Project Potter : Part 1

Right having let slip that I have never read nor watched any of the Harry Potter installments (well, I had seen the first two films previously) I was roundly castigated and thus decided to fix this cultural oversight on my behalf.

I am now roughly halfway through (and on course to get myself caught up in time to catch the final installment before it leaves cinemas) and thought I would present my opinions so far.

..And The Philosopher's Stone

So we start we first of Chris Columbus' brace in the directorial chair. Now this one is solid if somewhat uninspiring but it does do well to introduce the fictional world of the stories along with the main players. Much of the film plays along the lines of The Worst Witch crossed with Just William before the final stretch presents a standard spot of adventuring.

The three young leads do ok but at this stage Emma Watson is very much the most confident performer but the real joy is in the performances of the role call of British acting stalwarts in the supporting roles and making up the majority of the teaching faculty.

Richard Harris in particular really nails it as Dumbledore and it's shame we were denied the chance to say him carry the role through to the end as for me as good as Gambon is latter I think Harris' version is the superior.

So overall this first installment is fairly rigid in it's structuring playing as if consciously ticking off various boxes but a fairly creepy conceit towards the end helps pick things up as does the fun of spotting various bits of Durham Cathedral and remembering I once walked past those props!

..And The Chamber of Secrets

Again this one is a little leaden footed in it's presentation and almost structurally identical to it's predecessor although that may well be as much down to the source material as anything else.

Grint and Radcliffe however show to be more confident performers and there is a decent chemistry brewing between the three leads. Underlined in a few comedic scenes which bring a little more life to the thing. Even Dobby managed to duck under the line of being entertaining rather than annoying although Brannagh's Lockhart appears to have wandered in from the nearest panto rather than anything else.

And sadly the central mystery surrounding the chamber and the living diary of Tom Riddle does feel rather rushed, a little wasted and the feeling is the film could of benefited with more emphasis on this aspect of things and a little less of the class room based scenes. This one feels a little like treading water.

..And The Prisoner of Azkaban

Now this where things really start to get going. Firstly and most noticeably (well to the likes of me anyway) this entry has a director in the seat with a real sense of flair and imagination. Alfonso Cuarón who was coming off the back of 'Y Tu Mamá También' proves a masterstroke of choice and really does a lot to bring Rowling's world to life.

From the use of simple touches like well chosen fades and wipes to the imagination shown in the way the Shrieking Shack is bought to life this entry feels so much more fantastical and well, alive. The Dementors in particular bring a real sense of menace to proceedings whilst Cuaron injects some sly humour into the changes of season with the whomping Willow.

Of course it also helped by the fact that cast are now all settled into their roles and the lead three in particular all do decent jobs, thought I would note that Watson and Grint are ahead of Radcliffe, who does struggle with the parts where's he asked to really emote strongly.

Added to the ever excellent back up team is Micheal Gambon taking over as Dumbledore (though as noted above I do wish we'd been able to see Harris continue, David Thewlis is excellent as Lupin getting the often difficult tone of the mentor figure just right and of course Gary Oldman excels as Sirius Black.

Another key factor in the upturn is the fact that main thrust of the storyline is now getting going as the threat of Voldemort raises and we start to learn about the events of the past and how Harry fits in. The storytelling is also developing, presenting genuine mysteries and surprising turns rather than plodding from A to B.

For anyone looking to do a similar catch up I recommended reading the catch up notes for parts one and two then starting here basically.

..And the Goblet Of Fire

Now this one is very much a middle part of the story entry, building things up for the future. Thankfully the newly found spark of the previous entry is largely continued and director Mike Newell pulls of some really nicely realised sequences. The sweeping shots of the Great Hall as the other school students enter in particular highlight how far things have come since the pedestrian presentation of the first two entries.

Though this is also the first time I really got sense of things being pruned back from the book to fit the film into a reasonable running time. The growing relationship between Ron and Hermione is where it really seems to show as we lurch somewhat from joshing to the fall out of the dance (although there is still enough I would argue both here and in Prisoner for it to work).

In truth it is the closing section that this entry really shines though as those final scenes with Voldemort fully resurrected are full of menace and dread. Although the impact of Cedric's death would have been greater had he been featured previously.

Brendan Gleeson's Madeye Moody carries probably most of the rest of the film, a brilliant creation even if he does fall foul of one my least favourite forms of plot twist towards the end.

Interlude

So that's the first four down (I have watched five but figure I'll round that up with the final three, um two, er two and a half) and so far I confess once past the first two, which to be fair had their moments but were a bit of a slog overall I'm actually quite enjoying these. More so that I thought I would to honest probably and I can see why these are so popular and will no doubt be a cultural touchstone for a generation of kids that have grown up with them.

And to finish for now the below rather amused me: