The HARRY POTTER Experiment - Part 3

I concluded my foray into the world of Hogwarts, Muggles and other obnoxiously silly words by watching the 5th and 6th films in the HARRY POTTER series.

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX welcomed new director David Yates aboard and is a vast improvement over the previous installment. The kids are growing like it's going out of style and the stakes are raised as The Ministry of Magic attempts a takeover of Hogwart's. The wonderful Imelda Staunton comes aboard as my favorite villain so far, Dolores Umbridge. Gary Oldman and Helena Bonham Carter also show up in fun roles. It's all about Dementors, Death Eaters and deception as characters introduced in earlier segments begin to reveal their true colors. This thrilling episode is my second favorite in the series so far.

Yates thankfully returned for HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE in which supporting character Draco Malfoy is elevated to super villain, joining forces with other malevolent menaces such as Severus Snape and Bellatrix LeStrange in their attempts to eliminate Harry and his friends from existence. Harry begins a mission to collect seven objects that must be destroyed to put an end to Lord Voldemort's immortal reign of terror - but things don't go as planned.  An exciting outing overall, this sixth film serves a a pre-able to the final installment(s) ot the series, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART ONE of which I subsequently watched on Blu-ray and PART TWO which arrives in theaters tonight at midnight (I already saw it and it's a pretty wild ride). This
"experiment" was a fun way to spend six consecutive evenings - something I've never did before. I'm glad I've seen the films and now I can answer questions posed to me by my youthful coworkers. I guess I've drank the Kool-Aid.

The HARRY POTTER Experiment - Part 2

I continue the daunting task of watching all of the HARRY POTTER movies in sequence with the third film in the series, HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN.

This time around, the dashing trio of Harry, Hermione and Ron are joined by more great British actors: Michael Gambon (replacing the late Richard Harris), Gary Oldman, David Thewlis and Emma Thompson for a darker tale as director Alfonso Cuaron (Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN) takes over from Chris Columbus, who directed the first two. The difference is noticeable as the film almost can stand on its own with fine performances and unique and arresting visuals. This episode is by far my favorite in the series so far, as it builds upon what has come before and sets things up for future adventures. There is a cool time-travel plot that is pretty awesome and great turns by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint as our three leads. At 142 minutes, surprisingly this one does not drag.

Next up is HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (disjointedly directed by Mike Newell), which almost can be called HARRY POTTER JUMPS THE SHARK. This one starts off badly with an ultra-cheesy Quidditch World Cup sequence - followed by the torturous Triwizard Tournament which introduces us to handsome TWILIGHT actor Robert Pattison as Cedric Diggory and super sexy Quidditch champ Viktor Krum (played by newcomer Stanislav Ianevski). 

You see, Harry is chosen by the Golbet of Fire to complete with wizards from two other schools in deadly stunts that endanger not only his life but the lives of his friends as well. Cedric is already representing Hogwarts, so Harry is kinda a fourth wheel. Things get worse when Hogwarts goes all DEGRASSI for an embarrassing subplot about the school dance which includes a jarring music performance that reminds me of the awful Prince music in the first BATMAN film. The only thing that saves this sequence is the beautiful Christmas decorations. In fact I should probably point out that each of the first four films has a chunk that takes places at Christmas proving that wizardry is secular. Things improve later on in the tournament when the enemies are revealed and Ralph Fiennes shows up as the dreaded Lord Voldemort. Also joining the fray this time out is Miranda Richardson in an entertaining comic role. I have to say this edition was pretty tough going and my least favorite in the series so far. Let's hope things improve with the next chapter.

The HARRY POTTER Experiment - Part 1

Last December, after working at Warner Bros. for well over a year I decided it was time to give in and watch the HARRY POTTER films that more or less put food on my table. Having acquired the Blu-rayTM boxset, I started watching the films in order. Having just seen the final film in the series HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 2 last night, I've decided to revisit my recaps.

First up was HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE which introduced us to Harry, his family and his friends (and enemies) at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I consider this the "pilot" for the series since it seems to set up the basic premise of Harry vs. Lord Voldemort which I expect will carry through the rest of the series. The film moves along pretty well, though the overly long Quidditch sequence begins to feel like I'm watching a video game. What I do like about the films (so far) is that even though they take place in "current day" they have a timeless feeling about them. There are very little references to the outside world: no product placement, nobody uses a cell phone, etc. I also like seeing some of my favorite British actors taking home a paycheck. Maggie Smith, the late Richard Harris, John Hurt, Robbie Coltrane, John Cleese, Alan Rickman and Julie Walters just to name a few.

The second film, HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS or THE SNAKE IN THE TOILET picks up a year later and revisits some themes introduced in the first film while layering a whole new batch of subplots and characters that I expect will be built upon further in the series. The great Kenneth Branagh is a welcome addition to the cast in a comic role. So far my only real complaint about the films is the running times. Jeez - how do little kids stay put for two and a half hours? I can't imagine that they understand everything that is happening on screen since the plots are almost as labyrinthine as the production design, which is gorgeous. I can't help wonder what Disney would have done differently if they hadn't passed on the rights to the series. Two down...5 to go.