Between The Cursed Child and the contiuous retcons JK Rowling alerts us to on Twitter and Pottermore, on top of The Youth not caring about actual social movements until there's magic involved - maybe we're a
little tired of Harry Potter.
I get it.
The movies made an
impressive amount of money from fans worldwide but were never quite lauded by most book readers as 'faithful', with a variety of omissions from the books that make them downright nonsensical at times.
But they were not completely devoid of merit. With the wizarding world finally put to screen, audiences were treated to some fantastic visuals and scenes, some of which elevated the material.
The First Arrival to Hogwarts in The Sorcerer's StoneYou know the music, you know the visual, and you still get a shiver of anticipation down your spine every time. The school many children dreamed of became semi-tangible reality. You're just as amazed as the young students as you cross the lake and look upon Hogwarts.
You don't realize just how
lax security is at a magic school filled with hundreds of students yet. You meet the ghost girl later, and wrangle dangerous beasts in due time. But for now, you're just happy to be here.
[Spoilers for ... the entire Harry Potter series. Like right after the cut.]Snape Kills Dumbledore in Half Blood PrinceIf I could, I'd put the last twenty minutes of Half Blood Prince here. The cinematography really did just get
better with the latter films. The second greatest theatrical conclusion in any Potter movie, where you sat in the theater and, for once, hoped that the films would not follow the book.
But in the end, Dumble still took a tumble while Snape revealed himself as Harry's princely pal. The movie is slightly different, as Dumbledore does not stun Harry in the film - Snape simply tells him to remain silent before he does the deadly deed and slinks back into the shadows alongside Draco Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange.
The Tale of the Three Brothers in Deathly Hallows
(actual story starts around 1:12)
Even the worst movies can be improved by the change of a visual medium.
Hermione narrates the tale that exposition-drops the Magical Items of Legend. It always looked very paper-y and stop motion, and it was a pleasure to see this instead of a straight story dump or faceless live action actors stumble through a misty moor. There wasn't a need to see it ever again in the series, so enjoy the magic while it lasts.
Umbridge Finds The Order of the Phoenix + Dumbledore's Subsequent Self-Removal
The one movie whose changes were (mostly) reasonable and fitting. Instead of sending children to do her gruntwork, Dolores Umbridge just goes ham on a wall and takes them to be punished. Dumbledore takes this all in stride - for about a minute and a half. Then, he claps his hands and disappears with his phoenix, Fawkes, leaving the Ministry Mooks stunned. Truly the biggest "You thought! 👏🏼" moment in the series.
Here, it's Harry's one-time crush, Cho Chang who supposedly rats out the group. I think Marietta was just a lineless background character here, just like she was in the book besides her off-screen snitching.
Also, this is the only movie of the series whose rights are owned by a different studio for TV broadcasting. That's why it's never on Freeform. The more you know.
The Graveyard Battle in Goblet of FireAfter a disappointing Quidditch World Cup and a Triwizard Tournament that left spectators staring at bushes, the climax of the fourth book ramps up to a terrifying high, where Cedric dies and Voldemort is reborn.
This is my favorite Potter scene in either medium of the franchise - the set design and production value, the dialogue, the atmosphere. It's a real treat to watch in fake IMAX. Here, a half-dead snake boogeyman finally comes to fearful fruition and you truly learn why Voldemort was the greatest evil of the modern magic day.
Subsequent appearances, not so much. Hugging Draco, anyone?
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12345 What was your favorite scenes in Harry Potter in general, book or movie?