A PROJECT REPORT ON

MOVIE REVIEW OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES

Submitted by:
YASH SHARMA
Registration No.-170901164

Submitted to:
DR. PRIYANKA CHOUDHARY

MANIPAL UNIVERSITY JAIPUR

 INTRODUCTION
Harry Potter is a series movies which were adapted froma series of
fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels
chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends
Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc
concerns Harry's struggle against Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard who
intends to become immortal, overthrow the wizard governing body
known as the Ministry of Magic, and subjugate all wizards and
Muggles (non-magical people).
Since the release of the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's
Stone, on 26 June 1997, the books have found immense popularity,
critical acclaim and commercial success worldwide. They have
attracted a wide adult audience as well as younger readers and are
often considered cornerstones of modern young adult literature. The
series has also had its share of criticism, including concern about the
increasingly dark tone as the series progressed, as well as the often
gruesome and graphic violence it depicts. As of February 2018, the
books have sold more than 500 million copies worldwide, making
them the best-selling book series in history, and have been translated
into eighty languages.The last four books consecutively set records as
the fastest-selling books in history, with the final instalment selling
roughly eleven million copies in the United States within twenty-four
hours of its release.
The original seven books were adapted into an eight-part film series
by Warner Bros. Pictures, which is the third highest-grossing film
series of all time as of February 2018. In 2016, the total value of the
Harry Potter franchise was estimated at $25 billion, making Harry
Potter one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.
A series of many genres, including fantasy, drama, coming of age,
and the British school story (which includes elements of mystery,
thriller, adventure, horror, and romance), the world of Harry Potter
explores numerous themes and includes many cultural meanings and
references. According to Rowling, the main theme is death. Other
major themes in the series include prejudice, corruption, and madness.
The success of the books and films has allowed the Harry Potter
franchise to expand, with numerous derivative works, a travelling
exhibition that premiered in Chicago in 2009, a studio tour in London
that opened in 2012, a digital platform on which J.K. Rowling updates
the series with new information and insight, and a pentalogy of spin-
off films premiering in November 2016 with Fantastic Beasts and
Where to Find Them, among many other developments. Most
recently, themed attractions, collectively known as The Wizarding
World of Harry Potter, have been built at several Universal Parks &
Resorts amusement parks around the world.
The series is distributed by Warner Bros. and consists of eight fantasy
films, beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
and culminating with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
(2011). A spin-off prequel series that will consist of five films started
with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), marking the
beginning of the Wizarding World shared media franchise.

The series was mainly produced by David Heyman, and stars Daniel
Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson as the three leading
characters: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Four
directors worked on the series: Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón,
Mike Newell, and David Yates. Michael Goldenberg wrote the
screenplay for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007),
while the remaining films had their screenplays written by Steve
Kloves. Production took place over ten years, with the main story arc
following Harry Potter's quest to overcome his arch-enemy Lord
Voldemort.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final novel in
the series, was adapted into two feature-length parts. Part 1 was
released in November 2010, and Part 2 was released in July 2011.

The central character in the series is Harry Potter, a boy who lives in
Surrey with his aunt, uncle, and cousin – the Dursleys – and
discovers, at the age of eleven, that he is a wizard, though he lives in
the ordinary world of non-magical people known as Muggles. The
wizarding world exists parallel to the Muggle world, albeit hidden and
in secrecy. His magical ability is inborn, and children with such
abilities are invited to attend exclusive magic schools that teach the
necessary skills to succeed in the wizarding world. Harry becomes a
student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a wizarding
academy in Scotland, and it is here where most of the events in the
series take place. As Harry develops through his adolescence, he
learns to overcome the problems that face him: magical, social, and
emotional, including ordinary teenage challenges such as friendships,
infatuation, romantic relationships, schoolwork and exams, anxiety,
depression, stress, and the greater test of preparing himself for the
confrontation that lies ahead in wizarding Britain's increasingly-
violent second wizarding war.
Each movie chronicles one year in Harry's life during the period from
1991 to 1998. The movies also contain many flashbacks, which are
frequently experienced by Harry viewing the memories of other
characters in a device called a Pensieve.

There are a total of 8 parts of the movie series namely-

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
5. Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix (2007)
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone:
Likes: The whimsy. This is like an x-
factor or something, but the movie has
some child like aspect to it. Well.
Obviously — it is primarily a kid’s
movie.
The casting is on point. The actors
have become the characters in my
mind, for the most part. Especially
Alan Rickman.Alan Rickman owned
the role. Could we have imagined
Snape as anyone BUT him? No, we
couldn’t.Streamlined introduction to
the world. Explained concepts without
being that dry.
Although, going forward, the style did
not remain the same, it was nice seeing the more traditional
Wizard/Witch style attire and costumes. It felt like a blast-from-the-
past school and culture. Which it kind of is.
The intro sequence, like everything before magic is introduced. It
explains Harry very well and shows how he isn’t a normal kid. It is
also so absurdly amazing at points — the owls and such. It is very
quaint.
The supporting character cast was fun. Hermione and Ron and the
other classmates felt well integrated into the cast and world.
Dislikes: The pacing. It drags. It felt too long and without drive. I
can’t really pinpoint why it felt slow, considering there is not much
fluff to it .
Quidditch. VFX-wise they don’t hold up that well.
It felt hollow. I can’t explain it, but it didn’t feel like it had that much
life. Although joyful in presentation, it did not feel that joyful.
Conclusion: It is a staple children’s movie. It has humor, whimsy, and
it isn’t made poorly. The acting is good and it has points that cater to
both children and adults. It isn’t a greatest movie, nor my favorite in
the series by far, but it did a damn good job setting up the franchise
for later installments. Which was what it was supposed to do. I
wouldn’t re-watch it alone, but together with the other films it flows
alright.
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets:
Likes: Gilderoy Lockheart was a
casting revelation. He is the role. Owns
it. Hilarious to watch and listen to.
The VFX holds up very well.
Especially the monster effects. The
basilisk and Aragog scenes look great.
Same with Fawkes.
The Car scenes, to a lesser extent, look
crisp.
The story feels solid. Exposition and
explanation was given exactly where it
was needed to tell the story.
The Basilisk segment was great. Very
well done. The action flowed and the
basilisk looked great.
Continuing the same style as the previous movie, as the director is the
same. Aesthetics were consistent. The robes looked the same and so
on. The classrooms were improved.
Some great script points with dialogue and acting. Lucius and Harry,
come to mind.
Dislikes: It had a missing factor to it, like the information provided
was empty and it had a little slow pace but it was because it was
exactly like the book.
Conclusion: The first two movies of the Harry Potter franchise are
pretty faithful to the books, coming from a pragmatic book fan. Being
faithful, they inherit the problems. Chamber of Secrets falls to the
same issues as the novel, i.e slow pacing and heavy exposition. It has
its good points, to be sure, but I can’t say that it is my favorite or that
watching it is an entirely pleasurable experience because of its
slowness. It just does not flow alone, and although it does the world a
service, that does not make it necessarily an enjoyable movie or that
great of one.

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban:

Likes: Beautiful cinematography. The
movie has a ton of eye candy. It is just
gorgeous. It has this flow and quality to
it that is just whimsical to watch.
Harry really comes into his own in this
movie. A better feel for him. He
experiences character defining
moments.
The aesthetics and design add a
richness and uniqueness that make the
movie a visual treat.A key part of the
visual experience was the Dementors.
Exciting to watch. It has movement and
a consistent cadence that doesn't let up.
It watches and goes by very well. Not
going to be checking your phone for the time. It is enthralling.
Speaking of casting, I liken Gary Oldman as Sirius and David
Thewlis as Lupin. Peter Pettigrew was also spot on. They meshed
with how I saw the characters.
The Knight Bus. This scene is beautiful and hilarious. The effect is
beyond solid. Iconic.
The Time Turner sequence always sticks in my mind. Have to watch
it all in one go. It was done so well.
Dislikes: Although I like the changes to the style of the world, the
changes themselves are jarring juxtaposed with the previous two
films. The clothing changes, from robes all the time to a more
muggle-demeanor, isn’t explained and seems strange to view. I do
prefer it, though.
Conclusion: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is definitely
one of the best Harry Potter movies. It has a strong focus, great
technical aspects in the visual department, and highly enjoyable to
watch. It may not be the most faithful or the most consistent with its
predecessors, but it is one of the more successful as a film.

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire:

Likes: Continues the previous film’s
aesthetics and world styling. The
costumes are similar to the Prisoner of
Azkaban and the classrooms of
Hogwarts are also the same. The
director is different, but he chose the
same path as the previous. The
consistency is a very good thing.
It is quite funny in some parts. There
are some great humorous moments to
it. Cedric giving the hint to Harry is
hysterical and the dancing segments
were particularly good. Awkward
teenagers are an endless source of
amusement.
Action packed. There are a variety of major ‘event’ moments. The
dragon scene, the merpeople rescue, the maze, the graveyard duel, and
so on. Set pieces that give the movie motion and advance it.
Epic in scope. There is a lot going onto it. Romance. Intrigue.
Friendships tested and forged. Plot progression. It is dense. Rich in a
variety of qualities.
CGI holds up very well. Dragon looked great. Really liked the
creature design in various parts.
The interplay between Harry/Ron/Hermione and the other Gryffindor
members.
Voldemort’s voice was on point. The scene at the graveyard was
vaguely creepy.
Dislikes: There is some unexplained plot elements. This was pretty
chronic throughout the movie, but, to be fair, the book explanation is
pretty, eh, lackluster so removing altogether frees up the movie to get
to the point which is, well, Voldemort being back.
Conclusion: Goblet of Fire was very fun to watch. Maybe not the
most substantial in plot of the series, but it certainly has a high
entertainment value to it. I’d watch it alone. I have done so, on many
occasions. Watching it and re-watching it is an enjoyable. It has a
structure that is just so predictable that I can drop into. Easy to fall
into and be immersed it. It reminds me of a well-worn sweater, loose
and comfortable. And I love sweaters. So Goblet of Fire is pretty
good.
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix:
Likes: Umbridge is spot on. Perfect
casting and acting. So powerful, so well
cast, so well scripted. As perfect as Alan
Rickman is to Snape. She inspires
hatred within the views as well as the
book version. The pink and the cats
were also on point.The decrees, the
training scenes, and so on. Each one of
them flowed very naturally.
The way they showed Harry struggling
with his connection with Voldemort was
excellent. I loved those scenes. The little
neck twist thing was a nice touch. The
snake vision scene was particularly well
done.
Sirius’s last words being James aimed at Harry was so utterly tragic
and perfect.
Loved the Death Eater effects of the darkness spiral thing. It’s very
cool. The effects of the battles had a great sleekness.
The Dumbledore versus Voldemort battle was epic and the effects
were great. Fire and water!
The amount of other characters being developed. Neville, Luna, and
Cho. The small bits of the order.Speaking of Luna, her casting was
great. She is Luna. Her chemistry and dialogue was wonderful.
Dislikes: His relationship with Sirius did not come across as strong as
it could have been. It felt slightly shallow, save for the talk in
Grimmauld.
The Department of Mysteries sequence felt too short. Needed some
more padding to strengthen its significance.
Conclusion: This is one of my favorite of the films, if not my most
favorite. It is one of the few , I can drop in on whenever I want to or
start without having watched the rest of the series in order. There is a
lot of content in it and intrigue that I like. Sure, it has its weak points,
stemming from not relaying the source material’s nuances, but it
works. I like the themes and I like how it was constructed. I love it.

6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince:

Likes: The cinematography is
gorgeous. I love the color gradient.It
works. It’s perfect tonally. The
washed out colors fits the mood
superbly.
The Quidditch scenes are actually
good in this one! They look the best
and they are the most ‘real.’ They
actually seem like a real part of the
lives of the kids. It is relevant
plot/character wise. Amazing.
The humor throughout, even amidst
the dark. Aragog’s funeral scene is
hilarious. The teen romance aspect
was funny in its own way. It didn’t
take itself seriously, which it really needed to do.
Tom Felton as Draco. He was the star of it. Sure, it is Harry’s movie,
but a good chunk of the movie is him dealing with Draco. Draco
shined. The sectumsepera scene was both tragic and pretty.
Tom Riddle. The actor nailed the psychopathic creepiness to be
expected of a teenage Voldemort. More subtle than the actor in
Chamber of Secrets, but they both have their merits and played the
character at two very different moments in the young Voldemort’s
life.
Dumbledore vs. Inferi. That scene was so cool and the music was on
point. Loved it. The cave scene had a great aesthetic to it and the color
palette really exemplified it.
Dislikes: Where is Harry mourning Sirius? We got a little bit of it in
the beginning with the conversation with Slughorn, but that was it! I
needed more.
Ginny and harry did not have a great chemistry.
The pacing of the entire film was so strange in the whole context of
the series. Okay so Voldemort is back. Everyone knows it now. There
is a war, and we are having teen romance.
Conclusion: The movie salvages the content by altering the tone and
having amazing visuals. It takes the awkwardness in stride and does
its best with the material.
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1:
Likes: Nails the sort of apocalyptic
depressing tone. Like damn does the
movie have dread as a stylistic choice
smeared all over it.
The segment in Malfoy Manor was
sequenced well. Tension existed
throughout and you felt for the
characters. The interplay between the
villains and the heroes was suitably
desperate. From both sides.
Dobby’s death. So emotional and well
done. Last words were great and very
tearjerker-y. One felt sad in it.
Speaking of death, Hedwig’s death was
apt. The owl went out like a true hero.
Ron actually comes into his own. He has a variety of good friend
moments and weaknesses that he grows from. He improves. The
speech he gave after returning worked and his insecurities felt
coherent and he defeated them.
Bathilda Bagshot and Nagini. Creepy looking and fast. Exactly what
it needed to be.
Umbridge and that battle in the ministry. I like how it was styled,
aesthetically.
The Three Brothers scene. That was excellent. It was aesthetically
briliant and conveyed the point well. The effects were so pretty. It
was a highlight of the movie.
Dislikes: So long. It just felt slow and plodding at so many points
The wedding felt rushed. Barely saw or interacted with a majority of
the characters we were supposed to care about there.
There was a lot that was thrown in from the books without good
explanation. Who is Grindlewald? No explanation. Who was the old
dude in the castle, why does he matter? Why is he in a castle? Who
knows.
The Polyjuice segment in the beginning-middle was a little bit jagged.
I can’t explain it. The Harry-polyjuiced guy especially felt off.
Harry and Hermione’s dance straddles the line. It was weird but it
worked in a non-shipping way. Odd is a word to describe it. Weird is
another.
Conclusion: Deathly Hallows Part 1 has some great pieces, but the
wandering of the middle act really kills the tension it has. Some
strange directing choices. Some paid off, some didn’t. A highly
uneven movie. However, it does succeed in getting past the more
dragging parts of the seventh book so the final movie can be straight
to the action and fun stuff and get to the end without burden. A noble
sacrifice for the greater good.
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2:
Likes: The CGI is beautiful. It has the
quality to it that just fits with the
series. The dome over Hogwarts, the
spell magic, the Knight warriors, I
loved it.
There were some great shots. The
scene of Remus and Tonks dead and
their position was perfectly tragic. The
shots with the burning Hogwarts in the
battle as a background piece was also
good.
The Prince’s Tale was executed
capably. Abstract in the best way of
possible. Explained what happened
without using much dialogue
exposition. Good scene breaks that made the story flow. Rickman did
the delivery of ‘Always’ perfectly.
Snape’s death by Nagini was suitably brutal. So dark.
Speaking of dark, it had a very, well, dark and mature tone to it that
fit with the material but it wasn’t grim dark. It had the light to it that
made it worth going on.
Draco’s internal conflict, with the small parts he had, played well.
Goblins and the heist sequence. The Dragon looked worn out yet
vibrant when it went free. The goblin effects were extremely
believable and they looked nearly the same as they were in the first
movie. Consistency!
The wearing down of the trio and their desperation was clearly felt.
Good performances all around.
Hermione pretending to Bellatrix polyjuice scene was perhaps one of
the best polyjuice scenes in the entire series. The acting was great.
The resurrection stone scene with Harry. The ghost effects looked
great and the de-saturation played well with it.
The afterlife scenes were about as I pictured them and were good on
their own right.
Some of the parts of the final duel between Harry and Voldemort I
really liked. The robe-wraps and the slap was cool. I liked when they
swirled around in the air and such.
Dislikes: The de-aging on Alan Rickman in some of the pensive
memories was a bit off — his face looked unnatural.
I feel like Harry and Voldemort needed a conversation before the big
fight they had. It had its merits, but the movie had some sweet
moments that also conveyed it. In an ideal world, a balance would
have been obtained.
Conclusion: It’s been a ride, for sure. Seven movies before it and it
was tasked with final note of the legacy of its series. Harry Potter and
the Deathly Hallows Part 2 does things right and wrong, as with all
the movies. There were definitely places that could have been
improved, knowing how it is in the novel, but the aesthetic
adaptations are on point. It may not be perfect or a perfect end to the
saga, but it was an end that was worthy.
RANKING:
1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
7. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
8. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
This is a pretty contentious ranking, I think. As my opinion changes
all the time, so it is more of a general trend rather than hard numbers.
I had trouble positioning some of the middle-high ones. No problem
with the bottom three. The top one is pretty stable, but its hashing out
the runner ups that always get me. But there it is. Ranking.

CONCLUSION: I grew up with Harry Potter. The series has stuck

with me ever since I first was exposed. It is a part of my cultural
outlook and identity to a certain degree. I have seen the movies tens
of hundreds of times and I can watch them more still, this is the most
favourite movie series of mine and I think it will be because of the
magical fantasies it fulfills, watching it everytime makes me nostalgic
and wants me to go to the school of the wizards itself. The books and
movies are something special to me. I can analyze them and critique
them, I can know and point out their flaws and maybe hate parts of
them, but I love them nonetheless.