Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has the curious distinction of being one of my favorite Harry Potter films based on my least favorite of the Harry Potter novels. Much of this has to do with how the novel was adapted as well as the performance of Daniel Radcliffe in this film.
The fifth film picks up with Harry Potter (played by Daniel Radcliffe) still coping with the death of Cedric Diggory and the resurrection of Voldemort (played by Ralph Fiennes). After warding off a surprise attack by two dementors, Harry receives notice that he is expelled from Hogwarts for performing underage magic outside of school. However, after some quick intervention from Dumbledore (played by Michael Gambon), Harry is able to return to school. There he discovers that Delores Umbridge (played by Imelda Staunton) has been appointed to the post of Defense of the Dark Arts teacher. A former Ministry of Magic employee, she continuously talks down Harry's warnings that Voldemort's returning while also undermining the curriculum of the class with a focus on giving the students the knowledge needed to pass standardized tests with no practical learning know-how (boy, does that sound familiar). She also begins to use her Ministry connections to wrestle control of the school, leading many of the students to seek out Harry to teach them some of the practical defense spells that they are not learning in class. Meanwhile, Harry also discovers he has a growing mental link with Voldemort, leading him to another inevitable confrontation with the Dark Lord.
David Yates takes the directorial reins with this film and would continue with the remainder of the series. He does a decent job adapting the source novel with Michael Goldenberg as screenwriter. They keep the story focused well, drawing out the significant plot threads and developing them well within the medium of film. There were whole sections in the book where Harry was frankly being a bit of a pill that gave me a headache as a reader and it was nice to see that was largely dropped in favor of a focus on Harry and Umbridge butting heads and Harry teaching the other students defensive spells he knew in secret. Nicholas Hooper picked up scoring duties on this outing and did a fantastic job creating new themes for this entry with very little reliance on the classic Potter themes, even leaving me thinking I should download the score at the end of the film. Even though I am a film score aficionado, its not every day that I think that.
The acting is strong as always with this outing. Daniel Radcliffe stretches himself a bit more with the tormented Harry, but also finds some purpose in the new role of teacher to his fellow students and blossoms in the role, even taking on some characteristics of a teacher he admired, Remus Lupin (played by David Thewlis), which was apparently Radcliffe's idea. Then there is Imelda Staunton, giving life to without question the most hated person in the entire Harry Potter series with Delores Unbridge. Constantly clad in pink, she asserts her power over the entire school while her approach to teaching simply for students to pass tests and nothing more is nauseatingly ill-equipped. Fred and George Weasley's final revenge on her remains one of the series' high points.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a turning point in the series. It was the first one directed by David Yates, who would remain the director for the remainder of the series. The series also continues to grow darker as it moves forward ever more towards it's inevitable conclusion and the film handled that transition well, while also working in a bit of humor. It's interesting that one of my favorite Potter films would be based on my least favorite of the books though. I wasn't expecting that, to be honest.
As we move into the fourth entry in the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the series continues to grow and mature, but also find new challenges for our characters, especially Harry as he finds himself roped into a wizarding competition he really wanted no part of.
As we begin this film, we join Harry (played by Daniel Radcliffe), Hermoine (played by Emma Watson) and Ron (played by Rupert Grint) as they attend the Quidditch World Cup along with Ron's Dad Arthur (played by Mark Williams) and Ron's brothers Fred and George (played by James and Oliver Phelps). The fun doesn't last as the games are attacked by the Death Eaters, Voldemort's followers, causing chaos and marching around in robes and hats like an even creepier version of the Ku Klux Klan (if such a thing were possible). Harry witnesses one of them, Barty Crouch Jr. (played by David Tennant) causing the sky to be marked with the dark mark, the sign of the Death Eaters, marking the beginning of the return of Voldemort. As the kids return to school, they find out that the school will be host to guests from two other wizarding schools, Durmstrang from Bulgaria and Beauxbatons from France. They are there to compete in the Tri-Wizard Tournament with one wizard from each school to compete in the year long series of events. Anyone interested in competing is to place their name in the cup and then three will be chosen to compete. The three competitors wind up being Cedric Diggory (played by Robert Pattinson) from Hogwarts, Viktor Krum (played by Stanislav Ianevski), and Fleur Delacour (played by Clemence Poesy). Much to everyone's surprise, a fourth name is ejected from the cup: Harry Potter. Despite there obviously being something afoot, Dumbledore (played by Michael Gambon) and the other teachers decide to let Potter compete and see how the events plays out, to let whoever put his name in the cup reveal themselves.
For the fourth entry in the series, the director's chair passed to Mike Newell, who took cue's from the previous film while adding his own flair to the series. The plotlines of the series continue to get darker and the film gets a desaturated color scheme to match. There is also a continuing maturity to the film, once again showing the films growing along with their characters. Steve Kloves had to jettison a lot of J.K Rowling's narrative in order to fit one two and a half hour film, but manages to keep enough to create a satisfying narrative the keeps a strong pace throughout the film from the beginning all the way to the climax of the film. Patrick Doyle picks up the scoring duties from John Williams and holds his own nicely, mixing his own themes in with John Williams' main Potter theme.
The acting continues to be great, with all the familiar faces doing quite well. We also get some new faces mixing in starting with Brendan Gleeson as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher Alastor "Mad Eye" Moody, a former Auror (someone who chases dark wizards and witches) and it is immediately clear the years have taken their toll. We also have Miranda Richardson as Rita Skeeter, a gossip journalist covering the Tri-Wizard tournament and exploits Harry as a source of constant, and frequently exaggerated, headlines. Then we have Frances de la Tour as Beauxbaton's headmistress Madame Olympe Maxime, who becomes a bit of a love interest for Hagrid (played by Robbie Coltrane). Finally, we have a pre-Doctor Who David Tennant showing up as Voldemort right hand Barty Crouch Jr. and he gives a suitably deranged performance that is a million miles away from the affable Doctor.
Overall, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is another step in the maturation of the series as the overall series starts to grow darker as it goes along, while also finding ways to keep things fresh, exciting and inventive. While it's not my favorite in the series, it certainly ranks up there as one of the best in the series. Then again I love them all, so how can I possibly really be objective?
There are a number of reasons why both the novel and film versions of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite of the series. This entry explores the past of Harry's parents and their friends and how it connects to the present in some very interesting and rather surprising ways.
As the film opens, Harry Potter (played by Daniel Radcliffe) is once again staying with his Aunt Petunia (played by Fiona Shaw), Uncle Vernon (played by Richard Griffiths), and cousin Dudley (played by Harry Melling). They are visited by Vernon's sister, Marge (played by Pam Ferris), a vile and verbally abusive woman. Harry soon has his breaking point with the woman and his anger gets the better of him, accidentally causing Marge to inflate like a large balloon and literally float out the window. Harry then flees the Dursley's house and one quick trip on a triple decker bus specially for wizards, Harry is back in the wizarding world where he quickly discovers that Sirius Black (played by Gary Oldman), convicted Voldemort ally, has escaped from wizard prison Azkaban and is likely headed right for Harry himself at Hogwarts. Meanwhile, all sorts of changes have taken place for the new year, including new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Remus Lupin (played by David Thewlis) and Hagrid (played by Robbie Coltrane) has been given his own class as well. Harry is reunited with his friends Ron (played by Rupert Grint) and Hermoine (played by Emma Watson) as the three begin to uncover who Sirius Black is and how he figures into Harry and Harry's parents pasts.
For the third film, Alfonso Cuaron took over directing duties and infuses the film with his own sense of style and in the process giving the series a breath of fresh air. The entire production design gets a fresh turn as certain aspects of Hogwarts get a new interpretation and design. We also get to see the nearby Wizard village Hogsmeade for the first time as the students take a trip there as a break from school. Cuaron does a great job bringing some fantastic and memorable moments to life, such as Harry's ride on the Knight Bus, the bus specifically for witches and Wizards that whizzes around London so fast it doesn't even register to non-magic folk. There is also Harry's ride on a Hippogriff, courtesy of Hagrid that is equally magical. Then there is the inflating of Aunt Marge at the beginning of the film that is wonderfully realized and quite funny. Also, I love how the story unfolds for this entry, and I suppose most of that credit goes to J.K Rowling, but without spoiling anything for those who haven't seen the film or read the book, the film does have a few nifty twists in store.
The acting is great with Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson continuing to grow as actors and as always surrounded by some of the best British actors around. Michael Gambon steps in as Dumbledore after the passing of Richard Harris, giving the character his own unique spin and if I'm being completely honest, I have always preferred Gambon's portrayal of Dumbledore to Harris' (although Harris was great too, just in different ways). David Thewlis makes his first appearance in the series as Remus Lupin. There is a special bond that develops between Lupin and Harry as Lupin teaches Harry how to ward off the nasty Dementors, guards of the Azkaban prison that have taken temporary residence as the school on the chance that escaped prisoner Sirius Black shows up. It's that bond and the way that it is acted that really seals why Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite of the series.
Overall, this film was a giant leap forward for the Harry Potter series and set the tone that would be carried out throughout the remainder of the series. Alfonso Cuaron infused his entry with a great deal of imagination and style while at the same time letting the series grow up a little. Along with some very fine acting and a great story, it's easy to see why this entry stands out for me.
Released just one year after the first film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets builds on what came before as we move into Harry's second year at the Wizardry boarding school Hogwarts. With some new faces joining the returning cast, this film does a fine job expanding the universe established in the first film while conjuring up some fun and thrilling new adventures.
As the film opens, Harry Potter (played by Daniel Radcliffe) is back living with his relatives, Uncle Vernon (played by Richard Griffiths) and Aunt Petunia (played by Fiona Shaw) when he is visited by a house elf named Dobby who warns Harry that he mustn't return to Hogwarts for his life is in danger. After Harry refuses, Dobby intentionally ruins Uncle Vernon's social gathering, causing Uncle Vernon to swear that Harry will never return to Hogwarts. It's not long though before Harry is rescued by Ron (played by Rupert Grint) and his twin brothers Fred and George (played by James and Oliver Phelps) in their Dad's flying Ford Anglia car and taken back to the Weasley family home. There he is greeted by their mother Molly (played by Julie Walters), irate that the boys took the car, and father Arthur (played by Mark Williams), whose first instinct is to ask how the trip went (typical Dad response). After a quick trip for school supplies, where Ron and Harry are reunited with Hermoine (played by Emma Watson), it's time to head back to Hogwarts where they are greeted by all the familiar teachers and staff along with some new faces including the narcissistic new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Gilderoy Lockhart (played by Kenneth Branagh) and Ron's younger sister Ginny (played by Bonnie Wright). Soon enough, the trio of young heroes also find themselves drawn into a new and dangerous mystery that threatens the students of Hogwarts as students start turning up petrified and ominous messages warn of the opening of the fabled Chamber of Secrets.
Chris Columbus returned to direct the second film working from a script from Steve Kloves. No longer burdened with establishing the school or the wizarding world, they hit the ground running with a far more well paced film. At the same time, they do a great job realizing the wizarding world of J.K Rowling's source novel such as showing us what a wizarding family is like with the Weasleys. In many ways it's not too different, but in other ways it is, like Arthur Weasley quizzing Harry about non-magical folks artifacts such as the use of a Rubber Duck. Likewise, seeing such memorable sequences as the adventures in the flying Ford Anglia are well directed and suitably thrilling. John Williams returns to score the film as well, bringing the same fantastic themes he brought to the film as well as building on them and creating all new ones.
The acting in this one is dependably good given the seasoned actors we have. In the second outing, you can see how much Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have grown, not just physically but in their acting skills from the previous film (sadly, the Harry Potter series would become the fantasy film equivalent of Boyhood, with all the kids' adolescence captured on film for all time). Kenneth Branagh joins the cast for this film as the self-obsessed wizard Gilderoy Lockhart and it is clear he is having a blast in the role and the fun is contagious. From the moment he introduces himself to his class, walking past a picture of himself painting a self portrait, I am cracking up every single time. This film also expands the role of Harry Potter's rival, Draco Malfoy (played by Tom Felton), who manages to quietly steal several scenes, including quite possibly the best improvised line in the series, "Reading? I didn't know you could read."
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is one of my favorites of the series, with solid direction and writing, solid acting and good pace (despite this film actually being the longest in the series, clocking in at two hours and forty minutes). It has plenty of great fun within it even if this entry is a bit darker that the previous film and the series would get even darker from here. There is plenty to enjoy with this one, even if it does have the icky scene with all the spiders.
The Harry Potter novels by J.K Rowling captured the nation's attention like almost none other. Kids and Adults alike were immediately taken with Rowling's tale of the goings on at a magical boarding school for Witches and Wizards, and the three students at the center of it. It was inevitable that a film version would come out and when it did, it was almost as good as the books that inspired it.
Harry Potter (played by Daniel Radcliffe) was orphaned as an infant and placed into the care of his Uncle Vernon (played by Richard Griffiths) and Aunt Petunia (played by Fiona Shaw) along with his cousin, the spoiled brat Dudley (played by Harry Melling). He has been relegated to living in the cupboard under the stairs and is expected to wait on the other members of the family. All this changes when on his Eleventh birthday he is visited by the giant Hagrid (played by Robbie Coltrane), who informs Harry that he is in fact a wizard and is accepted to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft of Wizardry. Enthusiastically leaving with Hagrid, Harry finds himself in a world unlike any he imagined. He also finds out more about his past, specifically that his parents died protecting him from a dark and evil Wizard named Voldemort, who was soon thereafter defeated. He also makes two new friends, Ron Weasley (played by Rupert Grint) and Hermoine Granger (played by Emma Watson). The three begin to notice some strange goings on around the school and discover that maybe Voldemort is not as dead as everyone thought and may be trying to retrieve a magical object known as the Sorcerer's Stone to return completely to life. The three then set out to try and find the stone first and stop him from getting it.
Director Chris Columbus and Screenwriter Steve Kloves did a fantastic job adapting the novel to the big screen. It doesn't include everything from the novel, but it does a great job capturing the spirit of the novel and as a fan of the books, I have no real complaints. The film does have the burden of setting up the Wizarding world, the school, and the characters. As such the film does take awhile to get going narratively speaking. But with such a lush production design and a parade of fantastic British acting talent that includes the likes of Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Julie Walters, John Hurt, Ronnie Coltrane and countless others it's hard to complain. Likewise, the acting in the film is quite good and it's clear the actors are having a ball in their roles. Radcliffe, Grint and Watson all three make the perfect Harry, Ron and Hermione and turn in strong performances, especially for such young actors that carry the bulk of the film. It probably helped that they were surrounded by such seasoned pros. Among them, I have to single out Alan Rickman who is clearly relishing the role of Potions Master Severus Snape. I just love his performance in this and there is a scene of his in this film that I adore. It's such a throwaway scene in the scheme of things. Towards the end of the film, he catches Harry, Ron and Hermoine plotting and sneaks up on them warning them that "People will think you're...up to something." It's all in Rickman's delivery of that line and is one I have referenced countless times with one of my friends. It's such a small moment, but it has provided me countless amounts of amusement.
Overall, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a fantastic adaptation of the novel by J.K Rowling and does a great job of capturing the essence of the novel with style and humor, along with a talented production crew and equally talented group of actors. As someone who has been a fan of Harry Potter since the novels first came out here in the U.S, I have always loved this movie. It was a great start to a series of films that are still going strong today, with the forthcoming prequel, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which the release of inspired me to revisit the Potter films.
After a 10 year hiatus as director, Mel Gibson once again steps behind the camera to bring us a very unique and moving tale from the Pacific battlefields of World War II. A tale of courage and bravery that is both touching and at times quite harrowing, this ranks with Saving Private Ryan as one of the best war movies ever made.
Desmond Doss (played by Andrew Garfield) finds himself at a crossroads at the dawn of World War II. He feels a need to serve and do his part, but yet his faith has forbidden him from taking a life no matter the circumstances. His father (played by Hugo Weaving) is a World War I vet who saw all his friends killed in combat and the result has left him a hollow alcoholic of a man. The last thing he wants is for either of his sons to go through the same thing. When Desmond does enlist and his beliefs are revealed, his fellow soldiers think him a coward, trying to hide behind his beliefs to avoid combat. He has a long struggle through training as his Drill Instructor, Sgt. Howell (played by Vince Vaughn) and Captain Glover (played by Sam Worthington) try to get him to quit. Through it all he perseveres and is allowed to go ahead and train to be an Army Medic He ships out with his unit to the battle of Okinawa in Japan, specifically the taking of the titular Hacksaw Ridge which more resembles hell itself. Throughout the fights in trying to take the ridge, Doss shows unbelievable courage as he dodges the chaos to try and get his injured fellow soldiers to safety.
Hacksaw Ridge is the true story of Desmond Doss' actions in World War II and is an impressive and moving film. Mel Gibson once again shows his talents for behind the camera. He manages to balance the harsh and horrifying violence of the battle scenes with the more dramatic scenes in the film when Doss is at home contemplating enlisting because he doesn't feel it's right he stay behind while everyone else fights for him and the romantic scenes as Doss courts his girlfriend, Dorothy Schutte (played by Theresa Palmer). He also handles the themes of Doss' faith quite well so that the film never seems preachy, but rather something that direct's Doss' life and how he acts. The film even manages to work in a little bit of humor in the right places, which I welcomed given how intense and grim it got at times.
The acting in the film is across the board great. More than anything, this is Andrew Garfield's movie as we are with Doss almost every step of the way, from his early scenes through training to the climactic scene where he decides to stay behind when the remainders of his unit fall back to rescue his fallen comrades single handedly. His performance is fantastic in the film. There are a few scenes that are a little over-dramatic, but for the most part it's a great performance. It's nice to see Vince Vaughn in a dramatic role again as Sgt. Howell, whose initial doubts about Doss soften over time as he sees how committed he is to stay. Teresa Palmer is also good as Doss' girlfriend Dorothy and has some decent chemistry with Andrew Garfield. They share a few cute scenes even before Doss ships out for basic training.
Overall, Hacksaw Ridge is Gibson's best film since Braveheart. It's a very well directed tale of a very unique chapter in the history of World War II and was one I was not familiar with. The story was well told and was deeply affecting. It will be interesting to see where it lands come awards season, but I thought it was a great, if intense and at times very violent film.
When I walked into the theatre to see Doctor Strange, I had very little familiarity with the character or the history of the comics. I intentionally did not read up on them prior to the film because I wanted to judge the film on it's own merits, rather than compare it to the film's source material. As such, the film is easily one of the most visually stunning films I've seen in a long time.
Stephen Strange (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) is a very gifted surgeon, but also egotistical and tries to only take on patients that offer him a challenge. One night while on his way to a charity event, Stephen is in a devastating car wreck that leaves his hands severely and perhaps irreparably damaged. After he is unable to find suitable treatment through Western Medicine, he heads east to Nepal to find the Kamar-Taj on a lead from a man who had a miraculous recovery from severe paralysis. Once there, he seeks out the Kamar-Taj with little success until he meets Mordo (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor), who takes Stephen to meet The Ancient One (played by Tilda Swinton). There, under the tutelage of both The Ancient One and Mordo, he begins to learn the art of sorcery. Using the same dedication he applied to medicine, Stephen begins to excel in the art once he begins to let go of his ego. While initially training with the sole purpose of regaining full use of his hands, Stephen finds himself drawn into a fight between the members of Kamar-Taj and the dark Sorcerer Kaecilius (played by Mads Mikkelson), who seeks to unleash the Dark Dimension where time does not pass and one can live forever.
The film was directed by Scott Derrickson from a script that he wrote along with C. Robert Cargill. The film he created is a visual marvel from beginning to end. I saw it in IMAX 3-D and I have to say it was worth it just for the eye candy alone. The Sorcerers are able to create a dimension on top of ours called the Mirror Dimension that allows them to manipulate their environment in any number of ways while ours remains unaffected. This is used many times throughout the film as landscapes and buildings move, change and are manipulated in all kinds of dazzling and kaleidoscopic ways. However, as amazing as the visuals are, the film itself does follow a fairly predictable storyline. It is basically the standard issue Hero's journey storyline and in many ways very reminiscent of the the first Iron Man movie. That said, the film does have it's clever flourishes to make everything feel a bit fresh. I appreciated the fact that Stephen Strange and his co-worker Christine Palmer (played by Rachel McAdams) were former lovers and now just friends. It's a unique twist to the usual love interest relationship and her reaction to Stephen's new Sorcery world were pretty priceless. Like much of Marvel's films, it also finds a nice balance between seriousness and humor to make an overall quite entertaining film. While I criticize the more derivative parts of the plot, I concede that they are done with flair, humor and as a fellow fiction writer I doubt I could've done better.
The casting for the film is top notch, with Benedict Cumberbatch leading as Stephen Strange. He portrays Strange's emotional journey from a surgeon at the top of his game to a devastated man who has lost everything to someone who not only learns how to become a better man, but also gain a new life he never could have dreamed of. Chiwetel Ejiofor does well as Mondo, who has studied under the Ancient One for a long time, but also has a rigid idea of what can and cannot be done in the natural world of sorcery that causes him and Strange to butt heads at times. Mads Mikkelson brings more layers to the role of Kaecilius than one would expect for a villain and his actions do actually make sense to a degree. It's refreshing to have a villain that isn't just a one note mustache twirler, but actually has reasons behind his actions.
Then finally, there is Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One. This was a casting choice that caused a fair amount of controversy as it was seen as another example of Hollywood whitewashing characters. While I agree with the complaints and they are valid, the situation with this character is a bit more complicated. The character in the comic books was a far more stereotypical Asian caricature and not unlike Shane Black's approach to The Mandarin in Iron Man 3, the filmmakers were trying to sidestep any sort of offensive Asian characterization by changing the race of the character completely, making the Ancient One of Celtic origin and casting Tilda Swinton in the role. Is it a bit of a cop out? Yes. Could there have been a way to still cast an Asian actor in the role without being problematic? Yes, but then we get into the whole "White Man travels East to learn the secrets of the universe from the Asians" trope that is equally problematic and was another reason why they changed the character completely to avoid said trope. In this film, the Kamar-Taj are a global wide group of Sorcerers from many different cultures and the Ancient One just so happens to be of Celtic origin. That said, Tilda does a magnificent job in the role and gives the role a certain unique depth and fierceness to it that Swinton excels at.
Overall, Doctor Strange is a visual feast with some of the most dazzling effects I have seen in a long time. The film may follow the same heroes journey plot line we've seen many times before, but through some well placed humor, great performances and some nice narrative flourishes, Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill gave it a nice polish. It's worth seeing in 3-D on the biggest screen possible and as with all Marvel movies, make sure you stay through the credits.
