Pondering Potter: The Life and Times

Harry Potter is old now. Thirty-six years old, in fact. The epilogue to the final book/film, which shows us the characters 19 whole years after the end of their epic adventure, was more than just a badly-written, hair-tearing episode—it was meant for those of us who find it terribly hard to let go; it forced us to sever our connection with the characters we had so beautifully understood. And it worked, too.

Well, fourteen years after the first book, and ten after the first film, we find ourselves with surprisingly little to watch and even litte-ler to read. So what next?

There is still one more thing on the itinerary, something that wasn't possible until last week; we still haven't compared each of the books to each of the films, haven't asked ourselves if splitting the final book into two films was a wise move or one of the few legal money-laundering schemes. This is what we'll do next, then. We'll shamelessly compare the books to the films, we'll ask the powers that be some impertinent, uncomfortable questions, and we'll retrace our steps just enough to not part with the series on a bad note. Nostalgia does, after all, have its moments. We prefer to keep them intact.

Let's begin.

Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone

Book:

Released in 1997, the first book in the series introduced us to phenomenon that Harry Potter would become. A mere 11-year-old then, Harry was used and abused by his maternal aunt and her overbearing husband, not to mention their dastardly son, Dursley. They feed Harry a perfunctory story about how his parents died in a car accident, leaving him in their care, much to everybody's mutual discomfort.

To cut a long story short, he learns, through the eyes of his universal admirers, of the events that made him the magical world's biggest talking point, The Boy Who Lived; he learns of his connection with the evil Lord Voldemort, of the reason his parents died, and why he became who he is today. Through several twists and many turns, Harry finally receives his basic training—at the hands of Lord Voldemort himself, as he comes face to face with him after 11 years. Showing exemplary courage and skill, however, he manages to foil the Dark Lord once again, leaving everybody who was in doubt, in awe.

Most people won't even remember that the book was a slow starter, mainly due to the general belief (not based on actual fact) that it was a modern day rehash of J.R.R Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series. Funnily enough, that series took way longer to reach the big screen.

Movie:

Four years after the first book (and three after the second), Warner Bros., introduced us to the film. Directed by Chris Columbus, the film is generally seen as the one with the lightest tone and the highest Fun Quotient.

It introduced us to Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, Alan Rickman as Severus Snape and Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort, along with a bunch of other actors who became part of our staple movie diet.

It was rip-roaring success, too, earning $974 million in its entire run. Critics and audiences alike were more than kind to it, heralding it for its awesome special effects and the lovable star cast who perfectly fit the bill in their respective roles.

As for its minor inconsistencies with the book, such as the whole Norbert the Dragon episode and the chilling detention in the Forbidden Forest (where Harry, Ron and Hermione spot Voldemort drinking unicorn blood), nobody seemed to mind, least of all Rowling herself.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Book:

One year after the first book, which didn't really fare (at the time) as well as everyone involved hoped it would, came along this. Quite possibly the darkest story in the entire series, it certainly spoke of concepts that were never really touched upon even later in the series, maybe because of the backlash it received from certain religious groups.

Consider this: a diary which sucks the soul out of whoever writes in it, a memory which feeds upon your darkest thoughts, a possessed girl who beheads chickens and uses their blood to write murderous threats upon walls, and a mysterious daemon that takes the adage “if looks could kill” a little too seriously.

Yes, The Chamber of Secrets thrived upon its darkness and made a show of it.
Movie:

The movie, once again directed by Chris Columbus, toned down this particular aspect. That might be because of Columbus' personal sensibilities, however, considering how he's been a children's film director for most of his career—hits like Jingle All The Way, Home Alone and Mrs. Doubtfire are to his credit.

Even then, the lure and allure of the eponymous Chamber of Secrets couldn't escape the subtext. Visually, the film spoke of dirty yellow and luminous green tones, adding to the serpentine allegory the film was basically about. There was, for the first time, blood and gore involved, and also Harry's first kill (though it's not stated as explicitly as that)—that of the basilisk.

The film was a raging success and is generally regarded as the best in the series. However, probably because of the religious backlash, the film scored nearly a $100 million less than its predecessor.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Book:

The third book in the series was the most important one up to this point and it perhaps still is, considering how it tied up Harry's entire back-story with the revelation of a few startling secrets.

It also introduces us to Sirius Black, Harry's godfather and his parents' best friend. His story is almost as interesting as Harry's himself, since he was blamed for betraying Harry's parents to Lord Voldemort. Sirius was sent away to Azkaban, the wizarding prison, where he spent thirteen years plotting his revenge on those who dared accuse him of killing his best friends.

Most people love this book for the intricate web it spins around Harry's past and his very dark future. It's lighter in tone than The Chamber of Secrets, but is all the more engrossing for its theme of loss and redemption.
Movie:

The choice of director for this film was thought a bit strange; Alfonso Cuaron's earlier work included the insanely raunchy road trip comedy, Y Tu Mama Tambien (Literally: “And your mother, too”). The film was in Spanish but was revered the world around for its bold content and perfect direction.

Cuaron, therefore, didn't make much sense. But the studio's choice paid off and Cuaron delivered one of the best films in the series, in terms of direction, acting and sheer magical energy.

This was also the first film in the series to have Sir Michael Gambon play Albus Dumbledore, after the tragic and untimely death of Sir Richard Harris, who portrayed Dumbledore before him. By and large, Gambon's performance was considered able, though Harris' persona could obviously not be matched.

However, despite all of these qualities, the film drew in $100 million less than even the Chamber of Secrets, which itself drew $100 million less than the Sorcerer's Stone. Still, it drew in more than $795 million dollars, out-grossing all the films released that year.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Book:

This was the fourth book in the series and the thickest one so far. Locking in over 600 pages, it was full of adventure.

Starting off with a very mysterious first chapter, which included a ruthless murder, and ending with Harry facing Lord Voldemort for third time; after 13 long years, Voldemort rises to full power and duels Harry in a graveyard.

The centerpiece of the story, however, wasn't the rise of Voldemort. It hinged around the Tri-Wizard Tournament, which came around only once in a hundred years, during which the titular Goblet of Fire came into play, choosing Harry as the questionable fourth wizard in the tournament.

Courage, bravery and friendship all came into play and truly showcased Harry's never-ending need to protect those around him.

The book was the most successful one in the series, outselling even the third book, which had set new records at the time of its release.

Movie: The franchise found its legs again with this one, grossing nearly $900 million in its run.

Directed by satire-loving director Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral), the movie was panned by critics for being too haphazard in its approach and for displaying some of most terrible acting yet.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Book:

The fifth in the series, and even thicker than the Goblet of Fire, this one seemed full of promise. Introducing the hateful character of Dolores Umbridge, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, the malevolence and the subtle subtext of government espionage were quite thrilling.

But then the book lost steam, meandering into unchartered territory and not for the better. It was highly politicized, too, with the main characters going on a perpetual rant against the way the Ministry of Magic and its dubious methods to maintain the peace.

It ended with the death of a much-loved character, sparking furious debate amongst the series' fans. Still, the world read with bated breath as evil took centrestage, winning the battle but not the war.
Movie:

Keeping with the book, the film was, and still is, regarded as the worst in the series, with exceptionally bad acting and offensively disjointed scenes.

Funnily enough, it became the second-highest grossing film of the series up until then, earning $938 million in its run.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Book:

The sixth in the series, this book was more of a filler/bridge between the fifth and the seventh books. Basically, this book didn't really achieve anything, per se, except make the fans even more excited than before.

The story revolves around a mysterious book, owned by somebody called The Half-Blood Prince. The book of spells helps Harry master magic that could only be described as being in the grey area--neither white or dark magic.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore teaches Harry about Voldemort's past and reveals to us the nature of the terrible Horcruxes he thinks Voldemort made. Once again, this was a dark book, with the wizarding world under Voldemort's shadow. It was well written and was a good stand-alone read, not really adding too much to the series as a whole.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Book:

The final, epic conclusion to the series, The Deathly Hallows took forward the increasingly darker themes of the series and set Harry up against his biggest challenge ever.

Out in the open now, and with the added responsibility of leading Hermione and Ron well, Harry and his friends attempt to hunt and destroy the remaining Horcruxes, while evading Voldemort and his forces. In fact, Harry nearly dies in the first chapter itself, when Voldemort chases him through the skies.

It was packed with heavy action and intense drama, revolving around the increased tension in the main trio, not to mention the crumbling world around them.

But it was worth it, as Harry's fight comes to a close. Winning or losing becomes unimportant, it's participating in the battle that finally awakens his keenest senses and helps him save the world, yet again. It was a beautiful climax and a very emotional ending.
Movies:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows--Part 1

The final film was split into two parts; the studio claimed it was to clearly define each moment in the book, to not leave anything out for the loyal fans, who accused the studio of trying to mint some extra money.

Whatever the real reason, it obviously worked. Nobody was left disappointed as the fast-paced story unraveled on screen. It was one of the shortest films in the series and had fans on tenterhooks throughout, breaking at one of the most heart-felt scenes.

The film became the second highest grossing film in the series at the point, gaining $955 million in its run, becoming the fast to reach the $900 million mark, as well.
Movies:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

The second part to the finale, this was the only film to be released in 3D.

Picking up exactly where the previous film left off, it picked up the pace and took the fans for a very wild ride. A lot of the confrontation between Voldemort and Harry exists only in the film, such as the scene where Harry latches onto Voldemort and flies through the air, struggling furiously for control.

The book was heavy: it featured the death of a few major characters, people fans had grown up with. The deaths were dealt with a lot of sadness in print, while the movies made a light snack out of them, dispensing with them quickly.

The final chapter is over, now, and the this is how the books and the films have compared so far. A few hits, very slight misses, and a series that will be remembered forever. It's time to say 'well done' to those responsible and attempt to move on.