Harry Potter Movies: Best to Worst

9/10

Everything that was good and bad about the first film is massively improved in this one. The acting is better, the special effects are better, the action is better, it expands upon its mythology, and it gets darker than its predecessor while still finding an absolutely perfect balance between the humor and heart that made the other film so likable. The almost three hour runtime might turn some people off, but the film's central mystery is so compelling and well paced that none of it ever feels wasted. An unpopular choice I know, but what can I say? I love it and it's one of my favorite films in the series. I've seen it a million times before and I'll continue to see it a million times in the future.

9/10

A vast improvement over Part 1 in practically every way, it only makes sense that this would be one of the best. It's everything the series has been building up to and it more than delivers. The characters get some well-deserved closure, the action is on a much larger scale than any other film in the series, and the emotional moments are among the strongest out of the entire saga. Each of those elements are balanced out almost perfectly resulting in everything one of these films should be: thrilling and entertaining, but also emotionally resonating. This is the best reviewed Harry Potter of all time and for good reason. It's epic, dramatic, and it's beyond satisfying. One hell of a send-off for a beloved series.

9/10

I remember being a little disappointed with this one when it first came out. But watching it again, it's a lot better than I remember it. While it still manages to incorporate some of the elements that made many fans love the series, there's still such a sense of dread and urgency to the entire thing, that it grabs you by the balls and refuses to let go. But at the same time, the characters do get a fair amount of time to shine. Not to mention that Umbridge may just be one of the most despicable old broads in any movie ever and the film has one of the most thrilling climaxes in the series's history. In the past, I never regarded it as one of my favorites, but rewatching it when I'm older has certainly changed my perspective.

8/10.

You might be a little surprised not to see this one in the number one spot considering how it's universally considered by fans and critics alike to be the absolute best film in the series. Well to put it mildly, I just simply don't like it as much as everyone else. It's by no means a bad movie. Very far from it in fact, but I found the basic story to be a little weak compared to its predecessor and the pacing to be a little too rapid fire to get totally immersed in the film's universe. But all negativity aside, I'm not gonna act like I don't understand why people love it and despite the fact that I think it's slightly overrated, it's still a damn good entry.

The new director, Alfonso Cuaron, definitely gives the film more of a style and visual flair than the previous films in the series and manages to add layers of complexity to its characters that both kids and adults were able to identify with. Not to mention that it set a tone that would become a staple of the series for years to come. It's the film that made a lot of people realize that Harry Potter was more than just a silly little story about a kid that goes to a school for wizards, but was actually something far more complex and innovative. While it's not MY personal favorite per se, there's no denying that it was a game changer for the saga.

8/10

While the child acting is a little hokey and the special effects haven't really aged well with time, the first film in the series manages to set up its universe in a way that even non-readers of the books can understand as well as boast a lot of adventure, fun, and heart. It's both a faithful adaptation of the book and a solid fantasy film in general.

7/10

The film does move a little slowly and is less action packed which did disappoint some fans. (Understandable since some portions drag on for way longer than they needed to.) But what really keeps it afloat is its central story which is more subdued than usual, the humor, arguably the best cinematography of the entire series and some great scenes of the characters just being characters. While it is a little weak as a penultimate chapter to the finale and I would've liked it to be a little bigger and grander, it's still a relatively decent flick.

5.5/10

This movie is fun when it focuses on the actual search for the fantastic beasts, but when it focuses on its numerous subplots and fails to develop its characters in a way that gets the audience to care about them, it comes off as bland, convoluted, and tonally all over the place. This is JK Rowling's first screenplay and I think it really shows in more ways than one. I don't hate the movie and you'll probably enjoy it if you're a die hard Harry Potter fan, but in my opinion, it's a mess.

5/10

I loved this film when I was younger, but admittley after I watched it again, it was kind of a mixed bag. That's not to say there isn't anything to like about it. It has some of the funniest, darkest, and most intense moments in the series, the special effects continue to improve with each entry, and it all builds to a climax that takes the mythos in an interesting new direction and builds a sense of dread for what's to come in the future. All of which in a way help compensate for its generally uneven story and tone, but not enough for me to consider it a good flick per se.

5/10

Definitely the most boring out of the series. They claimed that they split the film into two parts because "the book had too many elements they couldn't cut out." I call bull considering how a third of this film consists of nothing happening and the other two thirds mostly just feeling like setup and nothing more. The filmmakers just wanted to double the box office profits me thinks.

And it's a real shame because there are some great scenes in it: The Tale of the Three Brothers, Harry and Ron's fight, Harry and Hermione going back to Godrick's Hollow, The Death Eater chase through the city. I loved those scenes. They were the highlights of the film and were the sole reasons I don't consider the film to be terrible. There was a great film in here somewhere, but it almost feels like it never made it past a rough cut. Despite the fact that it does have its moments, it's the dictionary definition of "meh." Even growing up, it was never one of my favorites and I can safely say that that probably won't change anytime soon.