Greetings,
Optiluiz here once more for another (Not So) Weekly Movie Review. I thought about doing something different this week, since I haven't watched anything in theatres since Paranormal Activity 3. That's why today I'm reviewing the entire Harry Potter series. So... yeah, get ready for that.
Well, I won't lie to you, I did not look forward to watching the movies as they came out and I was never a fan of the series. I never even touched the books. Heck, I have admitted to hating Harry Potter on several occasions. Up until this point, I had only watched the first two because someone practically tied me to a chair and made me watch them on VHS, years ago.
However, when the last one came out, I was writing the first part of my epic post-apocalyptic adventure saga script, and I noticed a few similarities between my story and that of Harry Potter. Then, after a friend of mine revealed that he was a big fan, I decided I would watch them all. So in three days, I marathoned all of them. All eight films in a row.
I did not have high expectations regarding this series. I was always more of a sci-fi kid than a magician or sorcerer, so when I watched the first two, I was prepared to not like them before they even began. This time, however, it was different. On the first day, I watched the first three films, and my first impression was: "How the heck did I miss this?" It wasn't quite Lord of the Rings, but it was still something unique. It seemed as though the films were getting better with each installment. My favourite of the first three was the Prisoner of Askaban, which seemed to have more style than the previous ones. However, I still don't like the first one very much. It reeks of BBC afterschool specials...
Anyway, the next day, I proceeded to watch the next three films, and was once again blown away. Things got a bit convoluted, yes, but it seemed that everyone had gotten used to their roles, and everything moved along more smoothly than before. The story slowly got better, and even though the telling of it was kind of heavy-handed at times, I was enjoying myself. Harry, Hermione and Ron are all very likeable, and you really root for them during their adventures in and out of Hogwarts. Not to mention the excellent supporting cast, which really brings life to their magical universe.
And then came the last day. It took me a while to find the penultimate film, but I eventually managed to do so. Suddenly, everything went dark and gritty on me. This wasn't the same world as the other films, it couldn't be. But then I stopped to think, and I realized that the characters weren't the only things maturing and evolving as time moved on. The world had grown up with them, and I, as a viewer, didn't want to accept it. It was a beautiful feeling of nostalgia (even though I didn't really grow up with these characters and their universe), and then I realized what the heart of the series is. It's about growing up, maturing, and ultimately, facing the loss of loved ones. Then the movie was over. And I remembered I had five minutes to get to the theatre so I could see the last one.
It was quite a run, but I made it in time. There were some people wearing wizard hats sitting in the last row, and a few kids. Other than that, the theatre wasn't really full. I then proceeded to watch the end of an era, the end of a part of many people's lives. It was awesome. In every sense of the word. Sure, there were pacing problems, and at times it felt like a really drawn-out and expensive mini-series, but it had heart. I heard some girls crying in the corner by the time the film was over, and I felt kind of sad that I had almost missed this experience.
Harry Potter was the embodiment of the movie franchise concept done right. Every form of story-telling rolled into one mostly cohesive tale. It's sad to think that this is the last time that we'll visit Hogwarts, but at the same time, it was one heck of a ride. One that I almost missed. Overall, I give the Harry Potter series 8/10. And that concludes today's review. I leave you with the trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Have a nice week.
Chainsaw cheers,
Optiluiz out...
PS: The 3D wasn't very good, but maybe it was the theatre's problem, not the movie's.
PPS: I did not read the books. Sorry.
PPS: My favourite character was Snape, obviously.
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