Luis' - Movie Log (Non New Releases)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Watched: December 17, 2017

I will always go positive on this first film and the franchise overall, because I have such a potent connection to it. It practically built my childhood, and it's been a prominent force in my life forever, so obviously consider this while I review the franchise.

Ok, so the first film did a great job at establishing the world, and solidifying its rules with the narrative, it never really felt like an overwhelming exposition dump. Columbus directs this film with warmth and grace, in the end making this film feel like the most wondrous and magical. The film is just very charming, as is the cast. That being said, the performances from our three leads are quite weak, and looking back at the films now, maybe even a little cringe-inducing. The storytelling isn't as exciting as most of the other films, however, this movie still holds up as a fantastic first addition into the franchise, and a perfectly good film for introducing film audiences to the rich world-building that Rowling created.

SCORE - 80%

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

Watched: December 17, 2017

This film is definitely the weakest in the franchise, I like it well enough though. Columbus' directing remains consistent, which is a big plus for this film. The acting is getting better as well, and so are the stakes. The mystery surrounding this film is very well realized, I can see someone watching this for the first time being really invested in the story as they try to piece everything together. The latter does help keep the very long and unnecessary runtime of this film like a little less work to get through. While this movie is very good, it doesn't really make any interesting choices as far as directing goes, and it never really presents much excitement. What shines the most in this picture, is Rowling herself, who proves to be a talented author who works hard on their craft.

SCORE - 70%

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Asakaban (2004)

Watched: December 17, 2017

Leave it to Alfonso Cuarón to deliver the best film of the entire saga. This film takes a highly adventurous, mysterious, gritty, and dark approach to the Harry Potter story, and it achieves such a special and particular tone that was never replicated throughout the rest of the franchise. The story in this particular chapter might be the most intriguing, treating us to a substantial backstory that begins to delve into the darker aspects of the wizarding world, while also exploring the harmful past of Harry's family, which ultimately leaves us with the biggest mental challenge Harry has undergone. The whole time travel aspect in the latter of the film is an incredible and unique tool to advance the plot in a new and exciting way, however, only a truly wonderful director could've translated that well into screen, and Cuarón did it as flawlessly as possible. With fantastic direction, mature themes, exciting new intricacies,a further exploration of Harry's psyche and past, and some of the most magical sequences in the entire saga, Prisoner of Askaban distinguishes itself as the best in the series.

SCORE - 100%

Oh crap I didn't get to finish this movie log for 2017. Here's the rest of what I saw December

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Great, some of the best looking action in the franchise, dragon scene is fantastic, one of my favorites. - 90/100
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Some of the character work is meh, and the pacing is a bit inconsistent, but hell this has some FANTASTIC sequences that shadow a lot of the flaws - 75/100
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - I love the darker tone and the atmosphere set in this one. This installment is a little bit slower, but it never becomes inconsistent. 80/100
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 - I love this more than most, I know some see it as one of the weaker installments, but the character work is fantastic, the change of setting was nice, and it did a great job at mixing the exciting action sequences, with the dialogue driven moments. - 88/100
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - I LOVE THIS, everything about this just landed perfectly with me, I'm a fan, so this score might be a bit biased but - 100/100
Fantastic Beasts and were to find them - This was a good first installment, the film shines the brightest in the character and visuals department. Pacing was a bit off, and a couple of the side story lines hurt the film's flow. 70/100