Best Harry Potter films

An epic and faithful adaptation of the second half of J.K Rowling's final novel, 'Deathly Hallows: Part 2' is emotional, action-packed and relentlessly entertaining. It's not just an excellent Potter film, but is among the best films of 2011, and certainly the finest blockbuster.

Highlights
Harry confronts Snape in the Great Hall
The staff prepare Hogwarts for battle
Neville confronts the Snatchers on the Hogwarts bridge
Snape's memories
Bellatrix vs. Molly Weasley
Hermione and Ron attack Nagini
Harry vs. Voldemort
Gringotts Bank break-in and escape (below)

Disappointments
Lack of reaction to Harry going to his death in the forest
No people watching Voldemort's death and no celebration
Downplaying the major deaths in the film

Some will see it as merely a filler in the series, yet 'Half Blood Prince' is beautifully filmed, well acted and, surprisingly very funny. It creates the perfect build-up to the final battle, and is the last time we see a peaceful and cheery Hogwarts.

Highlights
Jim Broadbent as Horrace Slughorn
Cave scene with Dumbledore and Harry
Opening Death Eater scene (Millenium Bridge)
Hilarious interplay between Hermione, Ron and Lavender Brown
Harry's reaction to the Felix Felicis "luck potion"
The short, but exciting Quiddich sequences
Fred and George's joke shop
the Draught of Living Death potion (below)

Disappointments
No conversation between Minister for Magic and muggle prime minister
Harry and Ginny unromantic and awkward moments
Plot issue- At the end, when Harry is chasing the death eaters, why did they not just capture him to take him to Voldemort?

A superbly directed, character driven first half of J.K Rowling's final novel. 'Deathly Hallows: Part 1' features some magical scenes of character interaction and is suspenseful and occasionally thrilling (though the bulk of the action has been left for Part 2). Truthfully, it is slow, yet for its lack of humour and heart-pounding action, it is never dull, and Daniel Racliffe, Rupert Grint and especially Emma Watson as the three leads give superb performances and are more likeable than ever.

Highlights
Emotional opening, Hermione wiping her parents' memories
The Bathilda Bagshot sequence at Godric's Hollow
Breaking into the Ministry of Magic
Kreacher and Dobby argue
Ron destroys the locket horcrux
Malfoy Manor/Dobby's death
Explaining the Tale of the Three Brothers (Deathly Hallows)
The Seven Potters/Sky Battle (below)

Disappointments
Deletion of the scene where Dudley says 'goodbye' to Harry
The camping scenes a little bit too long
The Snatchers chase- why didn't they simply disapparate?

Narratively, 'Prisoner of Azkaban' brought hardly anything new to the series, but that's not to say that its story (including time travel and a murderer on the loose), isn't engaging. Alfonso Cuaran took over the series from Chris Columbus and did a superb job of creating a visually striking, dark natured film which propelled the series from simply a children's adventure, to something far more wicked.

Highlights
The blowing up of Aunt Marge
The Knight Bus
Dementors on the Hogwarts Express
Dementors interfere with Quiddich
Professor Trelawney's class
The time travel sequence
Harry performs a large Patronus charm at the lake
Sirius tells Harry he can live with him
Buckbeak's flight (below)

Disappointments
Michael Gambon was not a good Dumbledore here, although I liked him in the 6th and 7th (Part 2) films
Lupin could have been played softer

Director David Yates takes over the Harry Potter series for 'Order of the Phoenix', and delivers an exciting and fast-paced adaptation featuring our first taste of bright wizard duels and a nasty, and a wonderful character in Professor Umbridge (Imelda Staunton). Though Harry's connection with Voldemort does make him angry throughout much of the film which tends to be tedious.

Highlights
The Dementors attack Harry and Dudley at Little Whinging
All scenes with Dolores Jane Umbridge, especially the Weasley revolt
Voldemort vs. Dumbledore
Sirius and Harry conversation "The path we choose to act on"
Harry enters the Ministry of Magic with Mr.Weasley
Harry repels Voldemort with love
The introduction of Luna Lovegood
The Department of Mysteries battle (below)

Disappointments
Grawp looked unrealistic, and had very little relevance to the plot.
Sirius Black's death was disappointing
A personal disappointment (that follows the novel well) is that Harry's connection with Voldemort makes him always angry, and unlikeable in this film.

'Goblet of Fire' was lucky to benefit from excellent source material from J.K Rowling's fourth novel. The film centres around the Triwizard Tournament, allowing for plenty of action and humour. However I saw this film as having the most character flaws in the series, and a number of plot inconsistencies. Nevertheless, the impressive visuals, an excellent climatic conclusion, as well as an extension of the Potter universe beyond Hogwarts, almost overshadow the hiccups.

Highlights
The selection of the four champions of the Tournament
Moody's 'unforgivable curses' lesson
Rita Skeeter interviews Harry Potter
The Second Task: Mermaids
Voldemort reborn
The First Task: Dragons (below)

Disappointments
The maze had no creatures in it
The Quiddich World Cup game was not shown
Ron is very unlikeable in this film/book

This is where it all began, which is why it's sad that it ranks next to last on my list, yet it just comes to show how much the series has improved since it first began. The casting of the three leads, along with the rest of the supporting cast, was perfect (and remained exceptional throughout all of the films), yet for all its visual dazzle and the opening of the doors to this fantastic world of wizardry, 'Sorcerer's Stone' has the weakest story of the seven novels and is largely a kid-targeted film. As a kid-targeted film, it's a winner, but the series as a whole went on reach cinematic heights with its more mature and complicated plotlines.

Highlights
The arrival of thousands of letters
Harry talks to a snake
Harry's first Quiddich match
Hagrid's entrance
Diagon Alley/Olivander's
The Devil's Snare and the chess game
Troll attack
Harry and Draco see Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest
Harry sees his parents in the Mirror of Erised
Welcome to Hogwarts (below)

Disappointments
No potions chamber as a defence to the Philosopher's stone
Hogwarts portrayed as too dark and medieval, not a magical and happy place

'Chamber of Secrets' was directed by Chris Columbus while the Harry Potter series was still aimed, almost indefinitely, at younger children. Yet even older audiences should appreciate the imagination of the earlier Potter films, and 'Secrets' builds up wonderful suspense and benefits from some creative set designs, even if it does sometimes seem like a repitition of the first film, and doesn't feature the strong acting from its three leads that certainly improves as the series progresses. It's a solid film, but the weakest in the series.

Highlights
Dobby's visit to the Dursleys
Flying car
The flashback sequences
Gilderoy Lockhart's lessons
Into the Forbidden Forest to see Aragog
Harry fighting the Basilisk
Meeting Moaning Myrtle
Dobby protecting Harry from Lucius Malfoy

Disappointments
Like the first film, Hogwarts is too dark and dangerous and not magical enough. Unlike in the later films, it's not a place you want to visit.
Ginny's part isn't explained enough
The young Tom Riddle does not make a convincing villain