Unlike most people, I didn’t see my first Harry Potter movie until I was in 10th grade. Believe it or not I've never even held one of the books. I remember as a kid my parents didn’t allow me to watch "Harry Potter" because they thought it was a product of the devil. Witchcraft is bad, right? Well, my parents were wrong and they've loosened up a bit—they let my three younger siblings watch whatever the hell they want. So what exactly did they deprive me of? How about one of the best book and movie series of all time by an author who virtually inspired millennials to read something beyond Dr. Seuss. I’ve watched each movie multiple times now, but I still haven’t read the books since I am a well known procrastinator. However, I believe having not read the books makes me the perfect person to rank the movies as their own entities. So here it is. Enjoy.
8. Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets (2002)
I hate to put this movie in last place because it's a very good movie, but this list happens to consist of numerous good—even great—movies. My problem is that the director fails to bring this movie to life. Although there are few complaints about how closely it follows the book, it isn’t as memorable as the others. The highlight of this movie for me is when we meet Dobby, the house elf.
7. Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
This movie introduces us to one of the most influential casts of our generation. It is very exciting but at some points it doesn’t feel natural. Maybe if I saw this movie for the first time as a kid it would have a better ranking on my list. The highlight of this movie is the Quidditch scene. That is unforgettable.
6. Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (2009)
This film is very good, but it isn’t my favorite. This movie explains more about Voldemort, which is awesome. And, it develops Draco Malfoy's character a lot. The highlight of this film is...SPOILER ALERT! IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THIS MOVIE, SCROLL DOWN...Snape killing Dumbledore. I love Dumbledore, so this is on the lower half of the list because he dies.
5. Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix (2007)
This movie is very exciting in its own way with a roller coaster of emotions and the formation of a teenage wizard militia. However, it is on the lower half of this list because of one character—DOLORIS UMBRIDGE. On to the next one.
4. Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows-Part 1 (2010)
At last, to the final four. I love the darkness of the last two films. It is so different from the earlier films ones but still compliments them well. This movie is all about the protagonists setting out on their search for the Horcruxes, a classic search and destroy mission as they go up against the world. Unfortunately, the highlight of this movie is...SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THIS SCROLL DOWN...the death of Dobby—insert crying emoji here.
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
With all due respect to movies one and two, the third installment, "Prisoner of Azkaban" is the first great film of the series. There's good action accompanied with a great story and you get to see the cast come into their own—as both actors and their characters. The Sirius Black subplot is expertly done—as is the management of the twists and turns that cause one's heart to race. Above all, I absolutely love when they do the time traveling stuff. Classic "Back To The Future" right there.
2. Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (2005)
1. Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows-Part 2 (2011)
Now go re-watch the series. You'll see that I'm right.
