Best Potter movie thus far

[Elle Delacour]

We ask this every so often... might be interesting to see it broken down into #'s.

[Fins]

I still love the first movie, although GOF comes in a very close second. But for me, the first movie really captured the magic of JKR's world and you saw this thru Harry's eyes as he explored this strange world. The kids performances were raw as you would expect but that is part of what I liked about it. Also, you had Richard Harris as Dumbledore and I think we all would agree we wish he was still playing that character. And Ron was more than comic relief... gotta like that.

[kats]

I agree with Fins. In addition, it followed the book the most faithfully of any of the movies. The first movie was pure magic not a lot of nice special effects. It brought me into HP. It's going to be difficult for any movie to compete with that.

[Tonks]

this was actually a hard one to choose. in the end, i went with gof

i agree, the first 2 movies were better at capturing jk's magical world, and columbus did a fantastic job! but, as stated in the book poll, gof is my favorite. the kids are growing to be outstanding young individuals and their acting abilities are getting phenomenal! as far as blockbuster value goes, gof definitely has it. newell got the tone just right, it wasn't too sugar coated (ie, columbus) and it wasn't too raw (ie, cuaron). the special effects were the best of the 4, and although they left loads out of hte story, they didn't butcher it like i was fearing they would. they managed to focus on one story line, but amazingly were able to keep a lot of the subplots in, unlike poa.

as for best book-movie....ss/cos definitely. and i really commend columbus, he had the extremely difficult task of visually creating the magical world that everyone had different perceptions on and he did it successfully. columbus and kloves managed to keep almost everything from the books into the movies, but i guess it was easier since those two books were much thinner.

poa was alright, still not my favorite at all. it grew on me after several viewings, but i did not like it at all in the begining.

[Richard]

fins said:

Also, you had Richard Harris as Dumbledore and I think we all would agree we wish he was still playing that character.

I didn't like Richard Harris. He lacked the power and mobility that DD needs, especially in the later movies. I can see Gambon battling Voldemort and swimming towards the cave with Harry, I didn't see Harris do that.

I'm not saying Gambon is my ideal Dumbledore, as his performance is a bit too angry/energetic/violent sometimes. However, if it comes down to those two, I would prefer Gambon.

Richard

BTW I voted GoF.

[Kit M.]

I highly disagree. I can't see DD strangling Harry. Harris shows the energy of a young man inside an old body. Gambon shows an angry person, but neverthless is OK. The end of GOF when he comes in is good. Espically the joke about the curtains!

[Richard]

kitaurormarlow said:

The end of GOF when he comes in is good. Espically the joke about the curtains!

That was soooo DD-ish!

I was wondering how much the script affects how DD is portrayed? I know Gambon gets all the blame, just wondered if that was just.

Richard

[kats]

I am so very disappointed with Gambon. I agree with Kit that Dd would never attack Harry in the way he did in GoF. The groovy Dd we saw in PoA was also just wrong. Dd should be wise, controlled, classy, and powerful without effort. He treats all people with respect. It takes a great deal to make his emotions come out. Harry rarely saw him angry. Dd slightly teared up when Harry said he was Dumbledore's man through and through. We also saw very brief flashes of anger in several books. Gambon just doesn't capture Dd for me.

[* amanda]

I agree with those who said the first and fourth were the best. I still like the first... the innocence and magic captured in it was really lovely. And of course I loved Harris as Dd. I think I voted GoF in this poll, but really I can appreciate all of the movies because they all brought a nice perspective on the HP universe. PoA certainly holds the most mixed feelings for me. I liked it at first, because it moved the movies from being "kids" films to being more adult, which is what they deserved. At the same time, the focus on the artistry took away from a lot of the magic and the story and that was unfortunate.

[Kit M.]

Dd doesn't handle students like that. Everyone read how he reacted when the twisted, mad old loony one named Umbridge or preferrably "the toad," shook Marietta. He treats students with care is the only way to explain it. Though he is a bit eccentric.

[Gwendolyn Snow]

I Voted GoF for this one. Elle is right especially about getting the tone of the movie just right. I'd also have to say I agree 100% with Kit and Kats in this one on Richard Harris. I think he'd be able to portray these later movies with energy and dignity. He is just THE DD for me. I can also say that the first movie is what drew me into the whole world of Harry Potter and I cannot forget the "Magic" and wonder I felt from the first moment of SS. I am so grateful that I decided to watch it.

[Kit M.]

Hi ya'll.

Gwendolyn, the first movie is what made me read the books. Never would have unless.

~Kit~

[Gwendolyn Snow]

Kit,
Me Too!! The movie was the kick in the pants that got me off my backside and to the bookstore! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Kit M.]

I was like 7 and the face had scared me. I ended up doing the books for my book reports. I did HBP and the summary took 2 hours. Ooops.