Mugglenet.com's Harry Potter Should Have Died - Emerson Spartz [51]
Yes, some things unfortunately had to be left out of PoA. The complete Marauders backstory, told as a narrative by Lupin in the books, had to be condensed. So we do not see Harry’s Patronus as Prongs connect to his father’s Animagus, nor is their entire story told. But Harry does come to understand that his father lives on in him. And the remaining Marauders reunite in the Shrieking Shack with the revelations about Peter Pettigrew’s identity. Alan Rickman (as Snape) has one of his best scenes ever when he’s going after Oldman with the juicy line “Revenge is sweet” and waving a wand in his face. And in turn, Gary Oldman has a ball telling Snape to “Go play with your chemistry set.” It’s the only movie scene there will ever be with adult Snape vs. Sirius, because David Yates chose to leave out their confrontation in OotP (except sadly as voices through a door). In the end, there is the spectacular werewolf transformation and snarling dog-fight scene. Who could ask for more?
Wait a minute . . . there is more—a lot more—the whole complicated time-turner sequence, which is done with such finesse and good storytelling that even viewers who have not read the books can understand it. An amazing achievement and another great reason this is the best movie.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer ’s Stone
Some people may find the first movie bland because it was geared mainly toward children, but in fact, it set the bar originally and none of the others have lived up to it. Nowadays, fans are just jaded and want something different each time, but when Sorcerer’s Stone first appeared, it seemed the essence of magic. Actually, it still is. It set the standards for all the other films in the series, so director Chris Columbus should be praised for what he created. Everything had to be built from scratch, and Hogwarts-type locations in Oxford and Scotland had to be discovered for the first time. Everything from the school uniforms, to the Common Rooms, to the food in the Great Hall had to appear true to the books. And they had to take pains to get the script just right with the help of J.K.R., because if this movie had been too lame or cheesy, there might not have been a second or third. Instead, it is still a delight to watch, with Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and Tom Felton all adorably young at the beginning of their careers. The casting of all the actors is impeccable, and this movie has the best Dumbledore of all: the late Richard Harris, who captured the humor, whimsy, and dignity of the headmaster better than Michael Gambon has so far.
Most of the scenes in Sorcerer’s Stone are classics, from Harry waking up in his Cupboard Under the Stairs, to the multitude of owls on the rooftops (how did they do that?) to the letters flying down the chimney. Nothing is more satisfying than watching Hagrid, played by the great Robbie Coltrane, blow the door off the Dursleys’ hiding place and announce, “You’re a wizard, Harry!” Then we get our first glimpse of Diagon Alley and the magical shops that have a Victorian look about them. Columbus did a great job conveying Harry’s sense of wonder and “inventing” this world for the first time, especially the thrilling Quidditch matches on a field decorated as if for a Renaissance tournament.
And maybe this movie is not just for kids. Don’t forget the screaming book in the dark library, the scary creature drinking blood from the dead unicorn, and Harry’s sadness when viewing his parents in the Mirror of Erised. Those scenes are just as powerful to