If you have not read part one of this series, make sure to check it out here: Eight days, eight movies: The Harry Potter series from fresh eyes, part one – Common Sense

The distinguished J.K. Rowling Harry Potter books are a coming-of-age series that is portrayed through the lens of magic and mystery. While Harry Potter was a staple in most people’s childhoods, it was not for me. Growing up, I had only a mild interest in sci-fi and fantasy, let alone reading, so I never dabbled in the Harry Potter books. I still don’t plan on reading the series; however, I took the time to watch all eight movies. I was skeptical at first about whether I would truly enjoy the series, but the first three movies did not disappoint. They were filled with action, thriller, and excitement; three elements that kept my eyes glued to the screen for hours. Continuing with my long sleepless nights, here are my thoughts and overall opinions on the next three movies.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” was my favorite watch so far. I enjoyed the Triwizard Tournament and the twisted story that came along with it; however, this movie executed a dark and emotional side to the series.

Being that the commonality of death was explicitly stated in the introduction of the Triwizard Tournament, I wasn’t sure where the movie was headed. For obvious reasons, I knew that they wouldn’t actually kill off Harry Potter, but the dangerous challenges and the battle between him and Lord Voldemort at the cemetery kept me on my toes. How is this challenge going to end? What does this mean for Harry’s spot in the tournament? Will Voldemort continue to haunt Harry until he finally ends him? A lot was going on in my head throughout the duration of the movie.

One thing to note was the emotional side of this movie. It was intriguing and inspiring. They turned Harry Potter from a boy into a mature young man. He went on an emotional rollercoaster, balancing personal confrontation with friendships, guilt and the evil nature of Voldemort, all to come out on the other side.

Another aspect of this movie that I truly enjoyed, which is also included in the first three movies, is that Harry always finds a connection to Lilly and James. This time, it was words of encouragement that led him to safety. While Harry is a strong kid himself, it is interesting to see how big an impact his mother’s words have on him.

Overall, this movie portrayed true courage and bravery.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” was another amazing watch. This movie spoke to the development of the characters and the idea of a team. For instance, when Harry tried to teleport to the Ministry of Magic to save Sirius and was stopped by Hermione because she said it was a team effort, a.k.a. Dumbledore’s Army, it showed me the development of not only friendship but also Harry’s character. He was in favor of getting help instead of taking on Voldemort and his army himself.

However, the main part of the movie I didn’t like was Umbridge. Gosh, she was unbearable. I understand why they put her in the movie, as it was an effort to try to contrast the magic and ways of Hogwarts, but in reality, I felt it took away from the main story of Harry Potter. No magic? No co-ed friendship? No defense lessons? It almost felt fake. That being said, Fred and George Weasley brought me back to the series I have recently learned to know, through their chaos and destruction during the O.W.L exams. That was a heartfelt scene.

I also appreciated the ending. While it was revealed that Dumbledore was back and Sirius had been killed, it was nice to see the reactions of the Ministry when they figured out Harry was right about Voldemort all along. Part of it felt like revenge.

Overall, this movie did not disappoint.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” is dark and sad. I felt emotional throughout the duration of this movie. It began when the Weasley’s house burned down, continued through the walk down Tom Riddle’s memories, and ended with Dumbledore’s death. There was a lot of psychological pain during this watch. One part in particular I found intriguing was the discovery of the horcrux. Harry went out of his way to get the truth out of Slughorn, and teamed up with Dumblebore to figure out where fragments of Voldemort’s soul were hidden. It was pretty cool how part of Voldemort’s soul could be hidden inside of a ring, or his journal, which was also tied back to the Chamber of Secrets.

I could’ve predicted Draco would end up as one of Voldemort’s Death Eaters, and that he wouldn’t have the courage to kill Dumbledore, however, I would have never predicted Snape would be the one to do it. I will say I was suspicious of Snape since the beginning of the series, but never did I ever think he would be the one to kill Dumblebore. It was also crazy to find out Snape was the Half-Blood Prince.

All in all, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” was an emotional rollercoaster. Not only for Harry but for myself. I did appreciate the dramatics in this movie because it turned the sequence of events from completely predictable to questionable.