Directed by: Chris Columbus
Based on the novel by J. K. Rowling
Based on the novel by J. K. Rowling
Having read the first book and having watched the films as a kid - I wasn't impacted by Harry Potter as much as an average person was. Re-watching the film now was an interesting experience - I was blown away by the opening 40 minutes of the film. The way the world takes off, the worldbuilding - all of it was so good to the point where I was wondering how they'd pull off all this back then. Although I didn't enjoy the film as a whole that much. It's mostly because the narrative of the film is an adventure without impending stakes to the character. Harry discovers problems to solve and goes out of his way to solve them. So if Harry gets bored and decides to go back to his bed and sleep, nothing would change. So because of this, we also discover the world with Harry and his friends. A more compelling narrative would be if Harry didn't go out of his way - but that would be the only way for Harry. If not this, they could've at least established the stakes of what would happen if Harry didn't go more clearly.
Also, the whole idea of Harry being the one to go on - over Ron and Hermione - didn't feel inspiring to me as an average person. I could feel like Hermione was the more sincere and perhaps even talented person - but all of them would say that Harry is the chosen one. Why? Because of his legacy. How is that inspiring? Baahubali is also the chosen one. But you badly root for him because he never gets what he rightfully deserves. The chosen one becomes the underdog. Here the chosen one stays the hero and stays there. Also, when Ron sacrifices himself - the film doesn't play on the stakes it tricks us into believing. That Ron might die. But he doesn't. Harry getting the power to burn Voldemort in the end - felt like terribly convenient writing - any power that a hero gets in the fight with a villain has to be established beforehand. In RRR, the interval sequence of NTR with the tigers works because it was established throughout. By introducing new powers to a hero in the moment of stakes - you put the audience in a spot where they subconsciously feel like 'they'll get out of this too' and you never let the audience feel the stakes to the full extent. Apart from these issues (which I elaborated in a lot of detail) - I was blown away by so many things in the film.
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