Movie Review Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

Weird The Al Yankovic Story (2022) 

Directed by Eric Appel 

Written by Weird Al, Eric Appel 

Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Evan Rachel Wood, Rainn Wilson, Toby Huss, Julianne Nicholson 

Release Date September 8th, 2022 (Roku Channel) 

Published November 11th, 2022 

As a connoisseur of one Weird Al Yankovic, the idea of a traditional Weird Al biopic had me perplexed. Why would anyone make an earnest biopic of one of the strangest, most ironic, and comic careers in history. I was genuinely confused with what the makers of the movie Weird were all about. Then I saw the trailer and it all began to make sense. Weird is a Weird Al biopic but it is, far more importantly, a send up of the various silly tropes of rock biopics. 

Biopics of rock stars seem to always go the same way. There is the rocket ride to stardom, struggling in the harsh light of fame, the inevitable fall from grace and then a rise once again or a death, one or the other. Biopics of rock stars do not tend to stray from this formula. Thus, the rock biopic genre is ripe for the kind of parody that Weird Al made famous with his music, an irreverent send up of the tropes combined with an over the top wackiness that is both hilarious and genuine. 

Weird kicks off in a universe where Polka is the equivalent of gangsta rap, a genre of ill-repute in the white washed Reagan era. Here we meet Al as he is berated by his working class father, Nick (Toby Huss) and coddled by his loving mother, Mary. Al's life is changed forever when a door to door salesman (Thomas Lennon) comes to Al's door selling accordions. While Al is taken with the instrument, his father will not have this filthy equipment in his home and sets about beating the salesman to death with his bare hands. 

In order to keep Nick out of jail for assault or attempted murder, Mary buys an accordion and gifts it to Al. This begins a life long love of the accordion and the start of his rocket rise to fame. Cut to college where Al is living with three friends and plays the accordion regularly. When challenged, Al invents a song on the spot, a parody of My Sharona called My Bologna. In an inspired sequence, Al is inspired for every single lyric by something he sees in the room around him. 

Biopics love to give every aspect of every rock star life an origin story. Thus, Al having an origin story for even the most mundane or outlandish lyric is a great bit. Big laughs are spun from this scene and the following scene where Al and his friends go to a local bus station bathroom to record My Bologna. That's a true story, Al really did record the song in a bathroom and took it to a record company meeting on the same day. They turned him down just as they do in this movie. 

Another inspired element comes when Al insists on writing original music only, only to then write his most famous songs, Eat It and Amish Paradise while calling them original songs. The meta of Michael Jackson calling Al for permission to write and perform Beat It, based on Al's Eat It, is another truly inspired gag. Throughout Weird, the movie finds wonderful little inventive ways to give Al a massive ego, something his fans know is certainly not a trait of Weird Al, arguably the most humble tunesmith in America. 

This being a Rock N' Roll biopic, a love interest must be involved, a woman of ill-repute who follows our star down to the depths of his despair. That woman in Weird is Madonna played by Evan Rachel Wood. Sexually voracious and wildly talented, Madonna sets her sights on Al because of the supposed Al Bump, a spike in sales following an artist being parodied by Weird Al and his band. Madonna wants the sales bump and will do anything she can to get it. 

Click here for my review of Weird at Geeks.media 

Movie Review Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Pt 2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 (2011) 

Directed by David Yates 

Written by Steve Kloves 

Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis 

Release Date July 15th, 2011 

Published July 14th, 2011 

Streaming at BravoTV.com 

An epic end to an epic franchise; "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2" brought to close one of the most remarkable film series ever crafted. Over seven films we have watched three young actors give glorious life to three extraordinary characters; characters who will go down in cinema history for their impact on the box office and our popular culture.

Where Were We?

When last we left Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), in "Deathly Hallows Pt. 1," our heroic boy wizard had buried his late friend Dobby. Meanwhile, the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) had discovered Dumbledore's crypt and taken possession of the deadly Elder Wand, one of the three Deathly Hallows.

The action of "Deathly Hallows Pt. 2" picks up with Harry confronting a goblin and coaxing him into leading him and Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) into Gringotts Bank. There, they hope to enter a vault belonging to the villainous Bellatrix LeStrange (Helena Bonham Carter) where one of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes is being held.

What's a Horcrux Again?

A horcrux, for those unaware, is a piece of Voldemort's soul hidden in mundane form. Harry, Ron and Hermione have spent much of the past two films seeking several of these Horcrux and gone about destroying them. In the process they have weakened Voldemort but also made him angrier and ever more dangerous.

Our heroes believe that the final Horcrux resides at their old home, Hogwarts. This belief leads to a risky return to the school and a rendezvous with a few old friends who will play key roles in helping Harry in his final confrontation with He Who Shall Not Be Named. You really have to love the portentous language of the Potter Universe. In "Deathly Hallows Pt. 2" keep an ear open for the first time a character actually uses Voldemort's name, the reaction is priceless.

Movie vs. Book

I will go no further in talking about the plot as spoilers come far too easily. I will tell you that fans I watched the film with told me that book fans will be surprised and saddened by several of director David Yates's choices. Yates cut "Deathly Hallows Pt. 2" to the bone making it the shortest film of the series. In the process a few beloved scenes from the book have been excised and others have been shortened for time.

Fans I saw the film with were not angry about the changes from the book so don't expect to be too disappointed Potter-ites. Indeed, I don't believe anyone will walk away from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2" disappointed. Director David Yates has done a masterful job of delivering adventure, excitement and pathos in heavy portions.

Powerful Emotional Punch

Thanks to the remarkable performances of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint fans of the Harry Potter series will be left breathless one moment, elated the next and likely will have shed a few tears along the way. "Deathly Hallows Pt. 2" delivers more than a few really powerful emotional punches. I was particularly moved by one character's long time unrequited love.

For me, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2" is a perfect close to this epic series which thankfully has not overstayed its welcome. Yes, the series threatened to hang on too long but credit David Yates, screenwriter Steve Kloves, and this wonderful cast for helping to keep us patient and invested in this now decade long film series. Their remarkable hard work has made this final Potter adventure the best of the series.

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 1

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 (2010)

Directed by David Yates 

Written by Steve Kloves

Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Michael Gambon, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Robbie Coltrane, Tom Felton

Release Date November 19th, 2010 

Published November 18th, 2010

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part ..1”.. is by far the most disappointing of the Harry Potter series. Deathly Hallows Part 1 is a dreary series of strung together chases, deaths, deathly amounts of waiting for something important to happen while hidden behind magical walls and plot saves that a first time student of Robert McKee would find cliche Certainly, much of what is wrong with Deathly Hallows Part 1 is a function of being the first half of a full film, Deathly Hallows Part 2 arrives next summer, but what excuse is there for a series that has so far been so strong to offer up such weakness now.

When last we left the Potter series our hero Harry Potter had witnessed the death of his mentor and protector Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon). Now, with magical travails spilling over into the real world, Harry is on the run with almost nowhere to hide. Thanks to spies within the Ministry of Magic an early plot to move Harry ends with the death of one key character and the maiming of another beloved supporting player.

This leads Harry wanting to strike out on his own in order to protect the people he cares about. Harry, however, will not be alone as his pals Ron and Hermione are required by plot law to join him on the run as they head for London and eventually into some unknown, magical forest. All the while Snatchers are on the hunt and our beloved trio is at each other's throats over horcruxes, the magical pieces of the soul of the One Who Shall Not Be Named, Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).

Part of the fun of the Potter series is that kind of pomp and circumstance (“He Who Shall Not Be Named”) and portend. Few films intended for young audiences can sustain as much self seriousness as the Potter series has. Then again, if that self seriousness bogs down as it does in Deathly Hallows Part 1 then what you get is stagnant drama and a whole lot of waiting around while supposed heroes fight the urge to do something heroic.

The angst of child Harry Potter has become the self doubt of the alleged chosen one and while I understand Harry's fears I cannot help but wonder just when Harry will accept fate and become less of a reluctant savior and more of a warrior spoiling for a fight?

There is a scene between Harry and Hermione, in one of their many magical forest hiding places, where Hermione floats the idea of giving up and living out their days in this place. Never mind that the people they supposedly care about are dying and the civilization that Dumbledore gave his life for is being destroyed.

These quibbles do not prevent Deathly Hallows Part 1 from delivering some solid action, drama and a little romance (Harry and Ginny share a lovely, unexpected kiss) from time to time. A showdown with Belatrix Le Strange (Helena Bonham Carter, in full on weird) comes to mind as an example of fine suspense, but this scene takes awhile to arrive.

The budding romance between Hermione and Ron continues to hold promise. There is a wonderful scene in which Ron, seemingly by accident, reveals his love for Hermione without actually saying he loves her. It’s the best piece of acting Rupert Grint has delivered in the series.

Sadly these few pleasures cannot make up for Deathly Hallows Part 1's most damning and surprising failure, a heavy reliance on contrivance. To reveal these contrivances would require spoilers so let me just say that the return of Dobby the House Elf, while it is a wonderful piece of CGI, is among the more convenient elements of the film's final act.

Again, and to be fair, many of the issues I have with Deathly Hallows can be explained away by the fact that the film is really only half over and that we have a whole other movie waiting to finish what this one started. Still, each of the previous six films has managed more drama, suspense, romance and carefree wonders than is in a single frame of Deathly Hallows Part 1. And each of the first six films surely did not fall back on such convenient solutions as Deathly Hallows Part 1 does.

The least of the of the seven Harry Potter films, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is an overlong bore filled with portent but no great drama. Laziness takes the place of invention as Deus Ex Machina is employed for what I believe is the first time in any of the Potter films.

Here’s hoping that Director David Yates and writer Steve Kloves work out the kinks for Part 2 because a series as brilliant as the Potter series has been deserves an extraordinary send off. Deathly Hallows Part 1 is hopefully just a minor mishap on the way to something brilliant.

Movie Review Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) 

Directed by Mike Newell 

Written by Steve Kloves 

Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon

Release Date November 18th, 2005

Published November 17th, 2005 

Four movies, three different directors and not one slip in quality.  This is the extraordinary track record of the Harry Potter film series. I am of the belief that a visionary director is the necessary component in making a great film series. George Lucas may not have directed all of the Star Wars films but his vision was constant and his aims achieved. Peter Jackson's imprint is the lasting legacy of the Lord of The Rings series.

What the producers of Harry Potter have achieved is astonishing for not having one director guiding the series with one singular vision. What Harry Potter does have is the brilliant work of author J.K Rowling whose hand in shaping the films made from her books cannot be underestimated. Even as she allowed each of three directors to bring something of their own aesthetic to each film, it is Rowling's imagination that finally ends up on the screen and it's the reason why Potter will go down as one of the greatest film series ever.

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire thrusts you right back into the world of Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) as our hero reunites with friends Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) for year four at Hogwarts school of magic. Upon their arrival, after a brief and surprisingly dangerous visit to the Quidditch World Cup, they are informed that things are going to be different this year.

This year Hogwarts is playing host to the legendary Triwizard Tournament, a dangerous and deadly trial that introduces two other schools of magic heretofore unknown to us. From France the Beauxbaton Academy with female students as lithe and lovely as their school's name. On the other hand Belgium's Durmastrang students are as menacing as their school name and notably features the stern charismatic presence of Quidditch champion Viktor Krump.

For the Triwizard Tournament each of the schools will place names in the ominous Goblet of Fire, which will magically choose which students will represent their school in the tournament. Because of an age limit Harry, Ron and Hermione are not eligible for the tournament, or so we are told. Viktor Krum from Durmstrang, Fleur De La Course (Clemence Poesy) from Beauxbaton and Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts are supposed to be the only competitors however the Goblet has other ideas. Somehow, the name Harry Potter escapes the Goblet and, rules or not, Harry is forced into the tournament.

Harry did not submit his name for the tournament and one of the mysteries of the plot is who did put him in the tournament and what nefarious reasoning was behind it? Was it the new Dark Arts professor MadEye Moody (Brenden Gleeson), or was it the shady headmaster of Durmstrang Igor Karkaroff (Predrag Bjelac) who has a secret tie to the dark lord Voldemort? It certainly was not Ron or Hermione who were afraid for Harry's safety and in Ron's case a little jealous.

The Triwizard Tournament is yet another of the many visual wonders of the Potter series. Though the dragons of the first challenge are only okay in terms of CGI creativity, the chase scene they are part of is the film's first exciting moment. The underwater challenge, featuring some very unappealing mermaids, is, without a doubt, the best of the film's action. Using magic provided in a way by MadEye Moody, Harry grows gills, allowing him to remain underwater as long or longer than his fellow competitors. The challenge involves saving his closest friends from drowning. Not only does Harry save Ron's life but when Fleur is unable to continue with the challenge Harry risks his life to save one of Beaubaton's students as well.

The final challenge, an ever shifting maze leading to the tournament cup is only a mere precursor for the film's finale which features our first ever look at a living, breathing Lord Voldemort in the person of Ralph Fiennes. If this showdown is a bit of letdown-- it features a dreadful talking killer bit by Fiennes-- it's likely because we have three more chapters left in this film series, plenty of time before we have the true final throwdown.

The main subplot of Goblet of Fire is the ever quickening maturity of our heroic trio. As big a challenge as the Triwizard Tournament is, it may pale in adolescent comparison to the kids' first ever school dance, the Yule Ball. For Harry and Ron, finding a date may be more fearful and daunting than any evil magic they have faced. For Hermione it's only slightly better since she landed the most sought after date in the school, Viktor Krum.

Director Mike Newell, the third director to tackle a Potter movie, is the first British director to try his hand at this very English series and his Englishness comes through in the film's aesthetic. Britain is stereotypically gray and wet and such is the look of The Goblet of Fire often gray and wet. There is very little color and very little light which is also a function of this story's tone which is darker than the films that preceded it. Even in comic moments like Harry's uncomfortable bathing encounter with the ghostly Moaning Myrtle (Shirley Henderson) the look of the scene is so dark and gray you can barely see Myrtle's non-corporeal form.

The contributions of writer Steven Cloves cannot be understated. When producers first received the book from J.K Rowling and found it was an eye-popping 734 pages there was talk of splitting it into two films. However, with director Mike Newell only signed on for one picture it was put to Cloves to pare the book's many plots and subplots into one script and keep it to the series average two and a half hour runtime. 

Kloves' work is extraordinary if you are like me and have only watched the movies. I was impressed with the speed with which we were drawn back into this story. However, some fans of the book are finding some of their favorite subplots, including encounters with Harry's non-wizard family, the Dursleys, and a plot involving Ron's little sister Ginny, missing from the film. There is apparently a whole beginning of the book that was cut, likely in favor of getting back to Hogwarts quicker, that many fans are rather upset about.

Regardless of the few criticisms from hardcore Potter book fans, I doubt director Mike Newell could have made a better version of The Goblet of Fire even in two movies. The characters have deepened, the story has progressed well and while I prefer Alfonso Cuaron's warm inviting visuals, Goblet is better than its immediate predecessor in terms of preparing audiences for what is coming next.

The best compliment you can give a film that is intent on supplying sequels is to say you cannot wait to see what happens next. Well, I cannot wait to see what happens next. Harry Potter and The Order Of The Phoenix comes out in 2007, which feels like an eternity away. I would consider reading the book but I don't want to be disappointed by the cut corners that will be necessary in adapting that book for the screen. I don't want to be disappointed the way some Potter acolytes are disappointed with Goblet of Fire.

It's not a disappointment in terms of outright dislike. Rather, most Potter book fans are going to enjoy this adaptation. It's more of a longing to see played out before them all that they had imagined from the book. Not seeing some of their favorite characters or subplots has dampened some of the enthusiasm for the film but overall fans should be satisfied with Goblet of Fire.

What comes next in the Potter series is likely to be a bigger challenge behind the scenes than in anything in the story. Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix is scheduled for theaters in 2007. It will be the first of the series to not feature a script by Steven Kloves who is taking time to direct his own feature called The Curious Incident of The Dog In the Night. The script for Phoenix will be penned by Michael Goldenberg best known for 2003's Peter Pan and the Jodie Foster movie Contact.

Even more daunting is that the new director will be David Yates, a television veteran who will make his big screen debut in one of the most highly anticipated franchise offerings in history. Even a seasoned veteran might be a little frightened by such a task.

Movie Review Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 

Directed by David Yates

Written by Michael Goldenberg 

Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Ralph Fiennes, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane

Release Date July 11th, 2007

Published July 10th, 2007 

With any series of movies fatigue is inevitable. That is one of the things that has made the four previous Harry Potter films so impressive, each was seemingly better than the last. Well, the law of averages has finally caught up to J.K Rowling's creation. The fifth Potter film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is a step down in quality from the first four.

Don't get me wrong, by the standard of your average Hollywood production, Order of the Phoenix is very good. However, by the high standards of its franchise predecessors, it's a slight disappointment. Confusing plot holes, skips in the timeline, and lapses in logic give Order of the Phoenix the messy feel of an aging franchise.

Another summer has come to an end and young wizard Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is ready for his return to Hogwarts School of Magic. However, his arrival is not without trouble, terrifying dreams of his encounter with the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) are plaguing him. Worse yet, few if anyone in the magical realm believe him when he says he faced off with the dark lord

The Ministry of Magic, led by Lord Fudge (Robert Hardy), for one is highly skeptical and even suspicious that Harry's story is a scare tactic being used by Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) to take over the ministry. Fudge's staunchest ally, Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) is even more paranoid and suspicious of Dumbledore and Harry. When she becomes Hogwarts new Defense of the Dark Arts teacher, at the behest of the Ministry, she begins making life difficult for Harry and getting under Dumbledore's skin.

All of these strands of plot coalesce naturally toward a head to head fight with the dark lord that is one of the film's more impressive visual moments, but something of a let down in terms of grandiosity and emotional impact. First time director David Yates renders the action of Harry Potter exceptionally well. The encounter with Voldemort and the battle that precedes are terrifically compelling set pieces, visually dazzling and edge of your seat exciting.

Sadly, where director Yates and first time Potter scribe Michael Goldenberg is in giving the action an emotional impact. Plot holes doom these major action scenes to simply looking impressive while logically faltering. In the case of a dramatic death at the height of the action, the moment is so chaotically rushed that the impact is blunted.

As for the logic problems, a description would require heavy spoilers. Let's just say that there are mindless moments in Order of the Phoenix that are quite surprising for this series which has rarely been simplistic or predictable. The hand of god seems to reach in more than ever before in the Potter series offering rescues and trapdoors when the plot requires them.

The Harry Potter franchise features a who's who of the best British actors in the business and this time around Oscar nominee Imelda Staunton is the scene stealer as the prim and proper villainess Dolores Umbridge. Hers is a performance of marvelous malevolence. From the moment her lacquered hair-do and horrifying pink ensemble appear on the screen, with her shrill drill sergeant's tone of voice, Staunton steals the show as the villain you love to hate.

Staunton isn't the only new scene stealer in the Potter universe, Irish youngster Ivanna Lynch is a real treat as the odd duck Luna Lovegood. Revelling in J.K Rowling's wondrously detailed character, Lynch brings loony life to this oddball while also managing to make her sympathetic and a favored ally of Harry and company. Lynch performs this role with her whole being, a lilting yet determined voice, a relaxed funky manner and a style all her own, her Luna Lovegood is a welcome addition to the sprawling Potter ensemble.

As for our returning stars; Daniel Radcliffe continues to be the perfect embodiment of Harry Potter's angst ridden youth. Though never the picture of an action hero, it is Radcliffe's average qualities that make him so perfectly suited to the role and able to consistently surprise us with his strength and vulnerability. In Order of the Phoenix we begin to get inklings of what a Harry Potter might be should he survive his ever imminent encounter with Lord Voldemort and Radcliffe imbues these scenes with hope and optimism even as Harry evinces fear and uncertainty.

His young co-stars are having a harder time finding the right balance in their performances. Rupert Grint's Ron Weasley continues to be Harry's loyal sidekick but sadly he recedes deep into the background of Order of the Phoenix rarely offering even his usual comic relief. As for Emma Watson her struggles are the most obvious in Order of the Phoenix. Her Hermione Granger is becoming somewhat shrill with her emotions running to extremes at all times. Watson needs to find some balance between constant fright and tight lipped ascension before she burns out from bounding from one extreme to the other.

For J.K Rowling loyalists, the scene many will be waiting for with bated breath is Harry's first kiss with the comely Cho Chang played by Katie Leung. Indeed the scene is in the movie but sadly it falls flat compared to Harry and Cho's chaste tower encounter in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Unfortunately, Director David Yates blunts the emotional impact of the scene by rushing it along.

Book fans however can take heart in Yates' wonderful foreshadowing of another character who is set to become Harry's love interest in future sequels.

Yes, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a lesser effort compared to the previous Potter films but considering that this is a truly transitory entry in the series; that is to be expected. Keep in mind that David Yates is a first time director taking the helm of one of the greatest franchises in film history and working with a screenwriter who delivered his first Potter script after Steve Kloves adapted each of the first four films and you have to marvel at the fact that the film wasn't a complete disaster.

If Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix demonstrates anything it is that the main creative force here remains Potter creator J.K Rowling. Directors come and go and even screenwriters come and go but the vision for these characters and this story remains with Rowling's stunning creativity. Whether you come to love Order of the Phoenix as much as the previous films, or not you will still walk out with the same anticipation for the next chapter that you had waiting for this one.

Movie Review Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) 

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron 

Written by Steve Kloves 

Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Alan Rickman, David Thewlis, Gary Oldman 

Release Date June 4th, 2004 

Published June 3rd, 2004 

When Chris Columbus announced that he would not direct the third Harry Potter film, Alfonso Cuaron was not the first director who came to mind. His most recent work, the coming of age drama Y Tu Mama Tambien, earned an NC-17 rating. Not exactly the sensibility one would bring to one of the largest family movie franchises in history. A closer look however at Cuaron's body of work shows that he indeed may be the best choice they could have made. Cuaron's innate understanding of teenage emotions and adolescence are exactly where the Harry Potter series is headed with its young characters and the combination is electric.

As we rejoin our hero Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), he is back in the world of muggles, living with his awful Aunt and Uncle. This is not the same Harry Potter however who has cowered from his family's unreasonable behavior. Harry is becoming his own man and when a family friend insults Harry's late parents, he exacts a revenge that could get him kicked out of Hogwarts.

After running away from home, including an exciting ride on a ghostly wizard bus, Harry is told that he won't be punished for his illegal use of magic and he will be allowed to return to Hogwarts. The intimation is that Harry's destiny is so closely linked to that of Hogwarts that he can't be kicked out.

Soon, Harry is reunited with his friends Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint). Before the kids leave for school Harry is told that the criminal Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped Azkaban prison and may be looking for Harry, though it is unclear why.

On the train to Hogwarts, Harry meets one of his new teachers, Professor Lupin (David Thewlis). He also meets an entity called a dementor, a ghostly creature that is supposed to be hunting Sirius Black but whose actions are uncontrollable. Professor Lupin saves Harry from the dementor's soul sucking attack and once on campus at Hogwarts, the Professor becomes a mentor and friend to Harry as Sirius Black looms. Both Lupin and Sirius Black both have links to Harry's parents that are revealed late in the film

The first two Harry Potter films had the feel of self-contained action movies. One could exist without the other. This third film in the series however feels more connected to the series as a whole. There is a transitory feel to the story with more backstory and fleshing out of the characters. This is why the film feels deeper and richer from a character standpoint than the first two films but also why it has less narrative force.

The building of the backstory and characters shove this film’s main plot into the background. The main plot is supposed to be Harry's confrontation with Sirius Black yet Gary Oldman's character only comes into the film in the third act. The thrust of the film is laying out the characters not only for this one episode but also for the future of the series.

There are a number of good things about this film on its own. Alfonso Cuaron's artistic sensibilities bring a more artistic look to the series. His visuals are richer and deeper than ever before. His use of colors reminded me a little of his underappreciated remake of Great Expectations in 1998, a film that used the color green as the third lead character. This is a beautiful looking film and yet the visuals never overwhelm the characters, they deepen and enrich them.

There has been talk that the young actors (Radcliffe, Watson and Grint) may be getting too old for their characters and may be replaced when Mike Newell directs the next film in the series. I hope that isn't true, as each becomes increasingly comfortable as these characters. Especially good is Watson who has stardom in her future. Her spunk and smarts make Hermione shine even brighter than the star in name. Daniel Radcliffe is improving with every outing. While he still at times looks a little overmatched, another film and he could really show us something.

If I were to choose my favorite Potter film, I would say Chamber Of Secrets, which is the most artistic and exciting movie Chris Columbus ever made. That said, Alfonso Cuaron's Prisoner Of Azkaban is the most visually impressive of the three and it's the most deeply emotional. It lacks only the narrative force and adventure of Chamber. If this is the way the Harry Potter series is going to evolve, the best of all may be yet to come.

Movie Review Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2009) 

Directed by David Yates 

Written by Steve Kloves 

Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman

Release Date July 15th, 2009 

Published July 14th, 2009 

The last decade has been dominated by franchise films from the return of Lucas's Star Wars to the supposedly unfilmable Lord of the Rings to Sam Raimi's greatest of all superhero series Spiderman and the wholly original Matrix films of the Wachowski Brothers. It is arguable however that the franchise with the greatest staying power in the minds of fans and even film aficionados may be that of J.K Rowling's Harry Potter. It helps that it is the longest of all of the franchises but there are also the wonderful characters, the extraordinary set design and fabulous effects.

Also there is the way Harry sort of encompasses elements of those other great franchises within itself. The parallels between Potter and Star Wars, LOTR and The Matrix become clearer in the latest installment in this ever increasingly epic film franchise.

In Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince we are merely weeks removed from when Harry watched his beloved uncle Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) murdered by Belatrix LeStrange (Helena Bonham Carter) and then watched Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) battle the Dark Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) to what can only be described as a tie.

The Dark Lord is weakened but not defeated as Harry is confronted by Dumbledore in a muggle train station where he is hiding out. Dumbledore wants Harry for a special mission, they are to attract a former Hogwarts professor, Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) to come back to the school. Professor Slughorn has a particular piece of information that he is not wanting to give up. It's urgent that someone get it out of him because it is the key to stopping the Dark Lord whose evil intentions have begun to extend out of the magical world and into the muggle world.

Back at Hogwarts Harry is reunited with his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Emma Watson). Teenage hormones are beginning to run wild at Hogwarts. Sometime in the recent past Hermione has developed a crush on Ron while the thick headed Weasley misses all of the signals and goes out with a wacky little thing named Lavender (Jessie Cave).

Harry meanwhile has developed a crush of his own on Ron's little sister Ginny Bonnie Wright). The young romance is handled with delicacy and great care by director David Yates who does a masterful job of allowing the characters moments of childish fun while the ever deepening darkness continues to rise around them.

The stunning supporting cast continues to turn in stellar work as has been the case throughout the series. Especially good this time around are Alan Rickman's ominous Professor Snape and Tom Felton's Draco Malfoy. Felton's work prior to Half Blood Prince hasn't gone much beyond malevolent sniveling but in 

Half Blood Prince his surprisingly conflicted nature is among the most compelling elements of the film.

Director David Yates has become the unlikely auteur of the Potter series. Having never directed a feature before, Yates was an unlikely and controversial choice to direct Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. That film quickly quieted fears of millions of fans and now with Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Yates has come to own the franchise.

Yates and his exceptionally talented ensemble leave you wanting more and really that is what the film is supposed to do given that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 1 and 2 are still to come in 2010 and 2011. Yet, despite being a table setter, Half Blood Prince offers so many wonders it really stands as a triumph of its own.

Where other franchises have lost steam after just three outings the Potter series looks stronger than ever headed to sequels seven and eight. It's quite a testament to the remarkable storytelling of JK Rowling who has taken elements of some of the greatest stories ever told and fashioned them into something wholly original and all her own. What a remarkable piece of work.

Movie Review Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) 

Directed by Christopher Columbus 

Written by Steve Kloves 

Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Kenneth Branagh, Robbie Coltrane 

Release Date November 15th, 2002 

Published November 14th, 2002 

There is an unspoken competition between the Harry Potter film series and the Lord Of The Rings trilogy. While there are numerous other movie franchises, few match the scope and scale of these two series. The competition has nothing to do with box office—though that should be a close race. It has to do with quality filmmaking; which series will be more artistically satisfying? The first of the Potter series was strong, if not memorable, while the first of the Rings achieved everything it set out to achieve until its awful abrupt ending. 

That film established its characters, its universe and its rules, creating a good deal of anticipation for the next two films in the trilogy. If the original Potter film wasn't as successful in those respects, it was through no lack of trying. In its second outing, the Potter series flies out of the box with all the magic and wonder of classic Hollywood filmmaking and modern technology. Harry Potter and the Chamber Of Secrets throws down the artistic gauntlet to the The Two Towers and sets the bar high on quality filmmaking.

As we rejoin the story of the world's most famous boy wizard, young Harry (Daniel Radcliffe, aging rapidly) is back home with his Muggle (i.e. non-wizard) guardians. Locked in his bedroom and badly mistreated, Harry cannot wait to return to his real home at Hogwarts Academy. Harry is a little down, however, as he has not heard anything from his close friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). 

As it turns out, Harry's correspondence with his friends has been interrupted by an elf named Dobby who comes to Harry with a warning: Do not return to Hogwarts because your life and those of your friends are in great danger if you do. Undeterred, Harry has no other wish but to return to Hogwarts, and when his friends show up at his home to bust him out and bring him to Hogwarts he literally jumps at the chance.

Once back in the wizard realm he is quickly reunited with his old friend, the giant Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) and comes to meet his newest Professor, the pompous and overbearing Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh). Harry is also quickly reunited with his Hogwarts rival Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) and Draco's equally slimy father Lucius (Jason Isaacs). It isn't long after Harry returns to Hogwarts that strange things begin to happen. First Harry is nearly killed in a quidditch match and then he finds himself accused of paralyzing a cat and scrolling in blood that the Chamber of Secrets has been opened.

Thankfully for Harry, the school headmaster, Professor Dumbledore (Richard Harris), believes Harry did not commit the crime. Dumbledore knows more than he lets on but plays it close to the vest. As if illustrating Harry's growth into puberty and beyond, he begins to discover new powers, including a rather frightening ability to speak to snakes, a power usually restricted to those who are members of the Slytherin House. Harry is also hearing voices that no one else can hear— a trait that is a little strange, even for a wizard. After a friend is struck paralyzed by the entity that also froze the cat, Harry and his friends can't help but investigate, and find out what the Chamber of Secrets is and whether it has anything to do with the Malfoys, Slytherin, or worse.

There is a deeper story with the Malfoy family who make clear in early scenes their dislike of Muggles and especially wizards descended from Muggle parents like Hermione. The allusion to Nazism is obvious but not overdone. Draco is obviously the model of Aryan nazi youth, and this sets up a metaphor that I'm sure will play itself out in the sequels to come.

One advantage to never having read the books is that I'm excited to not know what's going to happen next, and director Chris Columbus does an excellent job of foreshadowing the future of Harry and his friends— especially the future relationship between Harry and Hermione who seem destined to be more than friends.

It would be easy to underestimate the performance of Daniel Radcliffe, since the kid really is so comfortable in the role he makes it look very easy. However, it can't be easy spending most of the film talking to things that actually aren't there, as Radcliffe does. Be they elves, giant spiders or ghosts, Radcliffe's performance, combined with state-of-the-art effects and editing, bring the film to life in a vibrant and exciting way.

In a wonderful coda to an amazing career Richard Harris leaves us with a wonderful performance. Putting aside the sympathy votes, Harris' performance is honestly Oscar worthy, as is the performance of the newest addition to the series, Kenneth Branagh. With energy and bravado to spare, Branagh's egotistical, cowardly Professor Gilderoy Lockhart is a comic whirlwind who earns laughs with simply a smile. Branagh's performance is truly delightful.

Director Chris Columbus will turn over the reins of the Potter series to Alfonso Cuaron (Y Tu Mama Tambien), and it is sad to see him go. The director, who was a controversial choice the first time around, really proved himself on this film. Though, for me, the original wasn't the winning concoction so many others enjoyed, it did show that Columbus had a touch for staging and effects. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Columbus fills out the Potter universe in spectacular fashion. Hogwarts becomes a fully realized place, almost a character in itself. Columbus's expertise in staging and effects here combines itself with a compelling story and performances, to make for a truly magical film. The Two Towers has a lot to live up to if it hopes to match the quality of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.