ILLUSTRATION: JACEY
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[email protected] / @EMPIREAUSTChris: It seems harsh on Chris
Columbus, who built the world
well, but Alfonso Cuarón is
a much, much, much better
filmmaker — and it shows,
doesn’t it?
Amy: It feels like its own thing.
The cinematography is a bit
more playful.
Ben: My one gripe is that there
are a few stylistic touches that
have aged quite badly. There
are moments that feel zany.
Chris: It ends on a freeze-frame.
Ben: The Knight Bus squeezing
between the buildings...
Amy: It’s like someone put it in
with Photoshop.
Chris: It returns to a more
classical director with Mike
Newell and Goblet Of Fire. It
was hugely anticipated because
it’s the first time where there’s
a major death in Harry’s life.
Amy: Goblet Of Fire was the
first film I was super into. I had
all the posters. My favourite bit
is where Harry brings Cedric
Diggory’s body back, and his
dad yells, “My boy, my boy.”
That’s when it steps up.
Ben: It’s the Harry Potter
action film. The ending of
Goblet Of Fire is the tipping
point of the whole series. Shit
gets real, Voldemort is back
and that informs the tone and
feel of the next four films.
Chris: It’s a shame Mike Newell
didn’t stick around and direct
another one or two. I’m not
a huge fan of where the
franchise goes after this.
Helen: I know you hate
everything that goes after this.
Chris: I don’t. But after this it
goes deeper into murk.
Helen: Order Of The Phoenix is
my least favourite of the books
— I found it tedious and
boring. But it’s one of my
favourite films. I like how
much they cut out. It works
exceptionally well. It helps that
it has the most hissable villain
in the entire series — Dolores
Umbridge. If I had her right
now, I’d punch her very hard.
She is so unpleasant.
Amy: That took a turn.
Chris: Milkshakes all round.
Ben: This was my number one.
It takes one of the longest and
most ponderous books and
turns it into a streamlined and
lively film. I like how DavidAmy: It takes you outside of
Hogwarts. The first two are
stuck in its walls. It expands
the world a bit more.
Helen: The cast does keep
getting better. You start with
the embarrassment of riches
that is Maggie Smith and Alan
Rickman. By this point you’re
throwing in Gary Oldman just
because you can.
Chris: At this point you’re
beginning to feel sorry for
British actors who haven’t been
asked to be in this franchise.
Amy: They’re probably happy
Fantastic Beasts is still going.
Ben: It’s blessed with the best
standalone plot in the whole
saga. There’s a serial killer
on the loose and Voldemort
is not really a thing in this
one. Buckbeak is one of my
favourite things in the book
and they do him justice.Yates places the magical and
Muggle worlds on top of each
other. That continues through
his films. For Harry, magic
isn’t an escape anymore.
Chris: It’s life or death.
Amy: The thing I like — and
dislike — about it is that it
spends a lot of time developing
romantic relationships. I don’t
care whether Harry fancies Cho
Chang, just get on with it.
Chris: That was huge to me
when I was reading the books.
I’m not a Harry and Ginny
stan, is that what you kids say?
Helen: They’re not your OTP?
Chris: What does that mean?
Helen: One True Pairing.
Chris: No.
Amy: All the kids get paired
off to someone they went to
school with.
Helen: Come on, people, shop
around a bit.
Chris: Everyone experiments at
Hogwarts, don’t they? Look,
I take all your points, but I just
can’t get on board with the
franchise after this point. David
Yates is clearly good with
performances, but he’s lacking
visual pizzazz and that’s driven
home as we move into
Fantastic Beasts, which needs
a director who can conjure
a sense of wonder. I think he’s
sorely lacking in those skills.
Helen: I think there are great
visual moments in those films.
Chris: I think Deathly Hallows
Part 2 works very well. But Part
1 is a bit low-key and talky.
Ben: People hold onto the fact
that it’s a whole film about
camping but the bit where they
break into the Ministry
Of Magic is really fun.
Chris: But there is a lot
of camping. There’s more
camping in this than there
is in Carry On Camping.
Helen: There are many great
moments in Part 2 — hot
Neville killing the snake,
Professor McGonagall bringing
the castle statues to life — but
the reason it’s below Part 1 for
me is because they screw up Mrs
Weasley’s big moment. It’s the
best single moment in any of the
books — “Get away from my
daughter, you bitch.” And they
completely screw that up.
Chris: Right, enough
squabbling. Let’s vote!THE TOP TEN
CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD(2018)
Chris:“Let’s be honest: if there had
been more pure Potters, theBeasts
films would be nowhere near this list.”FANTASTIC BEASTS...(2016)
Amy:“It’s not Potter, but it gives us
a wand-wielding Colin Farrell and the
wizarding world in 1920s NYC.”CHAMBER OF SECRETS(2002)
Helen:“Kenneth Branagh earns this
its place, thanks to his portrayal of
the egotistical Gilderoy Lockhart.”PHILOSOPHER’S STONE(2001)
Ben:“The first Potter film is far from
the most adventurous, but it has
charm and a genuine sense of magic.”DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1(2010)
Amy:“It feels war movie-like in its
bleakness, but that’s what gives
the Battle Of Hogwarts its punch.HALF-BLOOD PRINCE(2009)
Helen:“It’s a long and gloomy book,
but the film finds the lighter, funnier
moments to balance the angst.”ORDER OF THE PHOENIX(2007)
Ben:“In which a stunning Ministry Of
Magic set plays host to the ultimate
duel: Dumbledore versus Voldemort.”DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2(2011)
Chris:“This is an epic and emotional
conclusion that sticks the landing.
Difficult to do on a Nimbus 2000.”PRISONER OF AZKABAN(2004)
Helen:“Alfonso Cuarón opened up
the film world with this darker but
also pacier and punkier third film.”GOBLET OF FIRE (2005)
Ben: “The most
action-packed Potter
of the lot offers the
best of both worlds —
a gripping, magical
adventure story,that
tips into darker, more
grown-up fantasy when
Voldemort finally rises.”10
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