Last week I saw I saw an article ranking the Harry Potter movies and because I am debatably one of the biggest Potterheads you will ever meet, I decided to do my own spin on this same ranking based on which movies I was absolutely obsessed with and ones that were not necessarily my favorite. For me, the biggest determining factor for how much I liked the movie is how accurately it represents the book, followed closely by how well it was filmed and the strength of the soundtrack.
1. Deathly Hallows | Part 2
a) the soundtrack for this movie was incredible — I have a study playlist with over half of the songs and everytime Snape and Lily or Lily's Theme comes on, all of the feelings of experiencing the midnight premiere for this last film rush back to me
b) some of my favorite scenes/stories/quotes from all of the Harry Potter movies are in this one: Snape's story, Harry's conversation with Dumbledore at King's Cross Station, Harry's conversation with his loved ones after turning the resurrection stone, Neville standing up to Voldemort — I mean, come on.
c) it's THE END. That's so sad to think about, but this movie was the conclusion of an incredible series, and I can't think of a better way to have ended it.
*P.S. I've definitely watched Deathly Hallows Part 2 at least 15 times — 8 of them in theatres. I am obsessed.
2. Chamber of Secrets
I don't really have a great reason for this one, there's just something about it. It's interesting, it's funny, you get to enjoy the stupidity that is listening to Gilderoy Lockhart speak, you get to experience Tom Riddle before his face turns into Voldemort's noseless one. And, despite the whole splitting-your-soul-into-seven-by-killing-that-many-people piece, having a diary as a horcrux that writes back to the person writing in it is kind of cool in theory. Also — Dobby. That is all.
3. Sorcerer's Stone
The movie that started it all. What's not to love?
4. Goblet of Fire
Like with Chamber of Secrets, I'm not really 100% sure why I like this movie so much, but I just really liked the overall flow of the movie and the way the plot was set up. Also, for some weird reason, I was just really attached to that first scene with Frank Bryce; there's just something about the way that it was framed that made it the perfect way, in my opinion, to start the movie. Also Dumbledore is my favorite Harry Potter character, and for some reaoson, in that movie in particular, his character development is unnreal.
5. Prisoner of Azkaban
Okay but one of the best Harry Potter scenes of all time happened in this movie. You go, Hermione. But seriously, Prisoner of Azkaban was never one of my favorite books, but the movie definitely made up for some of that. Plus, I have a really strong preference for Michael Gambon over Richard Harris for Dumbledore and this movie marked the first one in which Gambon acted.
6. Deathly Hallows | Part 1
I'm going to go out on a limb here and be super blunt: the people who think this movie is boring are wrong. First of all, it sets up everything for the epic amazingness that becomes Deathly Hallows Part 2 (aka the best Harry Potter movie), but also, as a stand-alone film, it's wonderful, besides this scene which was literally my ultimate downfall in the movie theater when I found myself sitting in a puddle of my own tears.
7. Order of the Phoenix
Never really liked the book. Never really liked the movie. Never really liked the fact that J.K Rowling chose to kill Sirius. Never really liked the scare that was almost Arthur Weasley's death. Never really liked Umbridge. Never really liked the Snape-Harry or the Dumbledore-Harry dynamic in this movie. But the redeeming quality: loved the two scenes when Dumbledore shined brightest: defending Harry for the "crimes" he was accused of because honestly who can craft an argument better than Dumbledore and that moment he escaped from the Ministry of Magic by literally clapping his hands over his head and disappearing with a flash of bright light and phoenix feathers. In the words of Kingsley Shacklebolt, "Dumbledore's got style."
8. Half-Blood Prince
Loved the book. Didn't love the movie. There was just something about it that was kind of off to me, and there were a lot of details that I feel were missed. But even though it's the last and the one I like least out of all of them, the fact that it is the movie in which Dumbledore dies brings it up just a little bit for me, not because his death made me happy (in fact, it was another one of those moments when I suddenly found myself in a large puddle of tears) but because it was so poignant and powerful. It was incredible to see the impact he left on the world he left behind. But it was scary to know what was looming in the future for a world without Dumbledore, a world where Voldemort had the Elder Wand, a world where Hogwarts was no longer safe, was no longer home.
"Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?" –Albus Dumbledore
