Harry Potter Movies...

[saltysam]

Daughter no longer wants these movies,i confess to never having watched them.before i flog them are they worth a watch or will i be mercilessly bored by them?

[bradavon]

I've only seen Number 1, which I thought was pretty good but a kids movie.

I hear Number 3 (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) is actually a really good film or rather Kermode keeps saying so. It is directed by a proper director though (Alfonso Cuarón), which accounts for a lot.

Unless I'm wrong there are currently 6 films, the fifth still at the cinema.

[degeneration]

1 - fairly child orientated. Fact that it is full of little children doesn't help this. Worst of the 5 that I've seen.
2 - ok. Definitely not a bad film, but again still a little too child orientated.
3 - Excellent. My favourite of the series so far by a significant margin. Much darker overtones and imagery throughout. Characters are more grown up now too, which makes them less irritating.
4 - Good, but not great. The first of the films that I had read the book before seeing the film. So i was aware of the huge chunks that they cut out of the book for the film, which I found off putting. Made the story feel a little more contrived and disjointed. But it is still good.
5 - Better than 4, but not nearly as good as 3. 2nd best of the series of these 5. It is a good film again not nearly as child orientated as the first 2.

1 and 2 are worth watching for completeness and to get ot know the characters and story better. 3 is awesome.

There are 6 films so far, but I'm guessing it will be the sixth that is still in the cinema, not the fifth as Brad said...

[grim_tales]

I agree with you Degen, I thought the 3rd film was very good. The 1st 2 were OK but a bit kiddy. I havent seen the 4th one (but read the book). I found the fifth film OK but a bit slow TBH. As you say, definitely not as child friendly as the first two which ties in with the cast maturing.

[saltysam]

Might try the first one when i have a spare 2 and a half hours

[bradavon]

There are 6 films so far, but I'm guessing it will be the sixth that is still in the cinema, not the fifth as Brad said...

My mistake, typo.

[Shingster]

I hear Number 3 (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) is actually a really good film or rather Kermode keeps saying so. It is directed by a proper director though (Alfonso Cuarón), which accounts for a lot.

And since when did Chris Columbus stop being a "proper director"? He's made some classic family films. The first 2 potter films are considered "kids films" because that's how the books were written, they're faithful adaptations. Rowling only really started ramping up the daker themes from the 3rd book onwards.

[romerojpg]

I watched part 1, it made me never in my life want to watch any others in the series pure bile, an utterly awful film.

The only reason I watched it was to see what they filmed near where I lived and worked, pants really.

[grim_tales]

Shingster has a point

[bradavon]

And since when did Chris Columbus stop being a "proper director"? He's made some classic family films.

Home Alone and Mrs. Doubtfire are good but he's no Alfonso Cuarón.

[Shingster]

He's good enough to do the first 2 Harry Potter novels justice, end of discussion.

[Yi-Long]

Watched the 2nd movie in the cinema, and really enjoyed that movie. Havent seen any of the other movies yet though, and never read any of the books.

You should watch them though. From what I've read/heard they're all worth watching. Just begin with the first one and see how you like it...

[degeneration]

Definitely watch the films before you read the books. That way if/when you read the books you'll get more out of them as there are lots of sub-plots that have been cut, rather than watching the film thinking "they changed this bit", "they've cut that bit"...