That entire twist is so well executed, which is difficult to do when you’re dealing with time travel and alternate timelines.
It does help that he had the good fortune of adapting the best of Rowling’s book series, as well.Įach shot in Prisoner of Azkaban is expertly crafted, guiding your eyes to see exactly what Cuaron needs you to see in order for the film’s big twist/payoff in the third act to land. Sincere apologies to Chris Columbus and David Yates, but Alfonso Cuaron is far and away the best director to helm a Harry Potter movie, and he proved his immense talent with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) (Photo: Warner Bros.) This film also represented the debut of Brendan Gleeson as Mad-Eye Moody, an absolute scene-stealer throughout the entire series.ġ. Robert Pattinson’s Cedric Diggory is flawless and the performance helped launch him into superstardom. Goblet of Fire does, however, introduce two of the Harry Potter franchise’s biggest standouts. The set pieces were beautifully designed, and many of the guest characters were perfectly cast. A lot of the actual tournament feels like it’s on fast-forward throughout the movie. The Goblet of Fire film is still pretty good, it just doesn’t capture the tournament, or its competitors, as fully as book readers would’ve liked.
The Triwizard Tournament is one of the best and most exhilarating events in the entire series, and the movie version was ultimately a bit disappointing. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is another title, like Chamber of Secrets before it, that was better executed as a book. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) (Photo: Warner Bros.) Still, any movie that opens with a flying car and a killer tree is going to at least be fun from time to time.Ħ. Chamber of Secrets is the longest film of the franchise and there’s just no reason for that to be the case. It also could’ve used a little less time. Things started getting dark, and the franchise could’ve used a different director to bring Chamber of Secrets to life. No longer was it a simple adventure about kids in a new, fantastical world. Unfortunately, the movie doesn’t do quite as good a job with any of these things as the book does.Ĭhris Columbus was a perfect fit for the first Harry Potter, but at times he seemed out of his element in the second go-round. Not to mention we get some early development in Harry and Ginny’s story. Moaning Myrtle is a delightful side character.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) (Photo: Warner Bros.)Ī lot of really great stuff happens in Chamber of Secrets. All he manages to do with his bland, uninspired performance is remind everyone just how great Colin Farrell could’ve been.ĩ. But the focal point of the film is Johnny Depp’s Grindelwald, and he delivers one of the worst performances of his career. Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, and Dan Fogler remain an excellent trio, carrying over their chemistry from the first movie. The performances, for the most part, are the bright spot of the film. Not only is there too much going on, but there’s too much going on for what feels like a very, very long time.
Rowling’s script is a mess from start to finish, trying to bring in a ton of ideas but with no clue how to naturally weave them into the story that started in the first film. The Crimes of Grindelwald misses on just about every front. It should go without saying, but Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is the worst film in the entire Potterverse franchise, and it’s not very close.