Harry Potter V

As I was sitting in the movie theatre watching the “guess-which-movie” slide show for the billionth time, an excited lady sitting next to me leaned over and asked if I was a Harry Potter fan. I didn’t know how to answer. I simply said, “I haven’t read the books, I just watch the movies, so you tell me.” So, I guess I’m not a true Harry Potter fan. The great thing for me is that I don’t get disappointed when the movie omits 'valuable details' from the book. It pays to be oblivious sometimes.

As much as I enjoy going to see the latest Harry Potter film, I never leave the theatre reveling in its greatness. All the movies contain fun storylines, interesting visual effects and great acting, but nothing profound. And sometimes that’s just fine with me. To be honest, this film was probably my least favourite of the series, but still managed to be enjoyable. If I had to rank the movies so far, I’d probably go 3, 1, 4, 2, 5. Azkaban had a special darkness to it and a fun time-shifting storyline. Philosopher’s Stone had the daunting but fun task of introductions. Goblet had the adventurous trials and nervous courting. Chamber has an interesting mystery. And I don’t know what Phoenix really has story-wise. The building of the army didn’t really grab me and the climactic battle was just okay. When I look back on the fifth installment, I’ll probably remember the characters more than the storyline.

The addition of the devilishly prim and proper Dolores Umbridge, played by the brilliant Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake), was a treat. Not only does her character infuriate both students and the audience, she also represents the director/author’s views on the government interfering with the education system. As a teacher myself, I had to laugh at the importance of Hogwart’s standardized tests.

Of course, my favourite character in the Harry Potter universe is Severus Snape. And yes, I know that his part becomes bigger in the next two books/films. I enjoy listening to every word drip out of Alan Rickman’s mouth as he portrays the slippery Snape. His scene with Umbridge is classic as is the quick flashback that was surprisingly reminiscent of my favourite ten seconds of Ratatouille. It put Snape is a whole new light and I look forward to seeing him strut his stuff in the next couple films.

I will admit that Daniel Radcliff has come a long way since his first turn as the famous Harry Potter. I guess that naked stableboy role in Equus helped. Also, when you’re working with the likes of British acting royalty like Richard Griffiths, Gary Oldman, Jason Issacs, Emma Thompson, Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Imelda Staunton and Alan Rickman, you really can’t go wrong. I’m sure these thespians have been a wonderful source of acting methods and stories. I am truly impressed that the Harry Potter films have been able to employ some of the greatest actors of our time and kept them around for the entire run of the series. But then again, can you blame these actors for wanting to be a part of a ground-breaking series of books that have reinvigorated children’s interest in reading?

For me, I’ll stick to the movies for now. I already know who dies in the sixth book and I’m sure I’ll know how the whole thing ends way before Deathly Hallows makes it to the screen. But I’ll enjoy the films anyway. They’re fun. And sometimes that’s all I need. So watch the film. Enjoy. And wonder why the giant looks just like Alfred E Newman from MAD magazine. Go ahead, tell me I’m wrong.