Monday Morning Quarterback Part IV

By BOP Staff

July 20, 2011

You were supposed to wear the knickers too, you jerk.

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No, really. ALL Potter, all the time. (Actually, these are additional answers to the question posed at the beginning of MMQB Part III, which was: "With the entire Harry Potter franchise now completed, what are your grades for the various books and movies? Also, where do you think Harry Potter ranks amongst the greatest film franchises in movie history?"

Kim Hollis: I am certainly in the camp that is in love with the books and the films in a general sense. I remember when I saw the first trailer for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - I was giddy with anticipation. From that point on, I have truly felt that the films evolved in a very similar way to the books - that they grow with their audience. I've also had the pleasure of seeing multi-generations read them - my mother, my sisters, and my niece have all been heavily into the series. It's kind of a wonderful thing. I do think it's a seminal series that will be passed down from parents to children and then the cycle will repeat.

My book grades are as follows, with explanations:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - A-. It's a wonderful introduction to the wizarding world of Hogwarts and Harry. Much is hidden here if you look for it, too. It feels less mature than the others, but there's a reason for that - Harry himself is just a pre-teen.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - B+. Dobby drives me crazy, so I have to knock the book for that. Overall, though, it's a really nice imagining of what a wizard and his friends might be going through at that age - particularly ones that are dealing with a dark wizard.




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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - A. I waver on whether this is my favorite of the books, and I'm going to leave that undetermined until I can read through them all one more time (I may wait until I can buy them in digital form, though). I absolutely adore Sirius Black, so his introduction/story is a big part of this. I also enjoy the addition of Lupin and his presence throughout the story. Many of the reveals are fabulous here.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - A. I really, really love the tournament, and don't care if it's elementary storytelling. It works. It brings in wizards from other locations, making us know that they're not all British. And the finish is truly spectacular, if heart-rending.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - B-. I hate hate hate hate hate Dolores Umbridge. Yes, I know I'm supposed to. However, I think she's such a cartoon of a villain that I find her utterly and completely annoying and unbelievable whenever she's in a scene.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - A. Love the reveal of the Half-Blood Prince, not to mention learning that perhaps Harry's father wasn't the perfect person he's made out to be. Also, this is where the series grows up some, both with regard to relationships (romantic and platonic) and hard facts of life.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - A. What an excellent, emotional ending this was. I cried. I found myself surprised when we lost certain characters. And I was happy to see a hint of what was to come in the future of our heroes. I also rather like what is done with Draco - it's not perhaps emotionally satisfying, but it feels like real life.


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