagall

As the head of Gryffindor house and Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall can be strict and disciplinary. But she can also be kind, the one who sometimes lets you get away with a bit of mischief. And that’s why Minerva McGonagall is so endearing and loving.

 

 

4. Neville Longbottom

Neville Longbottom is the quintessential dimwit-turned-hero. When we first meet him at Hogwarts, Neville is shy, introvert and simply not that good at magic. He is loveable. While he begins to show loyalty and signs of bravery early on, it isn’t until Neville’s fifth year and his participation in Dumbledore’s Army, that we see him truly come into his own.

 

 

3. Remus Lupin

Hogwarts has had many teachers for the Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Remus Lupin was very different from Quirrel and Lockhart. Lupin is a kind and caring presence in Harry’s life. While Dumbledore was already looking out for Harry, Remus Lupin was a much more available source of comfort. The fact that Lupin is also a werewolf gives his character an extra dimension, when we see this thoughtful, warm man works to control the monster he turns into.

 

 

2. Hermione Granger

Hermione Granger is Harry and Ron’s best girl-pal. She is so much more than just a token throw-in for female readers/ viewers to identify with. Hermione is very logical, upright and good. And while she is first painted as a brainy do-gooder who always plays by the rules, it’s fun to watch Hermione develop into so much over the course of the series. She remains the voice of reason, but she’ll break the law without hesitation if it’s for the greater good.

 

 

1. Sirius Black

Sirius Black had been sentenced to the prison of Azkaban for murdering twelve Muggles, but Black is in fact an innocent man. Sirius was a close friend to James and Lily Potter, so much they named him as Harry’s godfather. While he maintains a sort of edgy, rebellious appeal, it’s the father/ son relationship that begins to develop between Sirius and Harry that endears the character to me.

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Ron Weasly, Dobby the House Elf, Rubeus Hagrid, Mad Eye Moody, Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Luna Lovegood, Ginny Weasly, Fred & George Weasly

Top 5 Thursday: Fictional Places I Want to Visit

We’ve seen some wonderful places in movies, that mesmerize us and are just simply beautiful. But you can’t really go there, because they’re made up. So I started thinking. Which fictional places in movies do I want to visit if I could? Here is my list.

5. Willy Wonkas Chocolate Factory (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”)

Do you want to feel like a kid in a candy story? Well, you can if you visit the chocolate factory. I would gain many pounds visiting that!

 

 

4. Narnia (“The Chronicles of Narnia” series)

The main reason why I want to visit Narnia is the talking animals. I think that’s fantastic! And it just looks so gorgeous.

 

 

3. Pandora (“Avatar”)

Pandora is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen in movies. Especially by night and what about those floating islands that you see when you’re flying. This folk threats its environment the way people should.

 

 

2. Hogwarts (“Harry Potter” series)

The most magical place we’ll ever see. Come on, this had to be on the list. I would probably get lost in there, but that makes it all the more interesting.

 

 

1. The Shire (“Lord of the Rings” series and “The Hobbit” series)

Every single time I watch one of the films with the Shire in it, I say I want to live there. I’m probably too tall, but there is just something about that place. It makes me feel calm and happy. The Shire is the place to be.

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Belles Library (“Beauty and the Beast”), Wonderland (“Alice in Wonderland”)

Top 5 Thursday: Movie Friends

It’s always nice to see a movie with a great friendship in it. Here are my five favorites.

5. Harry, Ron and Hermione (“Harry Potter” series)
They were a good combination from the beginning, although the two boys didn’t really like Hermione at first. The calm and troubled Harry, funny and nervous Ron and smart and kind Hermione. A match made in heaven.

4. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson
You have to be very patient to have Sherlock Holmes as your best friend, but he’s a genius. And with that patience Watson makes a perfect friend.

3. Bob and Charlotte (“Lost in Translation”)
A middle aged man and a young, newlywed woman befriend each other. It sounds weird, but it’s one of the most honest and convincing friendships between a man and a woman ever portrayed in a movie.

2. Gordie, Chris, Vern and Teddy (“Stand By Me”)
They are not your typical group of friends, they aren’t popular and they don’t belong with all the other kids. Together they are a great group of friends and it’s really hard to dislike any of them.

1. Red and Andy (“The Shawshank Redemption”)
I love how this friendship started. Red liked Andy from the start, although he didn’t think much of him when he entered Shawshank prison. They are great friends and I think anyone would be thankful for a friend like Red or Andy.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Harry and Sally (“When Harry Met Sally”), Annie and Lilian (“Bridesmaids”), Rob and Barry (“High Fidelity”), Shaun and Ed (“Shaun of the Dead”), Adam and Kyle (“50/ 50”), Katniss and Gale (“The Hunger Games”), Timon and Pumbaa (“The Lion King”), John and Ted (“Ted”)

Top 5 Thursday: Cute Movie Characters

I love to analyze movie characters, but sometimes you don’t have to look that close to know that a character is simply adorable. I made a list of characters that have a high cute factor.

5. Dobby (“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”)
Although Dobby is a little strange and a bit too obedient, Dobby deserves a place in this list. He’s a very loyal house elf and had a crucial role at the end of the Harry Potter series.

4. Sid (“Ice Age”)
Most people say Scrat is the cute one in the film, but I go nuts for Sid. His lisps makes him even more likeable and his silliness is to die for. I love Sid, he’s fantastic.

3. Boo (“Monsters Inc.”)
Boo is such a sweet and cute girl. She makes Sully and Mike realize that children aren’t anything to be afraid of.

2. E.T.
This cute alien breaks my heart every time. E.T. is super adorable and unforgettable. When he leaves and says goodbye to Elliot, I can’t help but cry.

1. Gizmo (“Gremlins”)
Gizmo really stands out. How cute is he!!!! He looks sweet with those big eyes and ears, his singing is just to melt for and when he starts to talk. Everything Gizmo does is cute, he’s just über cute!

They almost made the top 5: Tiny Tim (“A Muppet’s Christmas Carol”), Timon (“The Lion King”), Rex (“Toy Story”), Aliëns (“Toy Story”), Ewok (“Star Wars”), Frank (“The Rescuers Down Under”), Yoda (“Star Wars”), Cole Sear (“The Sixth Sense”), Scrat (“Ice Age”)

Movie Moments: "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

I already shared my favorite moments with you from the first Harry Potter movie. This time it's "Harry Potter and the Chambr of Secrets". Also filled with memorable moments. Here they are.

Moment # 1: Harry meets Dobby
When his aunt and uncle have a guest, Harry has been sent up to his room. He meets Dobby, a house elf. He says he has to protect and warn Harry and he has to prevent him from going back to Hogwarts. Dobby is the reason why he never got letters from Ron and Hermione, because that could be a reason for Harry not to return to Hogwarts. Harry has to promise Dobby not to go back, or else he drops a cake on the head of his aunt and uncle’s guest. And that’s exactly what Dobby does.

Moment # 2: The flying car
Harry now has bars in front of his windows. Ron, George and Fred rescue Harry…. In a flying car. Later when Harry and Ron miss the train to Hogwarts, they take the car again and fly to school. They land in a tree.

Moment # 3: Ron receives a howler
Ron’s owl brings him a letter. It’s a howler, a letter that screams at you. It’s from his mother who found out about the flying car.

Moment # 4: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin
Harry and his quidditch team are up against Slytherin. Draco now joined the team. Harry is pursued by a bludger, that’s obviously tampered with. Harry does catch the snitch and wins the game for his team.

Moment # 5: Snape and Lockhart duel
Gilderoy Lockhart starts a dueling club. He introduces his “assistent” Severus Snape, who he duels first. Snape off course overpowers him. They challenge Harry and Draco to duel each other, but only to disarm each other. When a snake appears, Harry terrifies his fellow students by speaking in Parseltongue. A language only a few speak and means that you can talk to snakes.

Moment # 6: Dumbledore’s office
Professor McGonagal brings Harry to Dumbledore’s room. He sees the sorting hat and asks him if Gryffindor was the right house for him. The hat tells Harry that he was very difficult to place. He also meets Fawkes, Dumbledore’s Phoenix. A bird that burns and is being reborn from its ashes.

Moment # 7: Polyjuice potion
Harry, Ron and Hermione made Polyjuice potion. With this potion they can change into someone else. So they can find out about Draco’s secrets and if he’s the heir of Slytherin. Ron and Harry turn into to Crabbe and Goyle, but Hermione turns into a cat by accident because she did something wrong with the potion.

Moment # 8: Tom Riddle
Harry finds a book with nothing in it. When Harry writes something in it, the book answers him. It’s someone called Tom Riddle. Harry asks him about the chamber of secrets and finds out that it was Hagrid who opened the chamber all those years ago.

Moment # 9: Aragog
Ron and Harry follow the little spiders like Hagrid told them to. They meet Aragog, the big leader of the spiders. Aragog tells them it wasn’t Hagrid that opened the chamber of secrets and that he is not the monster that has petrified all the muggles.

Moment # 10: The chamber of secrets
Harry and Ron discover the chamber and enter it. They get separated, so Harry is on his own and tries to find Ginny. When he does, he meets Tom Riddle. He tells him Ginny opened the chamber, because that’s what he told her to do. Tom calls the basilisk and sends him after Harry. Fawkes, the phoenix, blinds him and that’s how Harry manages to overpower him and save Ginny.

Moment # 11: Dobby is free
Harry finds out that Dobby is the Malfoy’s house elf, therefore a slave. When Harry gives him a sock, making it look like it came from Lucius Malfoy, Dobby is finally free. Dobby protects Harry from Lucius and tells him “You shall not harm Harry Potter”.

Moment # 12: Hagrid returns
Because Hagrid was the first suspect of opening the chamber, he has been send to Azkaban. Now he’s back and get’s a grand of applause.

Favorite Moment: Moment # 11: Dobby is free