Face-Off: The Skywalker Saga vs. The Harry Potter Saga

Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter
Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley
Emma Watson as Hermione Granger
Alan Rickman as Severus Snape
Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall
Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid
Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort
Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore
Gary Oldman as Sirius Black
Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy
Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy
David Thewlis as Remus Lupin
Julie Walters as Molly Weasley
Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley
Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange
John Hurt as Mr. Ollivander
Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom
Warwick Davis as Griphook/Filius Flitwick
Emma Thompson as Sybill Trelawney
Jim Broadbent as Horus Slughorn
James Phelps as Fred Weasley
Oliver Phelps as George Weasley
Mark Williams as Arthur Weasley
Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood
David Bradley as Argus Filch
Natalia Tena as Nymphadora Tonks
Robert Pattinson as Cedric Digory
with Toby Jones as Dobby
and Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore

Now, with the Harry Potter Saga, what we got was a series that benefitted from having the whole story down on paper well before the finale, and the ability for directors to tell that story uninterrupted. Perhaps most lucky for audiences and the existence of the series, in general, was the realization that a director like Chris Columbus was perfectly capable of tackling the first two movies in the series, but beyond that new blood would be needed. Yes, he introduced the HP world with a needed bit of magic for the first two outings, driving home the childlike sense of wonder and making use of some practical effects pre-digital era. But shit needed to get dark, so enter Alfonso Cuaron, who skyrocketed the series into a weirder, more mature and more fantastical level with PRISONER OF AZKABAN. While Mike Newell didn’t exactly keep the ball rolling with his vision, what he did excel at was the spectacle and action, and working with the actors to get push their performances into more adult territory – which was necessary now that people are starting to die all the time. David Yates ended the saga with his final four outings, and true to the series left his mark by ably incorporating political themes, being the right director to work with more matured actors, and not being afraid to experiment with more gorgeous cinematography (HALF-BLOOD PRINCE looks like a damn Renaissance painting) and production design. Whenever I rewatch the HP movies, what strikes me as most impressive is how the series was steered throughout the eight movies, succeeding where no other YA series has since. Each director chosen was perfect for their section of the story and the actors growing up with the movies. Each director came in and improved on the series by working within their strengths, which ensured that the saga felt like it was growing where it needed to in the story, character and visual departments. Does that mean each movie gets better overall? No, no it doesn’t. AZKABAN is better than all but the final entry, and I can’t remember the last time I watched CHAMBER OF SECRETS without falling asleep before the big spiders show up. And yet, thanks to the minds behind the camera each movie does improve on the overall story as it evolves. The actors get better, the stakes are higher, the emotional beats hit harder. While it may not be quite fair to give this point to the HP saga over STAR WARS – I feel like what makes the series so iconic on a filmmaking standpoint is the quality behind the camera constantly growing the story. STAR WARS doesn’t get to have that, understandably, but even when you break it down into the trilogies, you’re getting inconsistencies that weaken both the trilogy and the overall saga. Even with four directors, the HP movies could’ve been executed horribly wrong, but instead feel like one cohesive, magical vision. 

In her HARRY POTTER series author J.K. Rowling created the most influential fantasy saga since LORD OF THE RINGS, inspiring scores of readers young and old to dream of a world filled with magic, deadly sports with flying broomsticks, and all the Butterbeer you can drink. Centering on Harry Potter – with a wonderful cast of supporting players fleshing it out – writer Steve Kloves (and Michael Goldenberg on the fifth outing), did a fantastic job progressing his story while keeping the magic of the universe alive. While Harry may not be the most compelling character in movie or literature history, his story indeed feels grand and exciting, filled with mystery, love, danger, tragedy and ultimately peace, with each movie building upon all of that around him. The first entries stick closely to the books for the most part and feel more centered on Harry’s adventures at Hogwarts, and it’s not until the third outing where everything starts moving forward, as Harry learns about how his parents died, the figures who played key roles and figuring out how he’s going to deal with everything around him. As I discussed in the “Direction” section, the key to these movies’ success lies in the storytelling, and how in the adaptations the most important parts stayed in to keep it ever-evolving, with relationships deepening, events growing larger, and every step feeling logical. Are there slowdowns? Sure. GOBLET OF FIRE, ORDER OF THE PHOENIX and HALF-BLOOD PRINCE are meaty books that make for a complicated juggling act in the movies, with a lot of plot strands that may not connect as well as they should. But the main characters and bigger supporting players never feel lost in the shuffle, with meaningful changes occurring each outing. As for the dialogue, there’s plenty of great material for the veteran cast to chew on, Kloves perfectly translating Rowling’s sense of wit and humor. On the whole, the story of Harry taking on Voldemort is not as grand or operatic as STAR WARS, but I feel that’s a strength. A single character being the key to it all makes the story more focused, with the supporting players, even big ones like Ron and Hermione, having room to grow but never like they need their arcs to conclude – or at least not in as big a way as Harry. In STAR WARS, there are so many big figures that are given so much to do, that it can sometimes rob time from the characters whom the story revolves around. Having Rowling’s books isn’t the only reason why the story is so well told in the movies. Plenty of adaptations are trashed and ruined on screen, but POTTER avoids the pitfall. Having someone like Kloves around for virtually every script meant that, like what the directors brought, the story was benefitting from a sense of consistency to feel like a fully fleshed-out story.  By the end, everything was built upon so well that the emotional payoff is staggering, with the entire ten-year journey feeling worth every second. 

*Chronological*

1. Arriving at Hogwarts (SS)
2. Sorting Hat (SS)
3. Wizard Chess (SS)
4. Basilisk (COS)
5. Dementors (POA) 
6. Flying with Buckbeak (POA)
7. Reveltations in the Shrieking Shack (POA)
8. Dementors Attack (POA)
9. Time Turning (POA)
10. Expectopatronum (POA)
11. Battle with the Dragon (GOF)
12. The Black Lake Trial (GOF)
13. The Hedge Maze (GOF)
14. Voldemort Returns (GOF)
15. Battle Among the Prophesies (OOTP)
16. Sirius Dies (OOTP) 
17. Voldemort v. Dumbledore (OOTP)
18. Slughorn (HBP)
19. Battle in the Fields (HBP)
20. Lucky Harry (HBP)
21. Dumbledore Dies (HBP)
22. Flying Motorcycle Chase (DHP1)
23. Dobby Dies (DHP1)
24. Voldemort Wins (DHP1)
25. Gringotts Dragon Ride (DHP2)
26. Arming Hogwarts (DHP2)
27. The Battle Begins (DHP2)
28. Snape's Truth (DHP2)
29. Harry v. Voldemort (DHP2)
30. Grown Up (DHP2)

Lines

Dumbledore: “It does not do to dwell on dreams, Harry, and forget to live.” (SS)

—–

Hagrid: “Yer a wizard, Harry!” (SS)

—–

Ollivander: “We do not speak his name! The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter. It's not always clear why. But I think it is clear that we can expect great things from you. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things. Terrible! Yes. But great.” (SS)

—–

Hermione: “Now if you two don't mind, I'm going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed – or worse, expelled.” (SS)

—–

Lucius: “Let us hope that Mr. Potter will always be around to save the day.”
Harry: “Don't worry. I will be.” (COS)

—–

Dumbledore: “It is not our abilities that show what we truly are. It is our choices.” (COS)

—–

Dumbledore: “For in dreams, we enter a world that is entirely our own. Let him swim in the deepest ocean or glide over the highest cloud.” (POA)

—–

Dumbledore: “But you know happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light.” (POA)

—–

Sirius: “Why don't you run along and play with your chemistry set?”
Snape: “I could do it, you know… But why deny the Dementors? They're so longing to see you.” (POA)

—–

Harry: “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” (POA)

—–

Dumbledore: “No spell can reawaken the dead, Harry. I trust you know that. Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.” (GOF)

—–

McGonagall: “The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizarding world for nearly ten centuries. I will not have you, in the course of a single evening, besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons!”
Fred: “Try saying that five times fast.” (GOF)

—–

Sirius: “I want you to listen to me very carefully, Harry. You're not a bad person. You're a very good person, who bad things have happened to. Besides, the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are.” (OOTP)

—–

Kingsley: “You may not like him, Minister, but you can't deny: Dumbledore's got style.” (OOTP)

—–

Voldemort: “You're a fool, Harry Potter, and you will lose…everything.” (OOTP)

—- 

Dumbledore: “You were a fool for coming here tonight, Tom. The Aurors are on their way.”
Voldemort: “By which time I will be gone, and you, shall be dead.” (OOTP)

—–

Sirius: “Get away from my Godson!” (OOTP)

—–

Luna: “Anyway, my mum always said things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end…if not always in the way we expect.” (OOTP)

—–

McGonagall: “Why is it, when something happens, it is always you three?”
Ron: “Believe me, Professor. I've been asking myself the same question for six years.” (HBP)

—–

Slughorn: “It was a student who gave me Francis. One Spring afternoon I discovered a bowl on my desk, just a few inches of clear water in it. Floating on the surface was a flower petal. As I washed, it sank. Just when it reached the bottom, it transformed into a wee fish. It was beautiful magic, wondrous to the behold. The flower petal had come from a lily, your mother. ” (HBP)

—–

Hermione: “She's only interested in you because she thinks you're the Chosen One.
Harry: “But I am the Chosen One.” (HBP)

—-

Dumbledore: “Once again, I'm afraid I must ask too much of you.” (HBP)

—–

Harry: “But, Sir, I thought we weren't allowed to apparate on Hogwarts' grounds.”
Dumbledore: “Well, being me… has its privileges.” (HBP)

—–

Belatrix: “You stupid elf! You could have killed me!”
Dobby: “Dobby never meant to kill! Dobby only meant to maim, or seriously injure!” (DHP1)

—–

Dobby: “What a beautiful place… to be with friends.” (DHP1)

—–

Dobby: “Dobby has no master. Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!” (DHP1)

—–

Ron: “You're amazing, you are!”
Hermione: “Always the tone of surprise.” (DHP1)

—–

Harry: “You don't think I know how this feels?”
Ron: “No you don't know how this feels! Your parents are dead, you have no family!” (DHP1)

—–

Snape: “Always.” (DHP2)

—–

Dumbledore: “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.” (DHP2)

—–

Molly: “Not my daughter, you bitch!” (DHP2)

—–

Dumbledore: “Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living and above all, those who live without love.” (DHP2)

—–

Voldemort: “Harry Potter, the boy who lived… come to die” (DHP2)

—–

Harry: “Is this all real? Or is it just happening inside my head?”
Dumbledore: “Of course it's happening inside your head, Harry. Why should that mean that it's not real?” (DHP2)

—–

Lily: “Harry, you are so loved, so loved. Harry, Mama loves you. Dada loves you. Harry, be safe. Be strong.” (DHP2)

And for more John Williams! Funny that even though the composer didn’t handle most of the movies – stopping after the third entry – it’s his music that still has the biggest influence and presence in the series. His flagship pieces fill the scene with a unique sense of wonder when the new students are rowing towards the castle in the first film, and tug at the heartstrings when they’re saying goodbye at the end. The same sense of imagination and whimsy that makes the STAR WARS music so great is present in the first of three of the HP movies, and also like SW, makes the Wizarding World feel more breathtaking than even the visuals get across. Composers Patrick Doyle and Nicholas Hooper came on for the fourth and fifth/sixth entries, respectively, and they did solid work, especially Hooper for the sixth outing. That magic and excitement are still there in the music, even if it feels slightly less so with Williams gone. For the final two outings, the great Alexandre Desplat came on board, making for some of the best music of the series – the final two entries feeling appropriately mature and epic with rousing themes and heartbreaking pieces. The scene where see Snape’s past is made immeasurably more powerful thanks to Desplat’s haunting and beautiful score. In the end, it all came back to Williams with his “Leaving Hogwarts” theme booming louder than ever, bringing the whole saga full circle in tear-jerking fashion. Across the series, we do get some incredible music, but it doesn’t stand near as high as Williams’ encompassing work across the Skywalker saga. I mean, “Battle of the Heroes” alone…okay, I'll stop. 

If the HP series has anything in abundance, more than visual splendor and witty lines, it’s a big, fat, stupendous heart. From the moment Harry gets taken away from the brutish Dursleys and is placed into the exciting magical world, the story becomes fixated on the power of love and friendship…and all the accompanying gooey feelings. Try not shedding a tear at the end of the first movie, where Hagrid gives Harry that photo of his parents as he’s leaving school, the John Williams music building up over it. As the series grew so too did those emotional roots, with us going on the journey with the characters and feeling the weight of their bonds. Credit goes to Kloves for mining out the most tender and soulful of Rowling’s characters and her writing, with Dumbledore spewing more words to live by than the Dalai Lama, numerous lines cutting to the core of what it means to be the best human being you can be. Sticking so close to so many characters you grow to love over the journey, the stakes increase so that when any of them are having a particularly rough go of it – or sadly meet their end – you feel the weight of it as if losing a friend. Speaking of, if we’re talking tear-jerking movie deaths, movies six, seven and eight hit the big notes with Dumbledore, Dobby, and Snape. Again, more than the technical wizardry, what the movies boast are lessons in learning how to love and value the people in your life, which is, I’m betting, what has made the series stand the test of time over anything else it has to offer. Yeah, the wand action is cool and who doesn’t love a good dragon or Cedric Digory’s smile, but when Dumbledore says the line “Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living and above all, those who live without love,” how do you not realize where the magic of these movies really lie. Yeah, I’m emotional! So what?!

Much like the SW movies, the HP movies have sported plenty of wonderful practical effects, mostly in the creature department and environments, with the Wizarding World and Hogwarts seeming like real places so easily swept up in. What I’ve admired about the movies as they’ve progressed – even if it does lose them this round – is that they still feel rooted in something grounded – with goblins and big feats of magic (food on all the tables all the time!) blending perfectly with kids just, like, going to class. To young minds, it feels relatable enough to exist while being fantastical enough to push the imagination. The early films leaned more on the magical wizardry, the PG outings pushing more of the magical world that feels more wistful – especially the third outing with more amazing and terrifying creatures. Then the final outings got into even more grounded territory but upping the wizard action with wand battles and tense adventure. While the visual effects have always been top-notch, I have never viewed the HP movies as being the peak of spectacle at the movies. That’s not to say they’re lacking in it, but rather where SW boasts that kind that feels operatic, HP’s feels hinged on being immersive over grand and exciting. The action gets better as the series goes on, growing more dangerous and filled with more consequence – particularly the final entry where it’s just chaos from start to finish. It's all fun enough to make you wanna grab a stick off the ground and start picturing red sparks coming out of the end (adult maybe don't do this in public). But for me, these movies have always been about the stories and the character work, with the fantasy elements more about the setting and rooting us somewhere we can only dream of going. Action and spectacle have never been the strongest of these movies’ suits, despite it all being incredible at times. No, when it comes to the kind of visual feasts and action that can whisk you away and move you to pure awe, STAR WARS achieves that like no other.  

The HP series already had a legion of fans thanks to the books, but the movies took the popularity of the Wizarding World to grand new heights – bringing life to magic wands, house elves and beans of varying flavors. In the tens years it took to finish the series, and the near ten years since it ended, the HP series has cemented a legacy as one of the top film series ever made, and one that set the standard for how to grow and evolve your series over time. We like to point at the Marvel Cinematic Universe for perfecting the model for a continuing arc of movies, and indeed that has blown the format to impossible proportions across over 20 movies. But POTTER set the standard for how you grow your movies and build it towards an epic, final conclusion – and how it all rests on character development. It doesn’t matter if you have great action or special effects if no one cares about the characters at the core. The HP movies have, better than most film series, showed how you build up character arcs and flesh out a stupendous world with people. In terms of pop culture placement, I say, along with Marvel, it’s the modern people’s movie franchise. Younger folks on the Millennial spectrum, and now whatever the generation that follows is called, have a soft spot for HP in the way some older crowds do for the SW series. It came at key junctures in their lives and offered valuable themes and a sense of imagination that spoke to and has stayed with them. I feel like I’ve spoken with more people who have seen the HP movies than the SW movies, even though the latter has more reason to be popular now given the new movies. But as firm a place it has in modern pop culture, it’s overall popularity and impact is a far cry from what STAR WARS has offered.

Awards:

Oscars: 11 nominations

Golden Globes: None

Golden Schmoes: 1 Win, 7 Nominations

Praise:

Rotten Tomatoes – 84% Average

IMDb – 7.6 Average

Metacritic – 73 Average

Money:

$2.3 billion domestic (7.0 billion worldwide) total