I definitely went through a phase of always reading the last sentence on the last page when I was younger. It was fun to see the final moment even though I was far from reaching it. Nowadays if I do read anything on the final pages it’s by accident when I’m flicking through to see how many pages/chapters the book has.
When Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released, my copy arrived while I was at work at my Saturday job. My mum, who had never read a Harry Potter book and had only seen the first two films, decided to read the last few chapters just so she knew how it ended before I did. She didn’t spoil anything for me but it was funny how she just had to know the ending even though she didn’t have any context for the vast majority of characters mentioned.
It’s been a while since I’ve done a Book Tag but as it’s blogmas and I’m looking for blog posts, here’s a seasonal appropriate one. This tag was created by Girl Reading on YouTube and I came across it via Bookables video.
1. A fictional family you would like to spend Christmas dinner with?
Is it cliché to say the Weasley’s? Because they are the first family I thought of and I can’t think of a better fictional family to spend Christmas dinner with.
2) A bookish item you would like to receive as a gift?
If we’re talking about items from a book, could I get a Time Turner? That’d be very handy. Or bookish items in the real world, I’m a big fan of book sleeves. I love there’s so many designs and companies out there. I have two from BookBuddle which I love, and I received a Black Panther one in a subscription box which is very relevant to my interests.
3) A fictional character you think would make a perfect Christmas elf?
Samwise Gamgee. He’s so kind, helpful and thoughtful that he’d make a great Christmas elf! Plus he’s resourceful so if there was any mishaps, he could sort it out quickly.
4) Match a book to its perfect Christmas song.
I find this kind of thing really difficult but after a lot of thinking I came up with Step Into Christmas by Elton John to be paired with The Martian by Andy Weir. My thinking is, it’s just the kind of song that Mark Watney would be stuck listening to months on end.
5) Bah Humbug. A book or fictional character you’ve been disappointed in and should be put on the naughty list?
I read the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness this year and was so annoyed by Todd through the entirety of the first two books, and then through a good chunk of the third book too. He disappointed and frustrated me with his naivety so he’d be on the naughty list.
6) A book or a fictional character you think deserves more love and appreciation and deserve to be put on the nice list? The Murdstone Trilogy by Mal Peet. It’s a completely bonkers fusion of fantasy and real life and when the line blurs between fiction and reality it’s a lot of fun. I don’t know anyone else who has ever read this book so it definitely needs more love – or at least, I need to find people who have read it to talk about it.
7) Red, Gold and Green. A book cover that has a wonderfully Christmassy feel to it.
Now this one I found really difficult and I thought I was going to skip it as I didn’t think I had any books with Christmassy covers (mainly because I don’t tend to read books set at christmas time) but then I remembered by copy of The Awakening by Kate Chopin. I haven’t read this book yet (it’s been on my shelves for years though) and while it might not be exactly Christmassy, it’s definitely wintery with all the snow and mountains.
8) A book or series you love so much, you want everyone to find under their Christmas tree this year, so they can read it and love it too?
As the spin-off is coming in the New Year and I’m so excited, I’m going to have to say the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. I think Eragon, and The Lord of the Rings films, was my gateway into fantasy. I’ve reread the Inheritance Cycle a few times over the years and I still love it.
After Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) escapes from justice and starts to amass his followers, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) tasks magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) with finding the powerful but dangerous Credence (Ezra Miller) before Grindelwald does.
Amazingly, a lot happens in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald but at the same time, the many characters and their actions do little to further the overarching plot. The main plot could take up less than an hour, everything else is loose plot threads that have the potential to come to fruition in future films but in this one they leave you confused and cold.
As well as many new characters being introduced in The Crimes of Grindelwald, Newt’s American friends return too – even though characters like Jacob (Dan Fogler) and Queenie (Alison Sudol) seemed to have a completed story arc at the end of the first film! You meet Newt’s older brother Theseus (Callum Turner) who works for the Ministry of Magic and is engaged to Newt’s childhood friend Leta (Zoë Kravitz), both are interesting but have little to do.
There’s so many scenes where characters just dump exposition and usually not in a compelling way either. There are also flashback scenes of when Newt and Leta were studying at Hogwarts together. These are sweet and the younger actors do a fine job but through previous dialogue between adult characters you got that they used to be good friends and Leta had a tough time at school. These scenes, while nice, weren’t needed and added little to the film.
The special effects are stunning, though the opening chase sequence is hard to follow, and when Newt is with his fantastic beasts, those scenes are a lot of fun and cute. However, going forward it’s hard to imagine if future films will keep featuring magical creatures (or even keep the “Fantastic Beasts” title) as these scenes while more light-hearted and show off what a truly wonderful character Newt is, do little to further the convoluted plot.
There’s some very odd and potentially insensitive choices as well throughout the film but especially when it comes to the future Grindelwald predicts. In his quest to show his followers how bad and dangerous Muggles are, he insinuates that the Second World War and all the horrors that come with it can be avoided if wizards were in charge. It is a sequence that is weird and almost unbelievable.
The Crimes of Grindelwald is just messy. None of the characters have a satisfying or complete character arc, very few of them achieve their goals, and the story as a whole is convoluted. The way some scenes are edited leads to confusion too as characters seem to suddenly appear or move from one location to another without much set up. Also, there’s so many connections or easter eggs relating to the original Harry Potter series – some of them are great whereas others seem to make little sense with what we already know. It’s as if J.K. Rowling is throwing in all these references, whether it’s a characters surname or an object, and hoping that these cool things will detract from the fact that the new story is overstuffed and chaotic.
My main takeaway from Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is Newt is a sweetheart, I love his brother Theseus and I hope there’s more of their relationship in the next film(s). There is a lot of set up in this film, for so many characters and plot threads, and little pay off so hopefully future film(s) will be more exciting and satisfying. But that does mean Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald has little about it that’s memorable or important. 2/5.
Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) arrives in New York with a suitcase full of magical creatures and when some of them escape he has to find them before they get hurt. Unbeknownst to Newt, he’s chosen the worst time to come to New York as there’s strange things happening in the city and trouble is brewing as a group of No-Majs (non-magical people) stir up fear and hatred in the city.
This was the first time I rewatched Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them since I saw it in the cinema two years ago and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed it more than I remembered.
It’s interesting to be reintroduced to the magical world of Harry Potter but it’s different to what you know from the books and the film series. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is set in 1920’s New York, it follows adult characters and is about witches and wizards in America and how their rules, ideas, and terminology is different to what we’ve seen British witches and wizards know.
Newt is a wonderful character. He’s sweet and awkward and loves his creatures so much. He forms a friendship with No-Maj Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) who gets pulled along for the ride and their friendship is quite lovely. Seeing the magical world through Jacob’s eyes reaffirms that awe-inspiring feeling magic and everything associated with it can bring. The other two main characters are sisters Porpentina (Katherine Waterston) and Queenie Goldstein (Alison Sudol), both are witches and work in the magical law enforcement agency. These four all fit together nicely and their scenes together are sweet though they sometimes can wander into the realms of cheesiness – Queenie especially is a character that appears sugary sweet.
The titular fantastic beasts are indeed fantastic. They are all interesting and different and some of them are truly stunning. These creatures all have their own personalities and Newt’s relationship with them all is delightful.
A lot of the film shows off the magical creatures and the world. In fact it’s more like a sequence of animal rescues than a film with an overarching plot. There’s little hints and murmurings of things sprinkled throughout, Colin Farrell’s Auror Graves being a part of that. He is a great character and Farrell shines whenever he’s on screen, but it does mean the finale is rather sudden and rushed. That’s probably where Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them suffers, the pacing is inconsistent. There’s definitely some slower scenes that could’ve been tightened up and have more of a balance between the creatures and the mystery, however having such a likable main character in Newt makes some of the films faults easier to ignore.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them has the beginnings of a great new franchise. It has interesting characters, a cool world and some fantastic creatures. 4/5.
Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione’s (Emma Waston) search for the remaining Horcruxes brings the back to Hogwarts, where the final battle for the fate of the wizarding world rages on.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is near enough all action. It’s thrilling and spectacular action too. The battle of Hogwarts is thrilling and brutal. School kids get hurt, teachers fight and there’s so many loved characters in peril. With so many people on either side of the battle field, it has all the scope of an epic war movie, and it feels like one too. Especially as it packs an emotional punch when there’s naturally casualties of war.
In amongst all the explosions and magical firefights, there’s some lovely little character moments too. Neville (Matthew Lewis) gets his time to shine, being a natural hero and leader to those left behind at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith) standing up for her students and protecting her school is wonderful, as is any moment between any members of the Weasley family.
The performances are all brilliant. Supporting actors like Alan Rickman get the chance to show off a more nuanced performance as Snape. Likewise, Ralph Fiennes’ Voldemort is not just the shouty villain we’ve seen previously; here he is scared, angry and powerful, an intimidating presence that seems to be on the edge of either victory.
Radcliffe, Watson and Grint have all matured in their roles, each giving a powerful performance as their characters arcs some to a close. This trio is the heart and soul of this film, and the franchise as a whole, and they all do their characters proud.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is an incredibly satisfying and exciting conclusion to the Harry Potter series. 5/5.
As Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and his followers gain more power, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) race against time to destroy the remaining Horcruxes and to learn more about the three most powerful objects in the wizarding world – the Deathly Hallows.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is the penultimate film in the series and as the source material is packed full of new information and big reveals, it makes sense that this is the book they chose to split into two films. This does mean this film has a bit of a non-ending but besides from that it’s a great build up to the final showdown between good and evil we’ve been waiting so long for.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is more character-focussed than a lot of its predecessors, delving into the psyche of the main trio as they face a situation that feels truly hopeless. From the very beginning of the film, there’s threat in the air and characters that we’ve known for years get hurt or even die. It’s a film that starts with a bang and continues at a steady pace, blending the character drama with moments of tension and action.
There is more of the characters just walking and talking as Harry and his friends know they are meant to find and destroy Voldemort’s Horcruxes, but actually doing that is another matter entirely. The chemistry between the trio and the assured and mature performances, make these many scenes engaging. Still, when there is a more action-packed sequence, the tension is increased and they are always well-shot and exciting.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is a great build up to the final battle. It’s a grim situation Harry and his friends are in, but there are moments of happiness and hope to be found here, which reiterates their belief that there’s something worth fighting for and good can win. 4/5.
As Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) starts his sixth year at Hogwarts, Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) starts to teach him more about Voldemort’s past. Meanwhile emotions are running high as Ron (Rupert Grint) gets a girlfriend and Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) appears to have a secret.
At the heart of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a mystery, in fact there’s a few of them. There is the secrets of Voldemort’s past and what the new Potions teacher Professor Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) has to do with it. There’s the mystery of the old potions book marked as “the property of the Half-Blood Prince” that Harry is using to get him to the top of the class. And there’s the mystery of what Draco’s planning.
With all these potentially heavy plot threads, it’s a good thing The Half-Blood Prince is very funny at times. That comes from these teenage characters acting like teenagers and the great chemistry a lot of them have. There’s romance, heartbreak and miscommunication and it all comes together with these young actors who have grown into their roles. Rupert Grint has always had great comic timing but Daniel Radcliffe shines in this film and it turns out he can be pretty funny too.
Draco is such a tragic character in this film. Every time we’ve seen him previously he’s been horrible and mean for the sake of it, but in The Half-Blood Prince he’s clearly conflicted. While he doesn’t have a big role, when he is in on screen Tom Felton is wonderful.
While the performances are great, The Half-Blood Prince left me feeling a little bored. It’s a very informative film and the pace of it really slows down at some points. When there are big computer-generated set-pieces they are often thrilling, but in between them with all the teen angst it can feel a bit dull.
The colour palette of this film is also dull. It leaves everything feel very cold and looking washed out, though admittedly when there’s scenes with fire those bright orange colours sure do make an impact. In scenes in Dumbledore’s office it almost takes on a sepia tone which is a bit odd too.
While Rupert Grint is still great as Ron, Ron is unfortunately side-lined a lot in pivotal moments. This is never more noticeable than in the final scene where Harry and Hermione (Emma Watson) are having a meaningful discussion and Ron doesn’t say one word, just sits in the corner looking glum. I don’t know if he did have some lines that were then cut but having him not say anything makes him look like a third wheel to Harry and Hermione’s friendship which is simply not the case.
I think (though we’ll have to see what I make of the two Deathly Hallows films on rewatch) The Half-Blood Prince is my least favourite Harry Potter film. There’s (naturally) a lot of stuff from the book left out but this is the first film where you notice that, for instance there could have been more about Voldemort’s past to flesh him out as a villain and cut down on some of the romance stuff.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a film that’s building to something big, but it doesn’t really have the payoff one might be expecting. Still, it’s by no means terrible and it’s a decent addition to the series. 3/5.
Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Dumbledore’s (Michael Gambon) warnings of Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) return are ignored as the Ministry of Magic sends Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) to Hogwarts to be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. With her failing to teach them how to defend themselves, Harry and his friends’ band together to learn how to fight, as darkness grows
As I was rewatching this film, I realised that now I’m in the latter half of the series, these are the films I haven’t seen as many times and don’t necessarily remember everything about them. As I said previously, Prisoner of Azkaban is my favourite and I’ve probably watched that film the most out of all of them, but I’ve also ended up seeing pits and pieces of the first four films on TV, as those are the films seem to be on TV the most. Anyway, onto the review.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the first film in the series that David Yates directed, and he goes on to direct the rest of the films in the series. It’s a film that’s a lot darker in tone. Harry is having nightmares after seeing a fellow student killed in front of him and he’s feeling isolated especially as Dumbledore appears to be avoiding him. The colour palette of the film is colder too, everything seems slightly blue which is especially noticeable in contrast to the previous films where scenes at Hogwarts seem so full of warmth.
The scenes where Harry is teaching his classmates is wonderful. He’s so encouraging and it’s fun to see these kids skills progress – when Neville (Matthew Lewis) masters a spell everyone is so happy for him. Together these young people have made a supportive environment, which so many of them need when there’s outside forces working against them – including Umbridge.
Umbridge is a brilliant character and one of the most evil villains in the series. She’s a bureaucrat on a power trip, convinced she’s right and is better than everyone. Seeing other teachers disapprove of her, even in small ways, is great as it shows that the teachers are human too.
The Order of the Phoenix is full of highs and lows. When there’s action set-pieces they are well-shot and exciting, but as there’s so much talking between characters, sitting around a table discussing what they should do next, the film can be slower and less interesting at times.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a lot darker and is full of new information that helps make the threat of Voldemort and his follows more real. The finale is a bit lacking as due to the script, and Goblet of Fire’s script as well really, characters aren’t utilised enough so when tragic things happen, it doesn’t have as much of an impact as it should. 3/5.
The Triwizard Tournament, a competition between three champions, each from a different school, has come to Hogwarts. From the Goblet of Fire Viktor Krum (Stanislav Yanevski) from Durmstrang, Fleur Delacour (Clémence Poésy) from Beauxbatons and Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson) from Hogwarts are all chosen to compete. But when Harry Potter’s (Daniel Radcliffe) name is also pulled out of the Goblet of Fire, he must join the champions in braving three dangerous tasks.
The Goblet of Fire starts with a bang and the pace never really slows down. This film expects you to know about Quidditch, magic and who these characters are. It does flesh out the world a bit as it takes the time to introduce you to the unforgivable curses and show why they are so unforgivable, but besides from that it’s a very fast paced film that fully immerses you into the magical world.
Like it’s predecessor, The Goblet of Fire is darker and more grown up. Our teenage heroes are definitely teenagers as there’s angst, miscommunication and hints of romance. When Harry’s name comes out of the Goblet of Fire, Ron (Rupert Grint) is hurt, jealous and moody about it all as he’s sick of being what he feels to be Harry’s sidekick. I know all this from reading the book but due to it being an adaptation, in the film Ron unfortunately comes across more of an unlikable and petty guy.
The Triwizard Tournament itself is very exciting. The three tasks are very different, and they show off different magical creatures we haven’t really seen before, and spells and potions. The special effects are fantastic too which definitely help make creatures like dragons and merpeople threatening, and in some cases, pretty scary.
I’ve always found the ending of Goblet of Fire pretty jarring. Something incredibly tragic happens leading to Dumbledore giving a solemn speech that’s really affecting but in the next scene, all the school kids are smiling and laughing, and the film ends on a light-hearted note. You almost get whiplash from it all.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a little uneven in terms of tone but it’s a fun, exciting time. It’s a film with a final act that changes just about everything for Harry, his friends, and the wizarding world as a whole, and that builds the anticipation for the next instalment. 4/5.
It’s Harry’s (Daniel Radcliffe) third year at Hogwarts and it brings a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin (David Thewlis). But there’s danger for Harry as convicted murderer Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from Azkaban prison and is coming after Harry.
I will preface this review by saying that not only is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban my favourite book in the series, it is also my favourite film. So potentially this “review” is a little biased.
There’s a lot of new, and important characters introduced in Prisoner of Azkaban. Both Lupin and Black have history with Harry’s parents, giving him an emotional connection to them both. The Dementors are also introduced and they are some scary creatures that from the outset you can see the affect they have on people. They can suck the soul out of someone and with their black cloaks and hooded figures, they are very much like the grim reaper.
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, there’s some dark and scary imagery in this film. In one of the first scenes where Harry is near a park, the creaking sounds of the swings and the roundabout moving in the wind instantly shows what sort of tone the film’s going to have. There’s some beautiful imagery in Prisoner of Azkaban too, the scene where Harry’s flying on Buckbeak the Hippogriff is stunning and the scenes with the Dementors circling Hogwarts as plants wither and die as they pass over them is incredibly eerie yet beautiful.
Everything about Prisoner of Azkaban is more mature. The young cast have grown up a bit since the last film and are more assured in their performances. The tone of the film is darker, gone are the bright colours of the previous two films, instead the landscapes are more muted and Quidditch is played in the rain.
There’s a lot of little things that I love about Prisoner of Azkaban. Like there’s a few scenes of Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), Neville (Matthew Lewis), Seamus (Devon Murray), and Dean Thomas (Alfred Enoch) hanging out and having fun which makes them all feel like actual friends who’ve known each other for a few years now. I like how when the kids are wearing their uniforms, they aren’t all neat and tidy anymore, instead ties are loose, shirts are untucked, and sleeves are rolled up, making each character feel like a real teenager at school. Everyone’s hair is perfect book-hair too.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is brilliant as it has both a sense of wonder and an underlying layer of threat. It’s funny, the characters are becoming more well-rounded and the performances are getting better and better. It’s such a great film, and while there are changes from the book, it’s a great adaptation as it keeps the heart of it. 5/5.
Elena Square Eyes 