Favourite Harry Potter films and books?

[CandidFruit]

Dear sis and her kids have been staying here for the weekend, and we have all enjoyed a massive Harry Potter-thon of all the films.
Kids have been lightheartedly (mostly!) bickering over the best films in order, and then are outraged when me or DSis don’t agree with them 😆
Then we get to which book is the best, and then it starts all over again 😂

Can we have the collective wisdom of MN to settle this once and for all?
Your film rankings in order, and crucially, do they correspond with your book rankings?

Please also throw into the discussion your favourite character/s, and a request from the kids - the most useful spell?

Many TIA!

Favourite book is Goblet of Fire.

Favourite film is probably Prisoner of Azkaban, but my favourite scene is when Fred and George leave Hogwarts in Order of the Phoenix.

My favourite character is Bellatrix Lestrange, closely followed by Snape (in both book/ film versions).

Books... its hard. You've got the magical innocence of the first two... the growing up of the next few... then into YA fiction. However I found HBP forgettable

Films... as a completely controversial choice my favourite is Fantastic Beasts.

Favourite character... Luna and Molly. Least favourite Dumbledore- he's more evil than Voldemort in some ways

I wish I had a magic tidying up spell

Weirdly enough that's also the scene that crippled that poor stunt actor....

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/nov/11/harry-potter-stunt-double-david-holmes-interview

Absolutely, only the first task was worth watching for the crowd!

Personally I quite liked DH being split in two as it meant the book felt properly adapted without massive gaps, but DH was my least favourite book (because it wasn't set in hogwarts mainly - the ending was good). I always used to say after the first couple of books the series would be better suited to a high budget tv show than films, so I guess I finally got my wish!

Best book is a tie between Prisoner of Azkaban and Half-blood Prince.
Worst one is Chamber of Secrets, by a mile.

My favourite film is Philosopher's Stone, for the sheer magic, and for following the book reasonably closely.
I hated the protrayal of a werewolf in Prisoner of Azkaban, and that spoiled the film for me, so for really bad CGI it's that one. Worst in terms of storytelling was Order of the Phoenix, with how much the story was changed and how little was actually inlcuded.

My favourite character was McGonagall for her dry sense of humour.

Most useful spell? In that world, whatever the goblins used in their cancel-all waterfall. In real life, the tidy up spell Dumbledore and Slughorn used in the house he squatted in. I could really do with that.

Oooh @casuarinatree My favourite is Bellatrix too, I think she was a perfectly cast role. I cannot imagine anyone else but Helena B-C to play her, although
< fun fact alert > that role was originally meant for Helen McCrory, who played Narcissa Malfoy, but had to turn it down due to pregnancy.

@CeciledeVolangesdeNouveau
Wow! Thank you for your in-depth contribution.
Would you ever consider going on Mastermind with your knowledge?
My DCs and their cousins are all HP fans, and quiz each other all the time.

@GrumpyPanda I read this, was really shocked.

I love Harry and Hermione’s friendship. I know there were lots of Will they/won’t they moments but to me, they were only ever meant to be friends.

What are your opinions on their dance in the tent in DH1 after Ron left?

Oh, and I cry every time when Dobby dies 😭

@CandidFruit thank you! Most people find me too wordy.
I honestly have contemplated Mastermind - maybe I’ll out myself by competing one day :) in the meantime, I calm myself by reciting the Sorting Hat’s first song at stressful moments because I am just that cool /s
Re Bellatrix, I know this wasn’t directed at me, she wasn’t how I imagined her at all - I would have preferred an Angelica Huston type but menacing - but HBC actually made something new out of the character.

I love all the books but my favourite is Goblet of Fire.

Not fussed on any of the films particularly but Chamber of Secrets is probably the favourite.

Worst film, without a doubt, is The Prisoner of Azkaban. I'm also surprised to see most people saying it's the best.

Basically none of the films do any justice to the books.

Personally I think PoA does a good job at capturing the quirkiness and whimsy of the books, and the sense that the castle is "alive" that you really get in the books, probably more so than any of the other films. It also gets automatic credit for just being my favourite book so I like the story.

But yeah, the more I think about it the more the plot holes are annoying me so I'd probably bump it down my list a bit.

No, never too wordy! Admire you passion, honestly 😃

Hahaha, our collective DCs LOVE the Sorting hat song, they’re that cool too 😉

So my sister and I are both in agreement that the first film is just so darn nostalgic because it’s the one which gives us the first glimpse of Hogwarts, and the Christmas scenes are just so magical!
It stays true to the book and easy to follow plot.
Books wise, she’s saying The Goblet of Fire or The Half Blood Prince.

I can’t really choose a favourite book, it’s too hard!

DCs are the same, but it keeps things interesting 😆