Menu
What's new
By:
Filters

Rank the Harry Potter films

Matt N

Matt N

CF Legend
Hi guys. This part of the forum already has a thread for Star Wars film ranking, so in a similar vein, I thought I’d ask you all about your preferences on a similarly popular fantasy film franchise. So with that in mind, my question to you today is; how would you rank the Harry Potter films?

I’ll get the ball rolling with my own rankings.

It’s been a few years since I’ve watched the Potter films, but from memory, I’d probably go with something like this (Fantastic Beasts itacilised as it’s not technically part of the original series):
  1. Goblet of Fire
  2. Order of the Phoenix
  3. Philosopher’s Stone
  4. Chamber of Secrets
  5. Deathly Hallows Part 2
  6. Half-Blood Prince
  7. Prisoner of Azkaban
  8. Deathly Hallows Part 1
  9. Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them
I don’t think I have a strong enough memory of the films to do a detailed blow-by-blow analysis of each, but from memory, Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix were my two favourites, and I did always like the first two films as well, as they had a certain element of somewhat heart-warming “magic” about them that the later ones arguably don’t. I remember really enjoying Deathly Hallows Part 2 as a climax to the series, and Half-Blood Prince was pretty good as well. I don’t remember Prisoner of Azkaban leaving an overly strong impression on me compared to some of the other ones, although it wasn’t bad by any means, and I always remember finding Deathly Hallows Part 1 somewhat long, confusing and dare I say a tad boring compared to the other ones, so it sits at the bottom of the “traditional” films for that reason. I don’t remember too much about Fantastic Beasts, as I only watched it once in the cinema back when it first premiered, but I don’t remember thinking much to it relative to the traditional Harry Potter films; I don’t have much memory of it aside from Eddie Redmayne playing the protagonist and Johnny Depp being unveiled as Grindelwald at the end, and I don’t remember finding it as interesting as the regular HP films. I remember it being a bit confusing to follow, and I didn’t engage with it as much as I did the regular HP films. My dad fell asleep in the cinema watching it, for what it’s worth… I haven’t watched either of the 2 following Fantastic Beasts films.

I’m unsure if any of that’s controversial or not, so I apologise in advance if I have any “hot takes” in there on the level of Return of the Jedi being my favourite Star Wars film (which is apparently a lot more controversial than I’d thought)!

I do really like the Harry Potter franchise, on the whole; I wouldn’t call myself a die hard Harry Potter fan, but I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed both the books and the films, and I did get great enjoyment out of visiting both Warner Bros Studio Tour in Leavesden and the two Harry Potter lands at Universal Orlando! I reread the book series last year, and I forgot how much I actually enjoy the HP books; perhaps controversially, I think I might prefer the books to the films!

But how would you rank the Harry Potter films, if you’ve watched them?
 
Matt N said:
similarly popular fantasy film franchise
Click to expand...
Hahahahaha, not really! I don't think HP has anywhere near the fandom size of SW, which has a whole extra generation of fans to be fair.

Anyway, I think the films are generally okay - some are quite bad while others are decent. Here's my rankings

1. Prisoner of Azkaban (by a country mile)
2. Fantastic Beasts (the first one)
3. Deathly Hallows Part 2
4-7. Goblet of Fire/Order of the Phoenix/Half-Blood Prince/Deathly Hallows Part 1 (hard to choose between them, they are all 6 or 7 out of 10 films really)
8. Chamber of Secrets
9. FB: Crimes of Grindelwald
10. Philosopher’s Stone (the acting from the kids is just awful)

I've never read any of the books so am just rating them as films and not by comparison to the source material.

More detailed critique from me if you want it: http://moviemuse.net/boxset-review-the-harry-potter-story/


Matt N said:
Return of the Jedi being my favourite Star Wars film (which is apparently a lot more controversial than I’d thought)!
Click to expand...
Yes, that is a pretty uncommon opinion that is only shared by buffoons like @Howie ;) But never apologise for liking what you like! :)
 
I posted this elsewhere recently. I don’t think ‘best book’ necessarily translates into ‘best film’.

Nitefly said:
Over the past few weeks I’ve made my way through the Harry Pottz films. I remember watching them all on release (as an overzealous hateful fanboy) and now, quite detached from the books (as an overzealous hateful man), I find myself having quite different views.

As a youngster, I resented (quite heavily) any side-stepped / curtailed plot, as if the films were somehow ‘missing out’ or suffering from the absence of granular detail. Now, I recognise that what works in a book doesn’t necessarily work in a film. Actually, the absence of such laborious storytelling can make a tale more demanding of attention.

Overall, Radcliffe, Grint and Watson are brilliant - they could not be better cast. Grint simply IS Ron.

Also, Alannnnnnnnnnnnnnnn….. (10 second pause) Rick-mannnnnnnnnnnn, is sensationally hilarious, especially in the first few films. I’m particularly fond of his “………… up to something!” tirade in the first. Brill.

***spoilers***

Philosopher’s Stone - Surprisingly one of the better films, by far the most charming and ‘magical’. A lack of budget on some scenes, notably the wizard’s chess section, is rather unfortunate, but overall better than I remembered. Good Dumbledoor is ace, shame he got replaced with crap Dumbledoor later on. Oh, anyone else notice that this is the only film/book with a flying lesson? 7/10

Chamber of Secrets - The longest film of the whole set. Somewhat mixed as it contains some jarring ‘dark’ moments with twee nonsense (such as the flying car). Notable for having Mr. Malfoy about to bust out the killing curse on Harry in Hogwarts before being stopped by Dobby - salty! Dobby can do one though, annoying as. 6/10

Prisoner of Azkaban - One of the more satisfying books, but one of the most nobishly directed films. Yes, there is a ****ing bridge. I have seen the bridge. I know it’s there! Stop showing me the ****ing bridge!! And yes, there’s also swinging pendulum. I get it. Also, the whomping willow. I ****ing get it! Stop it! Plus it’s bookended with the stupidest start (lumos in the bed - expel that ****) and ending (Harry farts during a broomstick freeze frame). Frustrating, but the stronger plot carries it. 7/10

Goblet of Fire - Probably the most well balanced? Starts getting saucy with the hormones. Oooo to be young! New Dumbledoor goes full on ****-mode at one point pushing Pottz around like nob. Moaning Myrtle, horribly cast, makes another terrible appearance, this time perving on Pottz’s wand and not even hiding it, wtf. Sirius appears in the fire with mad face effects. Death eaters should have got the Vic rub ready for when Volders comes back, he is super congested. 7.5/10

Order of the Phoenix - Most people have mixed feelings on the book because it’s needlessly long and poorly paced. The film adaptation is rather good. Umbridge is super menacing. The pen scenes are super creepy. Cho Chang scenes are mad awkward. Sirius appears in the fire again but looks like ****, what happened there? I’m sad with the lack of brain jellyfish (from the book) but all things considered…… I think maybe the best ‘film’? Certainly improves on the meandering book. During a ‘nightmare’-sequence towards the end, Volders makes a really funny ‘MEP!’ sound and I lol-ed. 7.5/10

Half Blood Prince - Mixed thoughts on this because I really like the potions book / Snape plot developments, but even at the time of reading I found myself deeply annoyed with the ‘out of nowhere cupboard reveal’. In the film, that is heavily hinted at upfront and throughout and that actually makes it a tad better. Lake scene cool. Not all that bad. Potions class scene is great. Slughorn can chomp a ***** though. Glad to see ‘crap Dumbledoor’ finally get the Kadavra treatment - Hurrrghn!!! 6.75/10

Deathly Hallows Part 1 - lol Hedgwick, take that ya ****ing owl!!! I mean, Hedgwick was just mean. Man, my face when reading the book, it was like ******** **** for the first time - the child in you just dies. Good amount of teenage mooding in this one. I swear Pottz is making moves on Hermione in the tent. Not surprised, I’m in love with Hermione at this point. 7/10

Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Meh, ‘battle fatigue’ kicks in. Just too long, overwrought. Die already. 6/10

I’ll end with this majestic description of Order of the Phoenix on Now TV: “The boy wizard and his homies expected their fifth spell at Hogwarts to be tough... but this is riddikulus!”

👏
Click to expand...

As for what’s bigger, Star Wars or Potts, I’d say they were about the same. Most people know of SW but they can take or leave it, but most people seem to have an admiration for the HP universe. The people I know (and myself) are far more interested in HP.

My favourite quote from HP:
g4eC0Hc.jpg
 
Never hath such vacuous twaddle passed before thine eyes. Whether book or film, my thoughts on Harry Potter are best summed up by this guy:

 
Last edited:
1. Deathly Hallows Part 2
2. Half Blood Prince
3. Deathly Hallows Part 1
4. Order Of The Phoenix
5. Prisoner Of Azkaban
6. Goblet Of Fire
7. Chamber Of Secrets
8. Philosophers Stone

Not even going to put the fantastic beats films in - saw them both and they're not in even in the same league as the others (in other words, I think they're ****)

*Edit* - Recently saw the latest one....I stand by that opinion, they just keep getting worse and worse 🤣
 
Last edited:
1. Chamber
2. Azkaban
3. Philosophers Stone

I was born in 1994 so was the perfect age for Harry Potter. I remember Philosopher's Stone being one of the first real books read to me as a kid before bed and the whimsy of Hogwarts blew my 4 year old mind. When the first few films came out in the early 2000s I was at the age where going to the cinema was a big event, often for a classmate's birthday party with lots of sweets and snacks so going out to see the HP films every year felt like a huge thing. I was the perfect age for that level of light fantasy.

Once it got to the fourth I found the plots too complex and I lost interest as I struggled to figure out what was going on. The fifth book was absolutely enormous, I gave up halfway through and never read another. This was around the time the films became a lot more grey and a lot less magical. I preferred the silly plots like whether Snape would give Ron detention rather than all the serious stuff with the ministry and horcruxes so for me I pretend the franchise stopped after the third one.
 
1: Goblet of Fire
2: Deathy Hallows part 2
3: Order of the Phoenix
4: Half Blood Prince
5: Chamber of Secretes
6: Philosopher's Stone
7: Deathy Hallows part 1
8: Prisoner of Azkaban

Like others I wouldn't rank Fantastic Beasts in the same league as the original series. I don't think they are terrible, but they are forgettable. My ranking of them is

1: Where to Find Them
2: Secrets of Dumbledore
3: Crimes of Grindlewald

Sent from my SM-A217F using Tapatalk
 
Benenen said:
Once it got to the fourth I found the plots too complex and I lost interest as I struggled to figure out what was going on. The fifth book was absolutely enormous, I gave up halfway through and never read another. This was around the time the films became a lot more grey and a lot less magical. I preferred the silly plots like whether Snape would give Ron detention rather than all the serious stuff with the ministry and horcruxes so for me I pretend the franchise stopped after the third one.
Click to expand...
One thing I’ve often heard said about the HP franchise is that each book was aimed at children roughly the same age as the trio in that particular book (so the first book was aimed at 11 year old children, second book was aimed at 12 year old children etc.), and I often heard it said that Rowling aimed to increase the maturity of the books as the trio (and by extension, the original target demographic of HP) aged.

I think that’s partly why the books (and by extension, the films) took a notably darker turn from Goblet of Fire onwards; by that point, the original target demographic would have been 14, thus probably yearning for slightly darker, more adult storylines, as well as more in-depth stories (hence why Goblet of Fire is nearly double the length of Prisoner of Azkaban). On my most recent read of the series, I actually liked this shift, and I enjoyed the slightly darker tone and slightly more in-depth story of the later books more (Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows were all fantastic reads, in my opinion, and while I wouldn’t say Half-Blood Prince was as strong as those 3, it was still a great read and I think it did a really nice job of setting the scene for Deathly Hallows), but it must be said that I was nearly 18 by this point, so certainly what you’d consider a more mature reader. I really enjoyed the first 3, don’t get me wrong, but I actually thought my enjoyment of the books increased as they started tackling more in-depth stories and darker subject matter.

If you were still a fairly young child by the time the later books came out, however, I can certainly imagine the transition between Azkaban and Goblet of Fire was quite jarring, as there’s a definite shift in tone. I watched all the films at quite a young age, but I don’t think I read past Chamber of Secrets until my mid teens, so I certainly understand why you were put off after Azkaban. And besides, I get that all the darker, more in-depth storylines aren’t for everyone regardless of age.

And I won’t deny that Order of the Phoenix is a pretty epic read in terms of raw book magnitude, at close to 800 pages; even reading 2 chapters a night, it must have taken me at least a good few weeks to read! Perhaps controversially, I actually think they should have split Order of the Phoenix into 2 parts instead of Deathly Hallows, as it’s easily the longest book, and having now read it, I think there are some storytelling elements from the book that would make the film make more sense if they were included.
 
Last edited:
They kind of all blend into one for me apart from a few. I watched them all last year so I'll do my best even if I don't remember the name haha:

1. Goblet of Fire
2. Chamber of Secrets
3. The one where Dumbledore dies
4. Azkaban
5. Deathly Hallows 2
6. Philosopher's Stone
7. Half Blood Prince
8. Order of the Phoenix

But yah like I said they all kinda mesh. I love Goblet though.
 
4>3>5>6>8>2>1>7 for me.

Prisoner of Azkaban is probably "objectively" the best one, but I just find Goblet of Fire really re-watchable for some reason or another. I dunno, if I had to put just one Harry Potter movie on to watch, that's usually the one I'd gravitate to. They're both great though.

5 and 6 both kind of blend together for me, and there's stuff I like in both of them. The whole thing with Dolores Umbridge is really memorable in the one movie, and I really like Jim Broadbent's character in the other one. There's also kind of annoying/cringe subplots in both of them but I kind of forget about all that until I re-watch them.

8's a satisfying conclusion and all that but kind of suffers from being half of a story.

I find 1 and 2 really hard to go back to. I used to blame the child acting, but nowadays I blame the director more. Even Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith are giving awful, wooden performances and I know they're both great actors. They get a bit of a bump for establishing some of the (now) iconic imagery that ended up carrying the film series, and because I still have a bit of a nostalgic connection to them. I like the 2nd one a little bit more.

7 is probably the worst because like 8, it's half of a story, but it's the uninteresting half of the story. It's just a bunch of really build-up to a kind of lame-feeling climax. If I had to pick just one Harry Potter movie to throw on and re-watch, I'd maybe sometimes choose DH Part 2, but I'd almost never pick DH Part 1.
 
I was the perfect age to grow up with the HP films as they came out and use to watch them over and over again.

They have nostalgic appeal for me but I don't think I would be that into them if I watched them for the first time today.

The first one is my favourite. Best music and visuals.

The others are about equal IMO.

Goblet of Fire was always my least favourite.

Haven't watched any of the films in a number of years though.
 
After I re-watched the movies in the series a couple of times they really started to grow on me. JK Rowling definitely has some flaws as a writer but she did deliver enjoyable stories and an interesting wizarding world. Sidenote: my ranking of the number 3, 4 and 5 spot might change after a new re-watch.

1. The Prisoner of Azkaban (the movie with absolutely stunning cinematography and visual storytelling)
2. The Deathly Hallows Part 1 (Poetic silence before the storm of the second part)
3. The Halfblood Prince (the tension rises to a new level, and you feel it)
4. The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (A spectaculair ending of the series)
5. The Goblet of Fire (Spectacular in it's own way)
6. The Philosopher's Stone (A nice introduction to the characters with a more family-movie vibe)
6 The Order of the Phoenix (Interesting developments in the series but also a movie that feels a little empty and in-between)
7 The Camber of Secrets (decently enjoyable but really adds nothing to the serie)

The Fantastic Beasts movies are just made to be spectacular and to make money. They are a tonal mess and I don't care about ranking them so far. I also have not seen the third one so it would not even make sense.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top