So I did it. I got up at 8:00am (Pacific Standard Time) on December 21st (yay for school breaks!) and began my nearly 20 hour Harry Potter movie marathon. (Thanks to Jamie for owning all 8 films and letting me borrow the 6 films I do not own!) I began watching on the big screen in the living room of my parents’ home, but decided that it would be much more considerate of me as a roommate to move to my above the garage suite once the ‘rents came home from work. I completed this marathon of awesomeness at about 3:30 in the morning and have been thinking about how to share my thoughts since.
I thought about analyzing the differences between director’s style’s and changes in the setting or something, but why dwell on inconsistencies when I can focus on the high level of entertainment that these films provide for me. I mean I already have fallen in love with the stories and characters via the books, but the films are brilliant, particularly when they have to convey something in 30 seconds that it takes J.K. Rowling 30 pages to do (I know we all have moments of “I can’t believe they didn’t do ______” but overall they are well done). So as I watched I made about some favorite moments and lines with side notes of the lovely actors that deliver them. This is the result.
Movie 1:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
First off important to mention that while I love Michael Gambon as Dumbledore… Richard Harris is truly my favorite, even if his presence in the first film is somewhat limited to “looks” he gives from the head table.
Favorite lines:
Dumbledore: “It does not do to dwell on dreams, Harry, and forget to live.”
Dumbledore: “It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends.”
(**This scene where he gives the extra point to Neville always makes me cry, which I promise was just the beginning of many tears shed throughout the marathon.**)
The first film overall is great, but has limited standout scenes. This is mostly due to the young acting. (Although the introduction of Seamus blowing things up is one of the best continued side jokes throughout all 8 films)
The main trio (HRH as I will call them) do manage to deliver some great lines and develop the early stages of these friendships.
My personal favorite:
Hermione: “Now if you two don't mind, I'm going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed - or worse, expelled.”
Ron: “She needs to sort out her priorities!”
Ron: “She needs to sort out her priorities!”
Movie 2:
Harry Potter and the Chamber of the Secrets
This might be the funniest film. Even though other films provide some pretty great lines (and with perhaps a little more grown up humor), this one still remains light without the scary undertones of impending doom (although big ass scary snake does damper things a little). Plus there is more of the Weasley family by way of showing the Burrow (also known as my future home).
Arthur Weasley: “Now, Harry you must know all about Muggles, tell me, what exactly is the function of a rubber duck?”
Probably one of the reasons for high humor in this film is of course Dobby even if he does cause Harry some problems! (**Almost started crying when he first came on the screen**)
Harry: Promise me something.
Dobby: Anything, sir.
Harry: Never try to save my life again.
Dobby: Anything, sir.
Harry: Never try to save my life again.
(**Almost tears here… kind of foreboding.**)
Also the source of great laughs (and irritations) is Gilderoy Lockhart portrayed by the great Kenneth Branagh. When Ron’s broken wand causes him to lose his mind the amusement only increases.
Lockhart: “It’s like magic.
Moaning Myrtle (the lovely Shirley Henderson) always knows how to make Harry feel awkward by her forwardness.
Moaning Myrtle: “Oh, Harry? If you die down there, you're welcome to share my toilet."
Ron: “Why spiders? Why couldn’t it be ‘follow the butterflies’?”
While most of my comments regarding this film are about its humor it would be a shame to ignore the primer of Jason Issac’s portrayal of Lucius Malfoy which is mostly pure evil and absolutely brilliant (and increasingly complex in future movies).
Dumbledore: “It is not our abilities that show what we truly are. It is our choices.”
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Welcome Michael Gambon as Dumbledore!
This film has more stuff to “sort” than fighting Voldemort (well actually the book does, so in turn so does the film).
Enter Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) and Remus Lupin (David Thewlis). The reuniting scene in the Shrieking Shack is a great bromance sort of moment. Particularly the comments shared when they are reunited:
Lupin: “Finally, the flesh reflects the madness within.”
Black: “Well, you'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you Remus?”
Black: “Well, you'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you Remus?”
Moments that do make me laugh in a kind of otherwise somewhat emotional heavy film:
Ron’s continued fear of spider:
“Ron: [sitting bolt upright in bed] Spiders... the spiders... they want me to tap-dance. And I don't want to tap-dance!
Harry: You tell those spiders, Ron.
Ron: Yeah, tell them... I'll tell them...”
Harry: You tell those spiders, Ron.
Ron: Yeah, tell them... I'll tell them...”
Snape (the BRILLIANT Alan Rickman) dressed in Neville’s grandmother’s clothes.
(**Not sure why I haven’t mention Alan Rickman before- but really the epic stuff comes a little later.**)
Trying to tell the future in Trewlawney’s (Emma Thompson does “mental” well):
Ron: Oh yeah... well, Harry's got a sort of wonky cross... that's trials and suffering. And, uh, that there could be the sun, and that's happiness, so... you're gonna suffer... but you're gonna be happy about it...
(Noticing that many of the more humorous quotes tend to come out of Ron’s mouth)
BEST moment: Hermione punches Malfoy. So it totally rocks in the book as well and so much about book 3 in my mind is about how awesome Hermione is anyways. But the punch is bloody brilliant and needs to be mentioned.
Movie 4:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
This is where I get to make some sort of joke about sparkly vampires as Hogwarts’ golden boy but really the best moment is when Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson) first comes on screen and Hermione and Ginny exchange a “look.” And with that we have teenagers… hormones and all.
Ron and Harry must find a date for the Yule Ball and begin their first real adventure with girls… This distracts them from their “studies” and Snape (who has a limited role in film) continues to gently “remind them” to stop talking. (He hits Ron and Harry on the back of the head Gibbs style). Snape makes the scene hysterical without saying one word.
And then it occurs to Ron:
Ron: Hermione, you’re a girl.
Although he’s not the real (spoiler alert) Mad-Eye Moody (wonderfully played by Brendan Gleeson) the character is awesome. The Ferret scene makes me almost giddy:
McGonagall: “Professor Moody! What are you doing?”
Mad-Eye: “Teaching.”
McGonagall: “Teach - is that a student?”
Mad-Eye: “Technically it's a ferret.”
Mad-Eye: “Teaching.”
McGonagall: “Teach - is that a student?”
Mad-Eye: “Technically it's a ferret.”
This seems to be my first mention of the magnificent Maggie Smith as McGonagall and although some of her more epic scenes come later I do love the dancing scene.
First she describes the Yule ball as a night of “well mannered frivolity.”
But then insist:
McGonagall: “The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizarding world for nearly ten centuries. I will not have you, in one night, besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons!”
I love a little awkward bromance action too when Ron and Harry fight, but more importantly make up in less-than climatic sort of way.
Hermione: “Boys.”
Despite these funny, uncomfortable teenager moments for the HRH trio we are finally introduced to evilest of evils- a fully functional Voldemort (fabulous Ralph Fiennes). Who while being horrifying still does not forget a little bad guy banter:
Voldemort: “Come now, Harry, the niceties must be observed. Dumbledore would not want you to forget your manners.”
Movie 5:
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Okay I know I said I wasn’t going to talk about technical and visual stuff, but two things must be noted: the flying through London scene at the beginning is awesome and I much prefer Harry and Ron with shorter hair.
Now enter “Emo Harry.” (I learned that from Jamie)
Dolores Umbridge is a hateful, spiteful woman and I think I might like Voldemort better than her (Imelda Stauton does a great job). I think it’s the teacher in me and when she says things like:
Umbridge: “It is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations, which after all, is what school is all about”
Although it seems that Harry is angry most the movie, he finally meet Miss Luna Lovegood who points things out in her amazingly awkward and prophetic way.
Luna: “If it’s just you alone, you’re not as much as a threat.”
And eventually Harry does start to get a little inspirational:
Harry:” Working hard is important, but there's something else that's even more important: believing in yourself. Look at it this way: every great wizard in history has started out as nothing more than we are now - students. If they can do it, why not us?”
Still the wonder that are girls baffle Ron and Harry in the film.
Hermione: “Just because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon”
I think this character gets too few lines in the films, because this is a real gem:
Kingsley Shacklebolt: “You may not like him, Minister, but you can't deny: Dumbledore's got style.”
Fred and George are always there to break tensions when Harry gets too tense and the best scene in the whole movie coincides with the best part in the book as well- Fred and George’s exit from Hogwarts.
(** At this point I moved to my suite above the garage, which was good because the tears were flowing with Sirus’ death and I knew it was only going to get worse.**)
Movie 6:
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Now we’re getting to the really heavy stuff, but the 6th film does have some pretty great scenes that make it a little less intense.
There are a few lines in this movie I like because they almost poke fun at what is happening. Lines such as:
Harry: “Actually sir after all these year I just sort of go with.”
Ginny: “Why is it he’s always covered in blood”
(Referring to Harry)
And one of my favorites:
McGonagall: “Why is it, that whenever anything happens, it's always you three?”
Ron: “Believe me, Professor. I've been asking myself that same question for the past six years.”
Ron: “Believe me, Professor. I've been asking myself that same question for the past six years.”
McGonagall makes sure the boys stay focused on school no matter how much they try to slack off:
McGonagall: (to Harry) “Take Weasley with you, he looks entirely too happy.”
And ultimately, despite the looming fear that Voldemort is back and Dumbledore giving Harry new responsibilities, Ron and Harry still manage to find themselves perplexed by girls. What they decide is that Ginny and Hermione both have “nice skin.”
(They’ll get there eventually)
I’m a little unsure which is funnier- love potioned Ron or Harry on Felix Felicis. However, the Felix Felicis scene is a little more drawn out and ends with a drunk Hagrid and Professor Slughorn.
Slughorn: “Well that's life, I suppose...you go along and then, suddenly...poof!”
And then stuff gets real serious, real fast and Dumbledore is dead.
(**And guess what, I cried - again. Damn you Snape for playing your part so well.**)
Movie 7:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Okay now stuff is about to get really real. The last two movies are really just full of epic awesomeness (accompanied with lots of tears, of course.)
The intensity is there from the get-go, only to be broken a little by the great scene of the “7 Potters.”
Mad-Eye: Fair warning, it tastes like goblin piss.
Fred: Have lots of experience with that, do you, Mad-Eye?... Just trying to diffuse the tension."
Fred: Have lots of experience with that, do you, Mad-Eye?... Just trying to diffuse the tension."
And then Mad-Eye dies, but as always Fred and George provide us with a little smile.
Fred: “George! How do you feel?"
George: “Saint-like.”
Fred: “Come again?”
George: “Saint like. I'm holy... Holey, get it?”
Fred: “The whole world of ear-related humor, and you go for, "I'm holy"? You're pathetic.”
George: “Reckon I'm still better looking than you.”
Silly Hermione, even after 7 years she is still getting her priorities a little mixed up.
Hermione: “We didn't celebrate your birthday, Harry. Ginny and I... we'd prepared a cake. We were going to bring it out at the end of the wedding.”
Harry: “Hermione... I appreciate the thought, honestly. But given that we were almost killed by a couple of Death Eaters a few minutes ago...”
Hermione: “Right. Perspective.”
Harry: “Hermione... I appreciate the thought, honestly. But given that we were almost killed by a couple of Death Eaters a few minutes ago...”
Hermione: “Right. Perspective.”
So glad Neville wasn’t left out of the film, because he is so bad ass.
Neville: “Hey, losers. He isn't here.”
I hate when Ron leaves. But it then if I didn’t hate when he leaves I wouldn’t love when he comes back. I love that Hermione gets pissed at him and he pretty much does whatever he can to get her to forgive him.
Ron: “How long do you think she'll stay mad at me?”
Harry: “Just keep talking about that little ball of light touching your heart, and she'll come 'round.”
Harry: “Just keep talking about that little ball of light touching your heart, and she'll come 'round.”
Dobby=sadness… all I’m going to say.
(**Many tears**)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
(**At this point in my movie watching I was starting to feel emotionally drained and tired because it was 2:00 in the morning. This may have somewhat influenced just how invested I was in watching the final film and everything just seemed so epic that it needed to be noted. There are just so many fantastic scenes in the movie! And of course- lots of tears**)
Harry: “We have to go there, now.”
Hermione: “What? We can't do that! We've got to plan! We've got to figure it out...”
Harry: “Hermione! When have any of our plans ever actually worked? We plan, we get there, all hell breaks loose!”
Hermione: “What? We can't do that! We've got to plan! We've got to figure it out...”
Harry: “Hermione! When have any of our plans ever actually worked? We plan, we get there, all hell breaks loose!”
The whole group of Hogwarts students reunited with the trio. Ron is a little disappointed with Ginny’s reaction.
Ron: “Six months she hadn't see me, it's like I'm a Frankie First Year. I'm only her brother...”
Seamus: “She's got lots of them, but there's only one Harry.”
Ron: “Shut up Seamus.”
Seamus: “She's got lots of them, but there's only one Harry.”
Ron: “Shut up Seamus.”
McGonagall is a total-Hogwarts protecting- order giving-badass. I freaking love her.
McGonagall: “That doesn't mean we can't delay him. And his name is Voldemort, so you might as well use it, he's going to try and kill you either way.”
Longbottom: “Are you really giving us permission to do this?”
McGonagall: “Yes, Longbottom.”
Longbottom: “Blow it up? Boom?”
McGonagall: “BOOM!... Why don't you confer with Mr. Finnigan? As I recall, he has a particular proclivity for pyrotechnics.”
Seamus: “I can bring it down!”
McGonagall: “That's the spirit, now away you go.”
McGonagall: “Yes, Longbottom.”
Longbottom: “Blow it up? Boom?”
McGonagall: “BOOM!... Why don't you confer with Mr. Finnigan? As I recall, he has a particular proclivity for pyrotechnics.”
Seamus: “I can bring it down!”
McGonagall: “That's the spirit, now away you go.”
The best line in the whole movie might be Maggie Smith’s “boom!”
Neville: “Ya, you and whose army?”
Then Boom!
The whole build up to the castle’s protection being infiltrated is super intense. And the last real moment we see some of the beloved characters alive.
Lupin: “It is the quality of ones convictions that determines success, not the number of followers.”
Shacklebolt: “Who said that?”
Lupin: “Me.”
Shacklebolt: “Who said that?”
Lupin: “Me.”
Alan Rickman is so awesome as Snape. I just have to say that again, because this film is when the real mind-blowing stuff goes down… I mean-come on- SO GOOD (in a really sad sort of way.)
Snape: “No one... can know.”
Dumbledore: “That I shall never reveal the best of you, Severus?”
Dumbledore: “That I shall never reveal the best of you, Severus?”
(**I cry**)
One scene that really gets me is when Harry turns over the stone and sees his parents, Lupin and Sirius.
Harry: “Why are you here, all of you?”
Lily: “We never left.”
Lily: “We never left.”
(**I sob**)
The King’s Station scene with Dumbledore is well done in the movie and doesn’t leave out some of my favorite lines from the book.
Dumbledore: “You wonderful boy. You brave, brave man.”
Harry: “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”
Dumbledore: “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”
Dumbledore: “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”
Then the finality of it all. Neville is a wickedly awesome once more and Tom goes down.
Molly Weasley: “Not my daughter, you bitch!”
(**I cheer!**)
There you have it. It’s was pretty great and a total worthy use on time during my winter break. If you decide this is time worthy make sure you plan ahead (as not to be interrupted), get a good night sleep the night before and be prepared to be a little more emotional than watching the movies separately.
Now if only I could master the art of speed reading I could read all the books in one sitting…
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