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Harry Potter movies ranked from worst to best

Photo credit: Wifflegif.com
Photo credit: Wifflegif.com

From Digital Spy

The Harry Potter series made an absolute boatload of money, spawned a million lesser YA projects, a heap of merchandising, games, a play and more than one entire Wizarding World. The books and the films are very much loved by the people who grew up with Harry through his years at Hogwarts. But are they all brilliant? No. They are not.

We've undertaken the perilous task of ranking them worst to best. But which will be number one? Probably not the one you're thinking...

10. Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets (2002)

It looks great and it's packed with magical creatures but unfortunately Harry's second outing suffers from being overlong, awkwardly unfunny, (flying car! Cake in the face! Annoying house elf!) and somewhat convoluted. Harry is locked in the Dursleys' house because Dobby is being an arse, but the Weasleys save him in a flying car.

At school there's a monster that is 'petrifying' kids everyone thinks is Harry because he can talk snake, but it's not, as Ron and Harry discover after asking some spiders. It's a bloke called Tom Riddle whose name is an anagram of Voldemort. Don't worry though, Harry manages to save the day by pulling a sword out of a hat delivered by a bird. Unfortunately the kids hadn't got the hang of acting yet, either, which really didn't help.

9. Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone (2001)

It was so Christmassy and so magicky and the kids (who couldn't act at this point) were so cute that we have very warm feelings towards this movie. But compared to the sophistication of later entries in the series, this one really does feel like... Well, it feels like a kids' film, which is precisely what it was.

Chris Columbus directs the inaugural part, which sees Harry discover he's a Wizard, enrol in Hogwarts, meet Ron and Hermione and the dreaded Draco and have an adventure involving a giant chess set. Voldermort's in it but only as the back of someone else's head so he doesn't pose any real threat. Very sweet but a bit of romp. (And still better than... The Chamber Of Secrets).

8. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

Photo credit: Warner Bros.
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

The second instalment in the new Fantastic Beasts five-part prequel series suffers from an extreme cast of middle-film-itis, spending more time setting up the future movies than really delivering a satisfying story. Our heroes act out of character for the sake of the plot, and those less acquainted with Potter lore may struggle to follow the ins and outs of the Paris-set search for Credence Barebone's true identity.

Still, Crimes of Grindelwald is not without its charms. There are plenty of revelations to delight hardcore fans, and a beautiful, magical aesthetic. Eddie Redmayne has a firmer grip on his role as Newt Scamander, bringing a bit more life to the awkward magizoologist, and Jude Law makes for an incredibly likeable younger Dumbledore (though fans hoping for explicit acknowledgment of his sexuality will be left wanting). But the general feeling is that the third film will have to up its game.

7. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)

Photo credit: Warner Bros.
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Part one of the epic finale of the Harry Potter journey suffers from being too dark and – the reverse of …The Philosopher's Stone – not enough of a romp. Harry's left Hogwarts to go on a journey to find and destroy the Horcruxes which are the source of Voldermort's immortality.

The Wizarding World (and the muggle world actually) is in disarray, secondary characters are getting killed (Hedwig gets a very underwhelming death scene), Harry, Ron and Hermione are arguing and everything is just very dour. Even worse, it's the first part of the climax, so by its very nature really nothing major happens, just set-up for the big shebang in the final film. And Dobby dies at the end. Downer.

6. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

Photo credit: Warner Bros.
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Fans had thought they'd seen the last of Potter on the big screen with 2011's Deathly Hallows – Part 2, only to be surprised by an unexpected return to the Wizarding World. The first Fantastic Beasts film takes us to 1920s New York City, where Newt is on the trailer of a magical suitcase's-worth of escaped monsters, against a backdrop of sinister plotting from some shady magical and muggle/no-maj figures.

The two plot threads struggle to make a cohesive whole, and the intriguing story of Colin Farrell's Percival Graves ends on a sour note when (spoiler alert!) he transforms into Johnny Depp's Gellert Grindelwald. But it proved a family-friendly crowd-pleaser, and the stylish '20s setting made for a welcome return to the Wizard World.

5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

The sixth film see Harry turn 16 and get hormones. Though the ascent of Voldermort and his Death Eaters looms large in the background, this is the last of the Potter films to be based in the school and therefore be full of magic and fun.

It's unusual, too, because it's actually pretty funny and vaguely romantic as Harry and Ginny share their first kiss, and Ron (punching well above his weight...) dates Lavender then pisses her off by whispering Hermione's name at a crucial moment. This instalment is spectacular to look at too (it's the only Potter film to get an Oscar nomination for cinematography). Then there's that shock ending. Dumbledore! Noooooo!!

4. Harry Potter and The Prison of Azkaban (2004)

Photo credit: Warner Bros.
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity), the third instalment was the first of the franchise that felt grown up, introducing the mildly terrifying dementors, the enormously sympathetic professor Lupin and giving us a properly exciting Quidditch match. Then there's Gary Oldman's Sirius Black, the seemingly malignant deranged criminal who Harry thinks betrayed his parents and is now free and on his way to murder Harry in his bed!

The plot is highly twisty, and that's both its strength and its weakness. A time-travel device allows the gang to be in two places at once, meaning that we watch the story unfold, but then have to watch it a second time in a long "Here's how we did it" sequence of exposition.

3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

The first of the Potter movies directed by David Yates, who manages to make a thrilling film out of a slow, overstuffed book. It's possibly the most tragic of the films simply because Harry is given a tiny glimpse of hope for once, only to have it snatched out of his hands. Harry has found a true ally in his godfather Sirius Black, who's actually a good guy and wants Harry to experience some positive parenting.

Just as well, since things at school are a bit shady after Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) is hired – a razor-blade-wrapped-in-candyfloss of a teacher. She stops the gang learning defence techniques so Harry and the rest form Dumbledore's Army and teach each other. But Harry's having disturbing visions via his connection with Voldermort which leads him to hunt down a prophecy linking the two. There's a fight. Sirius dies. And it's really sad.

2. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011)

The final part of the series had a whole lot riding on it, arriving ten years after the first film and wrapping up the lot. Luckily David Yates nailed it and Hallows Part 2 became the highest-grossing film of the whole franchise, winning critical acclaim along the way. By now everyone can act, they're not kids anymore and you really feel something is actually at stake. People die. Like, lots of them. Including Snape, who after eight films of 'Is he a goodie or a baddie?' gets the most moving denouement of all.

Then there's the final showdown, the battle to end all battles, which feels like it's taking place at the end of the world. Teachers and students unite and Neville Longbottom finally gets to stand up as a proud hero! Rousing.

1. Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire (2005)

Okay, it's not as dark or grown up as Hallows 2 ,but this series was never meant to be The White Ribbon. Goblet of Fire captures the absolute best of the essence of Potter. It's full of magic and wonder, introducing dragons and mermen that Harry and his fellow competitors encounter in the spectacular Triwizard tournament. Then there's romance: the Yule Ball is just gorgeous and the machinations of the kids trying to find dates and getting dressed up for their very first formal is pure school-story wish fulfilment.

And while the return of Voldemort looms large it's actually the personal relationship stuff that hits the heart hardest. Harry gets picked for the Triwizard tournament even though he's not meant to be eligible, causing him to fall out with Ron. Hack journo Rita Skeeter keeps writing dodgy editorial about him in the paper and what's more, Harry fancies Cho but she's going to the ball with Cedric. Ron takes Hermione for granted even though she likes him, so she goes with Victor Krum and looks astonishing. And then it all gets a bit real when Cedric gets killed.

Okay, the twist is kind of ridiculous, but this whole film is a perfect pocket of Potter: relatable, nostalgic, fantastical, romantic and funny. Magic.


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