Retrospective Recap - Harry Potter

         Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, now that I have reviewed each film of the Harry Potter series, I feel that before I get into the Fantastic Beasts movies, I should give my overall thoughts on the Harry Potter movies as a whole. 

         First off, these movies have held up surprisingly well over the past several years. From Sorcerer's Stone in 2001 to Deathly Hallows Part Two in 2011, each of the Harry Potter movies have managed to stand the test of time and still be just as beloved as they were with the fans that grew up with the series. Heck, I saw Sorcerer's Stone in theaters at the age of nine, and I saw Deathly Hallows Part Two at the age of nineteen, so these movies spanned an entire decade of my life, and I don't think my life would have been the same without the series. What amazes me the most is how the actors in the series, especially the likes of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Matthew Lewis, Devon Murray, Bonnie Wright, and Tom Felton, grew as actors as the series progressed. A lot of this does span from working with such talents as Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, David Thewlis, Gary Oldman, Michael Gambon, Robbie Coltrane, Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson, and so forth. 

          I also would like to point out the four directors from across the franchise. Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuaron, Mike Newell, and David Yates each brought a unique voice and flavor to the series, with their unique directing styles standing out with each film. The most credit, however, goes to Chris Columbus, who did his best to make sure that each of J.K. Rowling's books were given their own film, or in the case of Deathly Hallows two films, and maintaining a mainly British, Irish, and Scottish cast. Previous attempts, including a Spielberg directed animated version from Disney with Haley Joel Osment voicing Harry, just didn't get what was so important about staying true to the source material. And even though cuts were made for pacing reasons, the movies were very faithful to the books. Recently, Chris Columbus has started he'd like to make an extended cut which would include the previously cut character of Peeves the Poltergeist, who was portrayed by Drop Dead Fred star Rik Mayall, who sadly passed away in 2014. 

         Speaking of which, I would like to take this opportunity for an In Memoriam segment for actors from the series who have passed away: Richard Harris (October 1930 - October 2002), who portrayed the original Dumbledore, Richard Griffiths (July 1947 - March 2013), who portrayed Uncle Vernon, Alan Rickman (February 1946 - January 2016), who portrayed Professor Severus Snape, John Hurt (January 1940 - January 2017), who portrayed Mr. Garrick Ollivander, and Helen McCrory (August 1968 - April 2021), who portrayed Narcissa Malfoy. Now, while there are many more actors from the Harry Potter series that have sadly passed away, the ones I mentioned were the ones that I wanted to highlight. 

       To wrap up this Retrospective Recap, I would like to say that, much like how series like James Bond, Star Wars, Superman, Batman, and Star Trek made a major impact on the lives of their many fans (myself included), Harry Potter is the one franchise, both in the books and the films, that has had the greatest impact on me personally. Heck, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter attractions at both Universal Studios parks in Los Angeles and Orlando receive many visitors, and I myself plan to check out the one in Los Angeles in the near future. 

         I love the Harry Potter series, and I take every opportunity to rewatch the series any time I want to. And I, for one, am thoroughly excited for upcoming projects like the 20th Anniversary special airing on HBO Max on New Year's Day, as well as the forthcoming game show set to air on TBS and Cartoon Network. I think the fact that the series is still just as beloved today as it was when I was a kid is truly indicative of the impact the series has had. 

        This is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you guys Tuesday when I give my thoughts on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. 


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