Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler

Directed by Peter Jackson

Rating: A-

Frodo Baggins (Wood) is entrusted with an ancient ring, he soon finds that it takes him on a journey beyond what he could possibly dream of. The ancient ring turns out to be the ring of the dark lord Sauron, and it is agreed that the ring should be destroyed. Frodo volunteers for this dangerous journey and is joined by his three hobbit friends, Gandalf (McKellan), Legolas (Bloom), Aragorn (Mortensen), Gimli ( John Rhys-Davies), and Boromir (Sean Bean). They know it's not an easy path they take and they face many hardships along the way.

In this first installment of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, director Peter Jackson does a brilliant job bringing the story to life. This movie is perfection (though I have not read the books and don't know how readers of the series feel). So why is it perfection? The cinematography looks amazing. From the New Zealand landscapes to Mordor, it creates a believable setting for the movie to take place. The cast fit their roles and do justice to portraying their characters. You can see the fear in their eyes and the toll their burden takes on them.

While the movie is a bit lengthy, it makes for a great movie night. It's also fun to commentate on because of the faces Frodo makes and some of the lines are fun to quote. Or that could be just me who likes to do that. I definitely recommend watching this movie. It's one of those movies you have to watch before you die, even if magical action movies don't interest you. Even if you end up disliking it (not possible!) at least you can say you saw it without people scoffing at how ridiculous you are for not watching it.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Maggie Smith, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman

Directed by David Yates

Rating: A-

In this conclusion to the Harry Potter, Deathly Hallows Part 2 did the series an immense justice. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) must face off Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) for the last time. Only one can make it out alive...

Read the rest here.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman

Directed by David Yates

Rating: B+

There's a saying, "keep your friends close but your enemies closer." Sometimes it's best to know some background information on who you're going up against. For the past few years, Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) has been digging up lord Voldemort's (Ralph Fiennes) past. Lord Voldemort had made horcruxes, magical objects containing a part of your soul. He stopped at six and now Professor Dumbledore is on the hunt to search and destroy these. He recruits Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), teaching him about Voldemort's past. To be able to finally defeat his enemy, all of the horcruxes will have to be destroyed.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a darker movie than those made in the past. With Voldemort's rise to power, a war continues to rage on. It's a busy year for Harry, not only is he getting private meetings with the Headmaster, he is also trying to find out who the Half-Blood Prince is. Harry finds a used Advanced Potions book in class and to his advantage, the book has handwriting throughout each page with short cuts on how to make a potion. Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) is also a busy student, with a special task from the Dark Lord himself.

Half-Blood Prince could have been directed a little better. The casting was picked well, with new editions Professor Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) and Cormac McLaggen (Freddie Stroma). Unfortunately Frank Dillane, cast as the sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle, was a disappointment. In the books, Tom Riddle was portrayed as manipulative and handsome (sorry Dillane). Though his acting was convincing, I felt that Dillane wasn't the right fit. The movie was in some respects, pretty faithful to the book even though a few scenes were tweaked. For example, The Burrow (the Weasley house) was never burned down due to Death Eaters. I'm guessing this scene was created to show the danger of the times they live in.

Half-Blood Prince did get a good rating from users on the Internet Movie Database (imdb.com), better than some previous Harry Potter movies. While Half-Blood Prince was not the best out of all eight movies, it was decent enough.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Evanna Lynch, Ralph Fiennes

Directed by David Yates

Rating: B-

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) are the laughingstock of the Wizarding World when they proclaim that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (Ralph Fiennes) has returned. The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy), refuses to believe it and makes the Daily Prophet newspaper spread lies that Harry and Professor Dumbledore are crazy. After forming Dumbledore's Army (also referred to as the D.A.) Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), Hermione (Emma Watson), Neville (Matthew Lewis), and Luna (Evanna Lynch) all go to the Ministry of Magic to stop Lord Voldemort from taking the "secret" weapon.

The first Harry Potter movie directed by David Yates proves not to be the best of the four he directed. There was some disappointments being that Order of the Phoenix is the biggest Harry Potter book written, therefore the director must have had some hard decisions on what was to be cut out. Continuing the dark theme that the previous movie Prisoner of Azkaban was starting, this fifth film was just as dark with evil characters rising to the spotlight. One of the most evil characters introduced was Professor Umbridge (Imelda Staunton). Professor Umbridge was just as evil as the Dark Lord though her aspirations differed from the latter. She strongly believed in whatever the Minister of Magic had to say and had a firm hand in changing Hogwarts rules. Imelda Staunton did an amazing job with her character. She made Professor Umbridge feel like a truly evil, frustrating woman and it was very easy to hate. From her "hem, hem's" to that innocent-sounding voice when she makes Harry carve "I must not tell lies" into his hand with a quill, Professor Umbridge is someone you want to meet a bad end.

The movie did have some light humor spread throughout it. Sick of Professor Umbridge and all her rules, Fred and George Weasley (James and Oliver Phelps) have a little fun during the fifth years O.W.Ls (Ordinary Wizarding Levels). Seated upon broomsticks, the Weasley twins release their magical fireworks that creates chaos in the halls and zoom out of the castle, leaving Hogwarts behind.

While the Order of the Phoenix book is filled with many things happening, the director David Yates did a good job condensing the movie a little by moving the plot along through the use of the wizarding newspaper. Headlines would flash to let viewers know what was happening so that the plot could move on instead of lengthening the time for this already long movie.

In the end, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was a movie that could have had a few improvements. A good choice of actors to portray characters like Luna Lovegood and Professor Umbridge may have saved this movie from being a disappointment.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Robert Pattinson, Ralph Fiennes

Directed by Mike Newell

Rating: A-

The Triwizard Tournament is the big news of whats happening at Hogwarts this year. Students from Beauxbatons and Durmstang wizarding schools are brought to Hogwarts to enter their name in the Goblet of Fire. This magical goblet will choose one student from each school to participate in this dangerous tournament. Harry (Radcliffe)'s name comes out of the goblet, making him the fourth contender when only three are supposed to be chosen. The headmasters of the two foreign schools are upset since Hogwarts has two contenders to win the cup. Only, Harry didn't enter his name and he has no idea who did. The tasks prove to be challenging and come the last task, Harry may not make it out alive.

Personally, I like to call Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire the Year Of Good Hair. This is particularly because almost everyone is having a very good hair year. Harry, Ron, the Weasley twins Fred and George all have long hair which looks good from Azkaban's awkward hair cut. Director Mike Newell successfully got the movies back on track with this film.

The opening scene captures your attention upon seeing Voldemort's plan to rise. Wormtail (Timothy Spall) is helping Voldemort get his body back while another unknown Death Eater gets instructions for his mission. Newell continues the trend Cuaron started with the darkness of the film. Goblet of Fire was not a light film to watch as it begins the trail of deaths Voldemort leaves behind. However, dark is balanced by light with the help of the Weasley twins and Harry's first crush on Cho Chang (Katie Leung).

It was disappointing that Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) didn't have much of a role. He finally meets Harry in Azkaban and you'd think Harry would talk to someone who is like family to him more. The Yule Ball was entertaining and brought light to a challenging situation Harry is in with the tasks. Goblet of Fire was well made and deserved an A- because it brought back a little more magic that the previous movie had lost.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, David Thewlis, Gary Oldman

Directed by Alfanso Cuarón

Rating: B

Harry Potter (Radcliffe) returns to Hogwarts for a magical third year. He's prevented He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named from obtaining the Sorcerer's Stone, saved Ginny (Bonnie Wright) in the Chamber of Secrets, and now he has a notorious killer who broke out of a high security prison after him. Not Voldemort but Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), his godfather. With yet another Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year, Professor Lupin (Thewlis) teaches Harry how to produce a Patronus Charm. Dementors (cloaked figures that guard the wizarding prison and tend to suck the happiness from people) have been affecting Harry especially. Can Harry survive another year at Hogwarts?

A new director for a new Harry Potter movie. Out of all the movies, Cuarón was one of the worst directors for this series. While the main scenes were kept in this adaptation from the book, the movie was not satisfying.  With a new headmaster in place after Richard Harris' death, Michael Gambon was recruited. Gambon portrayed a exceptional Professor Dumbledore but he lacked the finesse needed. Harris portrayed a wise Dumbledore while Gambon took on a more energetic role.

While six-second scenes of the Whomping Willow was significant in portraying the changing of the seasons, I feel like Cuarón could have used those seconds more wisely. The changing of the seasons did not further the plot so why not use the extra time for something else? Perhaps comedic relief or some suspense. One may have noticed that Prisoner of Azkaban has a darker feel to it than the two previous movies. The lighting isn't as bright as seen in the first two movies. Harry himself looks different with shorter hair and I believe his hair looks browner than the darker shade shown previously.

The acting was slightly better as Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint have by now got accustomed to the art of acting. I thought this movie deserved a B because of all the movies, it was one of the weaker ones. Prisoner of Azkaban was one of my favorite books so I was disappointed with this one. However, I did enjoy this movie when I looked past the differences. I've accepted by now the fact that the books are genius on their own so the movies should be looked at in a different light. On the contrary, this movie should not be skipped because it is good and how can you miss the introduction of two marauders?

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Bonnie Wright, Tom Felton, Jason Isaacs

Directed by Chris Columbus

Rating: A

Another year older, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) returns for a difficult year at Hogwarts. When Dobby the house elf (Toby Jones) warns Harry he must not return to school, Dobby goes through great lengths to try and get Harry to leave. Hogwarts is his home, so Harry does not want to leave. However, on a few occasions he is caught at the wrong place and the wrong time. A bloody message is left on a wall alerting students that the Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Half the school believes Harry is the heir of Slytherin and it didn't help his case when he unknowingly spoke Parsteltongue (snake language). Students are afraid for their lives as fellow students get petrified. It's up to Harry, Ron, and Hermione to figure out who opened the Chamber and how to save the rest of the school from Slytherin's "monster".

Another brilliant film from Chris Columbus, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets brought the magic back for another year. You can see that the young actors are improving. A chilling scene for instance is near the end when Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs) tells Harry something like, "Let's just hope Mr. Potter will always be around to save the day." Harry replies, "Don't worry. I will be," which was chilling because the scene had been improvised and Radcliffe was not aware that was going to happen. Again, the cinematography was similar to the first movie. The Chamber of Secrets was really neat looking and Slytherin's "monster" was just as realistic looking. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets did not disappoint.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane

Directed by Chris Columbus

Rating: A-

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) spent ten years of his life living under a cupboard in his relatives home believing he was just a normal boy. However, he is far from normal. Harry is a huge celebrity in the wizarding world for vanquishing He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, a very evil wizard who was taking over. Upon his eleventh birthday, he finds out from a friendly half-giant named Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) that he is a wizard. His aunt and uncle had kept this a secret in hopes that he would grow up to be "normal". This is the happiest moment of his life, for Harry gets to leave the Dursley's (his relatives) home to go to a magical school. Upon Harry's arrival at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry he easily makes friends and an enemy on the first day. While Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry soon becomes home to Harry, trouble still lurks around the corner. Professor Dumbledore (Richard Harris) is hiding something at Hogwarts for protection but one of the teachers is after it. Harry and his friends spend the year trying to unlock the secret and find a way to get to the sorcerer's stone before it can be stolen.

Who wouldn't want to receive an acceptance letter to Hogwarts by owl? Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone does immense justice to the book. It's one of the movies that is most like the book and for this reason, it makes the movie feel a little too lengthy. However, it doesn't stop it from being a great film. Looking back to where it all started, all the young actors (Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint) look so tiny! Their acting was very convincing for ten- and eleven-year olds; though in the movie scenes had to jump to the next one since they had trouble with their lines. Part of what makes this movie such a success is the cinematography. This movie makes Hogwarts look so legit. Gringotts, Hogwarts castle, the Great Hall, everything looks so real. It makes the movie so much more believable, it takes you away to a whole new world. Another contributing factor that adds to the success of the movie is the screen writing. Steve Kloves (the screen writer) kept in touch with J.K. Rowling, the author of the celebrated series, to make sure he was on the right track. The movie has some memorable scenes from Harry and Ron saving Hermione from the troll to one of the most popular quotes from Dumbledore upon eating a Bertie Botts Every Flavor Bean, "Alas, Earwax!" Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone brings the magic to life and is definitely one of the better movies in the series.

Practical Magic

Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest, Aidan Quinn

Directed by Griffin Dunne

Rating: 4 stars

Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) Owens are two very close sisters. Raised by their aunts, the Owen sisters learned how to cast magic. However due to a curse their ancestor made, any man the Owen women falls in love with dies. Sally Owens believes she falls in love and gets married to her perfect man. Life is going great and she even has twin girls. Then one day, her husband dies. Gillian gets herself into trouble after she kills her boyfriend in an accident. She and Sally fight together to break the Owen women curse.

Practical Magic is a really good movie. Who doesn't love Sandra Bullock or Nicole Kidman? It's a fun movie to watch. The two aunts (Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest) are funny and nice, while Bullock and Kidman make a good duo. Practical Magic is one of those old movies you want to watch from time to time and the best part is, is it's not too old of a movie to watch. Even though it doesn't have the high quality of special effects that we're used to in the 2000's, the storyline is interesting and hasn't been done before which is a nice refresher from all the re-makes these days. Personally, I'm a huge Nicole Kidman fan (ever since I watched Moulin Rouge) and even though this movie came out before Moulin Rouge, she has that fiery spark you see in that movie. As for Sandra Bullock, she's a great actress and if you're a fan of hers you won't be disappointed in this movie. I would recommend Practical Magic as a family movie though there are some topics discussed that may not be appropriate for an eight-year-old. However, in defense of it, I really believe that it's one of those movies little kids watch but don't understand whats going on.