The recent rain storms and floods in California have put a bit of a gloomy spin on the new year. Although, on another note, what better way to hide from this horrendous weather than by curling up inside and having a Harry Potter marathon! I’ve decided to give you my personal ranking of all 8 famous films, which is not easy considering they are all so exceptional!
DISCLAIMER: spoilers ahead!
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1
Just because this is ranked last does not mean that it isn’t a great movie, but amongst the other films it’s not my favorite. It mainly focuses on Harry, Ron, and Hermione camping and looking for horcruxes so that Harry can win his battle against Voldemort. The movie definitely is a bit more slow paced than the others, but still has some great scenes. In fact it includes one of my favorite scenes in the whole series: Harry and Hermione slow dancing to “O Children” by Nick Cave in a tent despite all of the chaos going on in their lives.
7. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
This movie is the first of the franchise and is just purely a classic. It’s so fun to see how young all of the characters are in this movie compared to the end of the series. It’s definitely one of the more lighthearted movies in the series and it does a great job at introducing the audience to the magical world of Harry Potter. Although I love this movie, it’s hard to place it higher due to all of the other impressive films.
6. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
This movie is definitely action-packed but also has some of the saddest moments in the series, such as the death of fan-favorite Sirius Black. The movie starts after Harry’s first official encounter with Lord Voldemort. We are introduced to some more important evil characters such as Bellatrix Lestrange as well as Professor Umbridge, the new defense against the dark arts teacher at Hogwarts. The movie also contains a visually captivating battle between Dumbledore and Voldemort at the end of the film, which ends in the minister of magic finally acknowledging Voldemort’s return.
5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
This is the second film of the series and it definitely carries the youthful theme of the first movie, but contains a little more substance. One reason I love this movie is because we get to meet the character of Dobby the house elf. Dobby is funny and tries to protect Harry from the evil forces lurking in Hogwarts. This is a really great movie and is a lot less dark than some of the others in the series.
4. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
This movie is a really dark but engaging part of the series. I really like that the characters are more grown up and really start expressing their romantic feelings. We see this with both Harry and Ginny as well as Hermoine and Ron. We also get a deeper understanding of Voldemort and his past at Hogwarts. The movie mainly focuses on Dumbledore and Harry trying to find a way to kill Voldemort, which they find out they can’t do unless they destroy his horcruxes. The movie does end in a particularly somber way as Snape is forced to kill Dumbledore in place of Draco.
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
The third movie of the series is definitely a darker magical experience. It is the first time we encounter dementors, and we also get to meet two loveable characters: Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. We find out that Sirius is actually Harry’s godfather, and we get to see some heartwarming moments between the two characters.
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2
This movie is full of action, as it finally brings the series to a close. Voldemort and his army of death eaters finally come out in full force to kill Harry Potter. Though this movie is filled with exciting scenes, it also contains some of the saddest scenes of the series. We see many of our favorite characters die, but in the end we watch Harry finally defeat the darkest wizard of all time. Although it is really emotional to say goodbye to these adored characters, it’s comforting to know that they finally get their happy ending.
1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
This film has to be the most captivating of the series. We see the characters go from kids to teenagers and the changes that go along with that. One of the best parts of the film is the Yule Ball where we get to see the characters have a school dance full of drama and glamor. Harry is mysteriously chosen to participate in the Tri Wizard Tournament where he competes in a series of deathly tasks to win the Tri Wizard cup. This is also the first film where we see Lord Voldemort in his full form. He is just as if not more eerie and terrifying as he was portrayed in the earlier films. All in all this film is enchanting, funny, daunting, and just an overall magical adventure.
In any event, all of the movies in this franchise are amazing in different ways, and you will surely have an otherworldly experience watching any of them!