After years of insistence that I do not like Harry Potter I felt it was finally time to face it head on and discover whether I had any evidence to prove my distaste for the JK Rowling creation. And a few days off work gave the perfect opportunity for this experiment.
(I must admit that a recent trip to the cinema to see the latest HP - which left me somewhat confused - did spur me on considerably.)
Due to my major preference of DVD over book, I made myself comfortable on the sofa with a pile of films by my side and preceded to watch the entire series up until the fifth instalment. And I, surprisingly, thoroughly enjoyed them.
The stories are obviously well crafted and written (they must be to have generated so much money worldwide) and the characters are realistic and relatable. I am a particular fan of the impending love story between Hermione and Ron, which grows as they do throughout the series.
The best of British A-list cast has not been used simply for the names, but each actor gives convincing performances as the characters, including Maggie Smith, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane and John Cleese. But my personal favourite has to be Alan Rickman's mysterious and sly performance as Severus Snape, never quite sure whether he is bad gone good, or good gone bad.
I think there's a character for everyone in these films. Harry Potter is a tragic, lost character who is greatly courageous and brave. Ron Weasley is kind and loyal, but shy when it comes to his feelings for Hermione. Hermione is smart and intelligent, and a strong female character but shows her vulnerability through her heritage and her blood. Dumbledore is wise and powerful, and a symbol of all that is good. Snape is dark and mysterious, but shows glimmers of good and being misunderstood. The Weasley family are fun and endearing - they're just like a normal family trying to make their way in the world, with a successful eldest son, and troublesome twin boys, and a sweet and innocent daughter.
Helena Bonham-Carter, the Malfoy's and of course, Voldermort create a strong key group of 'baddies'. And the Hogwarts children represent hope and faith.
Each individual film stands alone well, with a beginning, a middle and an end. And the series flow well, and very effectively portray the three main wizards growing up and maturing. It's refreshing to see a film in which - I feel - they successfully document three children growing into adults, something which is not totally overlooked by all the wizadry, magic and drama. The actors perform their roles and enable their characters to develop wonderfully. I'm relieved that the creators - and JK Rowling - remember to depict the children facing normal everyday problems and dramas as well as battling dark lords, learning spells and trying to save the magical world, it creates much more relatable and realistic characters.
It's slightly disappointing when watching the films to see how may similarities there are with Lord of the Rings. Dobby and the giant spider are just two of many. But overall it is a good story in its own right.
One key concern when putting stories from book to film is whether they stay true to the original plot and transfer the story effectively from one to the other. Having not read the books I'm afraid I cannot critique the Harry Potter series in this light, but as individual films, separate from the books, I can safely say I found them entertaining.
I particularly enjoyed the construction and exploration of the key characters, and found myself genuinely engaged with them - something which I did not expect. I think the budding love story between Ron and Hermione is hugely intriguing and I shall remain hopeful that it blossoms into something special in the final instalment.
A refreshing and surprising outcome from watching these films has left me assured that I will be visiting the cinema to see the final film. However, I will not be queuing for days before or dressing up for the occasion.
No comments:
Post a Comment