I think it's the lighting and music of the first one. It plays largely like a fairy tale meant for children and manages to stay magical the whole way through. It really makes you wonder how the rest of the series would have turned out had they not taken a hard turn into grittiness with the 3rd movie and never pulled up.
@@echodelta2172 Unfortunately that was just kind of the style everyone was going for in the mid 2000s and early 2010s. I do wonder what 3-7 would've looked like if they were a bit more whimsical though
Yeah. Always felt like they overdid the grittiness thing. Of course it was always the point that the franchise matured as it went on, but jesus, the color-correction of the final instalments was just wayyy to bleak.@@echodelta2172
@@muffinman3052i think the tone change works perfectly though. When they're children it's whimsy and fun, nothing truly bad happens, everything is resolved quite nicely minus a few loose ends. Then goblet of fire comes around and the first half still has that somewhat whimsical tone then by the end it takes that very dark turn with Voldemort and the death of Cedric. it also works nicely with how the fans of the movies at the time grew up at the same time as the actors, so in that way the tone reflects real life.
@@Herbert2892 (I'm French, hence the misunderstanding when using english, sorry lol) You are completely right ! I did not want to assume anything about his personnality nor about his private life :) My idea was more, let's say, genius instead of "amazing", or incredible, would that work ? (Edit : I modified my comment by putting "talented" instead of "amazing", I think it shows better what I was trying to say ? )
One thing that was really downgraded in HP films is color. The first two have this beautiful colors in every scenario, but by the 8th film there is only green, black, and inbetween. I know its because of the darker atmosphere, but its something I really missed Edit: Wow, I was just saying that I missed color. I wasnt expecting a Spanish Inquisition
I think it works for the later films. It adds such a contrast to when they were younger, just like real life. The first two films being colorful is like your childhood being colorful when you look back. The later years darker.
Sadly that's the case ever since Batman: Begins came out in 2005. It's a means of attracting viewers as people got bored with bright, colorful movies. Even video games became darker and desaturated during the Xbox 360 / PS3 era, IMO the worst decision ever made. Plus it's easier to make movies that way, you don't have to worry about lighting, color grading and atmosphere as much, just make everything dark and suddenly it's brimming with suspense. Win-win scenario. Sure it works for later HP movies but I think they overdid it.
Cuarón’s take on PoA was really great but I don’t think the darkness had to progress so linearly from there. The movies could have had a mix of light and darkness that would have made it more interesting. Instead, everything after GoF is a dark mess. They could have found their own cozy magic to them like Columbus did. Letting David Yates run with his style was a mistake because he seems to equate dark themes with dark scenes.
Wish I could live in an alternate reality where Chris directed all 8 movies. He just grasped everything that makes Harry Potter so lovable and made it so incredibly tangible. Yates, on the other hand, by directing the last movies with a lack of color and fun (which the books never stopped having even though things took a dark turn by the way) squeezed all that makes Harry Potter so memorable. They're not terrible movies obviously but wow was the vision so different.
While I agree with 88% of what you said, I would never trade the director of Prisoner of Azkaban, Alfonso Cuaron, for anything. Chris mastered the hominess of Hogwarts, but Cuaron nailed the strange, fantastic, dark side of the wizarding world (while also being quite funny and moving).
@@netherworlde Oh yeah 100%! PoA is my favorite movie for those exact reasons too! He balanced the fun and seriousness of the third book perfectly. He made the Wizarding world a fun and kooky place and took the music as a storytelling element too. Had he directed all 8 movies I wouldn’t have complained 🕺🏻
Yeah I don’t think the movies really got bad until the fifth one when Yates took over. I actually think Mike Newell did a great job with Goblet of Fire and reflected the changing tone wonderfully in that film. Nothing had become desaturated and devoid of fun in that film the way it did in the last four films. And I also think Cuaron wins the prize with Prisoner of Azkaban for best film in the series. Doesn’t hurt that it’s probably the best stand-alone book/story in the series (arguably) as well.
@@isaacgraham5727 Agreed, the Goblet of Fire still carried the torch that made the earlier films great. I think one of the many things that makes Cuaron's work different is that he actively tries to make you forget you're watching a movie so you can really be in the moment. In PoA and even in his other films (like Children of Men and Roma), he's intent on shooting things like it's a documentary of fictional happenings. The long take of Arthur warning Harry about Sirius Black is a classic example. Another difference is his attention to everyday things that often go overlooked. Columbus had the kids dress prim and proper, but Cuaron told the kids to wear their cloaks and ties however they wanted. So of course they untucked their shirts and mussed their hair. It's the undirected details that make the kids feel like kids.
And when you consider that Daniel Radcliffe and Macaulay Culkin both seem to have real down-to-earth personalities as well, it really ties in with how real the characters of those films feel
The really great thing about the casting there is that all of the "goofy children's acting" complaints are both incorrect, and really describe why the performances have always worked. They're authentically awkward, because children are authentically awkward
They don`t have much acting expectations for child actors, its easier to choose the kid that fits the charachter naturally. Hence prolly why both carreer had tanked. Not everyone becomes DiCaprio and authentic acting is not easy, lot of the people like Wahlberg, Rock, Kevin Hart etc just playing themselves/their persona over and over again.
I truly believe Columbus was the best director of the HP movies, he truly understood the books and characters, it's a shame he didn't work on more of them.
I personally put him behind Alfonso Cuarón because he really opened up Hogwarts and gave it some real geography, making it feel like a truly lived in place. But Columbus knows how to direct kids and I think you feel his absense by the time the fourth film arrives (he produced the third and stepped away after that.)
@@lysblack I kinda disagree. After book 3, there was a marked change in writing style that made the books more heavy. I think the change in direction fit that to some extent.
Watched Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone with my 9 year old two weeks ago, and then Home Alone last week and he said during the opening credits: "Hey, this is the Harry Potter music!" This video is well timed!!
I just remember watching Harry Potter, I loved that John Williams made the score of the first three, since I was already a fan of Star Wars and Indiana Jones (and most Steven Spielberg films, he almost directed Philospher's Stone), that's why I loved the first 2 movies so much, they gave me that vibe of child fantasy adventure that took me back home. Not only that, but Industrial Light & Magic making the VFX. Fun facts: a portion of the Star Wars main title plays in a Philosopher's Stone scene, where Harry finds the 8.3/4 platform. Also, part of the score of Attack of the Clones plays in Chamber of Secrets (both released in 2002).
LOL, I had that same reaction when I first watched Home Alone, though I was 12 and my youth orchestra had played Harry Potter the year before so it was firmly engrained in my head.
I find it fantastic how all three main kids became accomplished actors. Not just celebrities, but amazing actors doing all kinds of challenging work, and in the case of Daniel Radcliff, using his influence to help smaller and weird projects. Chris Columbus really chose the right kids.
@@erakfishfishfish And Daniel has done more films than Emma Watson, my first non-Potter movie of his was The Woman in Black, fun fact: the actor who plays Daniel's father in that movie, is the same actor who played James Potter.
No disrespect to Michael Gambon (a good proportion of the fandom misses him right now), he was a great actor in other stuff. Harris appeared in the movie, because his graunddaughter wanted him to play Dumbledore. Also, not only Harris was the menthor of The Boy Who Lived, but also played Marcus Aurelius in Gladiator (in the latin spanish dubbings of both Gladiator and the first 2 HP films, Richard Harris had the same voice actor, who passed away recently, he also dubbed Michael Gambon's Dumbledore during the rest of the series).
@UloPe Don't you think that's more of a script/direction thing, as well as Harris not being in any of the movies that would have given him a chance to expand the character? I'd love to hear who you think should have been cast. Not being snarky, BTW. Genuinely curious.
There is a story about the casting for Harry Potter that makes me smile. Apparently he had the three write a report about their respective characters so make sure they understood them. It was supposed to be this quick couple pages. Emma Watson wrote way above the page limits and went into high detail, Daniel Radcliffe wrote a half decent paper, and Rupert Grint didn’t even turn it in. And if that does not show an understanding for the characters I don’t know what does,
Absolutely love your work. I'm no cinema snob, but you invigorate a real appreciation for films that I otherwise look past for being just "okay." Chris Columbus isn't my favorite director, but damn if you didn't give me a new level of respect for this guy. It's easy to imagine how badly a movie full of unknown child actors could go in the wrong hands.
Thank you. This is such a kind comment :) And I know, it blows me away for much the same reason as being a grade school teacher does. The skills required to succeed in that kind of environment.. it’s off the hook, and generally under appreciated.
It's totally fair to talk about Home Alone and Chris Columbus during christmas, also the Harry Potter films have some holidayish vibes, like they're good to watch at halloween and christmas, just like A Nightmare Before Christmas and other Tim Burton films (I remember a critic once saying about The Philospher Stone should've been directed by Tim Burton, can you imagine how that would've been.
That's the element that gets most overlooked about CC's HP films. It's very easy to imagine a world in which they would have begun with the wrong key actors or the wrong direction of those actors, ruining the ability of older moviegoers to enjoy these - and then it would have just been a "kid's" series beloved by a generation but limited to that at best.
@@CinemaStix My brother-in-law reviews fantasy books, and he approaches it with the exact same eye and tone that you approach cinema. We get a lot of negativity with reviews; you and he take, to steal the word of the comment at the top of this thread, an approach of appreciation. If a work doesn't leave you appreciating something about it, you surely leave it alone, which is fine - but then you're there to shine a light on what you do appreciate, and that's most valuable when it's the unexpected. Cheers!
Just recently watched All the Harry Potters again and first ones definitely have a unique feeling to them and feel good to rewatch. While the later ones start feeling like just high budget action movies.
Magic in the first movies seemed much more creative and visually interesting imho. Magic in the later movies however was heavily over-reliant on CGI and wands were portrayed more like guns than anything else.
The first 2 HP movies are among my all time favourites, and I am really happy that Chris Columbus finally gets some recognition for his masterful direction. He captured both the wonder and the terror of these stories. I love how some poeple will say how "mature and dark" the series became later on, and yet some of the imagery and scene direction in the first two movies is still genuenly some of the most terrifying I've ever seen in any movie.
Me too. People have been telling me that the later films did much better, but they seem comparable, though the last had the highest domestic and worldwide box office. 1 318/1049M 2 262/926 3 250/807 4 290/899 5 292/941 6 302/934 7 296/986 8 381/1356M
the second movie does an amazing job of still being fun and meant for younger audiences while also being suspenseful and genuinely terrifying at some parts
wait, wait, wait, wait.... the guy that done Home Alone, done Harry Potter too?! How have I never connected these dots before. What a Legend to so many childhoods.
And on top of that a memorable score from one of the most influential composers to cinema. Crazy to see the parallels that Danny points out. I too never even put it together.
Every now and then I think about how wild in comparison (to what we got) it would have been for Chris to have done all the Harry Potter movies. There's this certain charm and magic that almost seems to some what fade (imo) as the movies go on, except for the third film, but I do think that suits and helps those movies though.
You’re totally not alone- the magical feeling really does fade, though I think that’s to the benefit of the story. The characters are getting older, the situations more grim, and not only are they used to the idea of magic but they are now having to depend on it for their lives. I think that’s why my favorite scene in all of the movies is the one in Slughorn’s office when he remembers the magical fishbowl. It’s this intense glimmer of the innocent magic and charm of the first few movies in the midst of the very serious final acts of the story. Always been obsessed!!
Whatever movie that they all had long hair... That pissed me off more than anything. What was up with that? Was that style trending on wizard tik tok or something?
I think what truly makes the Harry Potter films special is that they all matured and changed in tone as the series progressed. Columbus is a man who thrives on the sense of wonder. He takes magic and juices up the fun and awesomeness in it, and makes it absolutely amazing and simply leaves you in awe of what it’s capable of. For a movie that’s introducing the world and the characters and mechanics in it, that’s a genius tactic. The first two films are all about the magic. One shows off the inherent beauty. The other shows of the omnipresent darkness. As the series continued, it grew and matured with it’s characters. Gone were the innocent faces of young 11 and 12 year olds seeing magic flourish, and enter the dark and gloomy teenage years, where you’re forced into adulthood and responsibilities and growing up. That childhood wonder and innocence is something Chris Columbus is so adept at capturing. I’m glad they chose him to make the first two films.
I do you think you are right, but only partly. The last few movies do have a more mature tone, but they’re also just a tad boring. Sure, my world, as a child was bright and colorful and fun, but my teen years were also incredibly fun and wonderful and curious. I feel like the Afters had to really Carrie poor script and boring Director across the finish line. Alfonso Cuaron is fantastic and killed it with his HP movie. But David Yates just dulled down the HP movies he did.
The films are not special, past the first 2-3 they are awful. You probably grew up watching the films first and that is okay. But the reality is when they premiered in theaters it was always met with dissapointment. Even younger kids would audibly express dissaproval mid-film at all of the changes and content cuts.
My life didn’t immediately become grey and shitty as soon as I turned 18 lol, they’ve been through dangerous situations in the first 2 films as well lol
@@Hkouggbmha yea but there wasn't an ongoing war then. wars and deaths just make everything less happy and colorful and more depressing and painful unfortunately
@@Luckingsworth Similar to the books which also got worse in quality with each new installment. I loved the first two, 3 was sort of okay, and then from 4 onward it really nosedived. I dont even remember what happens in 6 and 7. What a bore. Rowling definitely hit something originally but got lost midway through. Which is surprisingly common for longer fantasy series. People should just stick to trilogies.
For copyright reasons, I wasn’t able to delve as deep as I wanted into the music of these films. But the next time you watch HA 1/2, keep it in the back of your mind and I think you’ll be able to experience the similarities in Williams’ themes pretty well. And in general just the impact of his work on the tone of the movies.
I don't have the eye for movies, but I do have the ear for music. I remember noticing how similiar the themes are and then found out that, of course, same composer.
I think you should do the same with Tarantino. Every movie he's made since Reservoir Dogs has been Reservoir Dogs reskinned. When asked "how do you make a masterpiece" he cockily answered "Make Reservoir Dogs", and he's done that same thing ever since. The plots of all his movies share the same structure from start to finish, they're all masculinity wars between [mostly] men who neither are truly good, but one is worse than the other. They all do quick cut action scenes. No long takes with the exception of some dialogue scenes. Obviously extended dialogue scenes will happen in all of his movies, as well as at least 1 castration. They're all essentially rewrites of history - taking a historical event and twisting it into a fetish-focused, male-on-male sexual fantasy of Tarantino's. Excuses to get close-ups of women's feet. It's all basically the same thing, but with increasing level of his sexual preferences being included with each film, probably capping at Django. Beyond that, they also all share the same camera tricks, the same elementary filming style, blatant shadows covering half a person's face to show that you should be questioning if someone is good or evil, cartoonish introduction to plot elements, pausing the movie to introduce characters. Piece by piece, they're all exactly the same.
The colour of the first few hp films were so warm and, welcoming. It's probably on purpose how the films darkened to more greens and blues to fit the narrative, but oh the magic I felt when I first watched the first film when I was younger ❤️
I remember watching the first film on VHS when I was 11. When Harry goes into the wand shop and Olivander says "hmm, curious", I turned to my mother and asked what that word meant, only for her to burst out laughing when Harry asks the exact same question a beat later.
I have always thought that the first two Harry Potter films were undoubtedly the best. They are very true to the books and are absolutely charming in how wholesome they are. The third one brings in this washed out color grading that became the rule for all the later films where everything became green and gray and combined that with this desire to make things far darker. That, combined with the fact that, starting with the fourth book, Rowling's books started to balloon in size to the point where they were competing with great 19th century novels (a comparison not to Rowling's credit), made it so the films had a huge problem just with adapting the source material. All this just makes the first two stand out as idiosyncratic and even more charming.
The first 2 movies were the only ones that were truly accurate to the books. They were also filled with quotes that once they were put on the screen were just funny (like that scene where Hermione says "Neville, I'm really sorry about this" and knocks him out with a spell). Third movie already felt like it was being rushed through with more interest being shown to the activities than to dialogue. I still liked it, but when you stop and listen to the dialogue and try to make sense of the actions of characters, it kind of loses its charm. The bigger books weren't adapted well at all. They decided they wanted to go for "LOTR" battle flashiness (a lot of slow motion, staredowns, closeups on faces, instead of focusing on the actions) and they didn't pay that much attention to the source material, which sometimes hurt the stories a lot. I don't think Rowlings books are that big. They seem that way because they are written in quite a large font size. I know the feeling of the 19th century novels and I don't think I read one of those from my country because they were just too long lol. There is something to say about making the HP books smaller, kind of like Pratchett books, but that would mean that almost all the school life would be cut out and I think that was one of the greatest appeal of the books. You always followed a story of the whole school year with the challenges being appropriate for the age of the characters. Many characters would have to be cut out entirely if the books were smaller and the story would probably be changed a lot.
@@TrykusMykus I'm in line with you a lot. Following the books to the letter was never the point, but currently, the movies deviate further and further from the books and become darker and darker, missing many hopeful themes from the books. They also miss some of the significant scenes of the books which would have been way more impactful if they were not changed to increase the action. The best example of this is the last battle in the Great Hall where in the end harry, voldemort, molly and belatrix circle around each other. It is really impactful in the books, especially because nothing happens but in the movies, it's made into a comic relief and very long action sequence without any of the satisfactory explanation that is going on in the books and ties everything together. It is a pity and I think with a bit more light and truthfulness to the books this could have been alleviated. And indeed, the books are not too big to be made into a movie, the weight that has been given in the movies is just off.
@billdestroyerofworlds FACTS 🤌 I share your opinions regarding the superiority of the first two movies in terms of adaptation and the dubious decisions of maintaining a mostly cold photography for the films remaining in the franchise. Now, I can understand the will from Cuarón to detach his thematic ambiance from the first two HP movies since the third book represents a significant growth in Harry's character (the beginning of his teen rebellion) as he uncovers and comes to terms with some foundational hidden truths from his past which then solidify his resolution to defeat Voldemort during the rest of the franchise. Moreover, Cuarón imputs this peculiar ambiance through technical brio as well as a fresh and creative perspective. What is more questionable is why directors after Cuarón and especially Yates chose to stick to a dark photography as if the only way to picture the nihilistic, ghastly, decrepiting Wizarding World was to use a fashionable at the time blueish/blackish tint. There are countless exemples of movies from past and present who use a warm and vivid palette to depict very accurately and creatively the loss of hope, filth, rot and serious matters. A more serious and darker tone in a source material should not automatically mean darker tones on the film screen and the latter are not more true to the situation than a warmer photography, they only are the more evident and less creative choice. The most famous Hammer films, some giallo flicks or even recently Ti West's 'Pearl' are examples of movies that have not anihilated warmth in their photography under the pretense that their subject matters are serious and touch on the collapse of moral values.
@@m780dff Well, I’d argue that Harry Potter has never been defined solely by the tragedies that happen in the story. If we list all the things that happen to Harry, it sounds like a tear-jerker, but I don't think that's true of the material. There is also a lot of humour, and the films missed out on the complexity of it. (I always felt that Rowling's British humour didn't translate well into a Hollywood blockbuster.) "How do you feel [cheery lighting and color grading] is an appropriate choice in comparison to having the tone of the film match the story?" The tone of a film is determined by much more than just lighting or colour grading. This is central to the criticism at hand, because many people in the film industry in recent years seem to think that scenes with no colour or barely lit scenes automatically equate to a serious tone and dramatic scene. But the mise-en-scène is so much more than light! Think of The Lord of the Rings, with its great battles and drama, which still has colour (thank god it was shot on film) and good lighting. I'd argue that it makes the scenes even more powerful. The battle of Helm's Deep would be nowhere near as iconic if it had been shot like a night scene in Game of Thrones, where you can barely see anything. There's also Midsommar (or Pearl, as someone already mentioned here), a horror film that's very colourful and takes place in bright daylight, which makes for a great juxtaposition. „Psycho“ has excellent lighting too, but it’s still horror. And Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" is a black and white film about facism, which sounds dramatic, yet it's unmistakably comedic. So I would argue that lighting and colour grading aren't the only things that can reflect a dramatic story. I also think the darker tone in Harry Potter worked really well in Cuarón's Prisoner of Azkaban. It has my favourite cinematography of all the films and does a great job of making Hogwarts feel alive. It feels magical and profound. The later films lack that nuance for me. And finally… I just want to be able to see what is happening on screen.
I'm so happy when people talk about Chris Colombus! Whenever I get to mention my favorite directors to people I talk to, they get surprised when I mention him alongside many other famous directors. There's just something about the movies he makes that are charming and iconic in so many ways.
I appreciate the callout regarding the "horror" in the Harry Potter films, the second one in particular...it's probably why it's by favorite of the bunch, which of course runs contrary to the general consensus (Chamber Of Secrets often being placed rock bottom by folks). The series of course gets darker as it goes along, but it also loses some elements of magic and even "school" that the first film nailed so well - hence why #2, which retained those elements while going darker, feels most right to me. Nice video, as always!
I almost passed on this video because I read the title and assumed it was another movie review youtuber with a similar profile picture because these types of videos from they are usually far more mean spirited, or at least they come off that way. You on the other hand always give me a new appreciation for something I never thought too much about which is why I watch every new video you post.
watching your content is always an enjoyable and illuminating experience. I had the good fortune of working with Chris Columbus on the first Christmas Chronicles, and it was clear that he truly loved the process of making films, and was very generous with his time and extremely humble for someone of his stature.
That’s incredible! I actually really wanted to mention those films somewhere in the video to drive home the association between him and Christmas movies. But it just didn’t quite fit.
Absolutely smashing timing! We just watched all four of these movies the past week. This was a real eye opener, I have not given the first two HPs enough credit. The idea of Spielberg directing them is also a mind blowing little nugget. 😂
Chris Columbus built the entire visual world of Harry Potter. I remember when the movie first came out it absolutely blew my mind. It looked exactly how I imagined it would look. That first movie was such an amazing experience and it perfectly captured the vibe and magic of the book. Some of the other films not so much, but that first one for sure
The first two HP movies were magical in every way. You could feel the magic emanating from every scene. From the third one onwards, it gradually turned into ordinary movies that just happened to have magical elements in them.
This is why I love the first 2 HP movies, they're basically Christmas movies to me, and tonally feel similar to Home Alone 1 and 2 strangely, but that's just due to his direction, and of course John Williams scoring both!
An interesting visual source for the Harry Potter films can be found in the film 'Young Sherlock Holmes,' which was directed by Barry Levinson, but was written by Columbus. The visual comparisons are so uncanny as to be undeniable, down to the three central characters and the Oxord-like setting. YSH debuted more than 15 years before Harry Potter; it's a fair bet that the look of the later film was informed, if not directly lifted from the former.
One thing Chris did amazing with was the use of the Mise en scene which is a French word that refers to how everything in a scene is arranged. The Mise en scene can be used to foreshadow events or a characters development. In the case of the first Potter the Wizards chess not only foreshadows the films climax but the rest of the series as well along with Harry's clothing.
All 3 of the Harry Potter directors bring their own special touch to their films, and Columbus’ biggest touch is that childlike wonder necessary to get kids to buy into it. His direction really feels like a kid discovering magic for the first time
Had no idea Columbus was behind the first Harry Potter movie as well. The Christmas scenes in Harry Potter felt so warm! This explains a lot. Thanks for sharing
You can literally watch the color slowly drain more and more out of the films as the series goes on, starting with the third. The first two are so gorgeous and vibrant, and the final film is practically greyscale, it’s so dull to look at.
The Chris Columbus Harry Potter films are my absolute favorite. The nostalgia and whimsy is what sets them a tier above the rest of the Harry Potter films. I really wish he had directed/produced the entire series.
I recently watched this multi part behind the scenes of the making of the first Harry Potter and Columbus is an absolute master at working with children. He was the perfect choice for the early Harry Potter movies. You nailed it when pointing out how good he is at blending a slight touch of horror as well.
I really wish they kept him as a director for all the Harry Potter films. Columbus really captured the true magic of the Harry Potter universe. Maybe wouldn't work for later films, but still.
I've always loved the first two HP movies because of how magical & homey they both feel when you watch them. CC really just knows how to deliver a good balance between the magical, wide-eyed wonder and the darkness of the stories.
The first film really set the bar high and we’re grateful for it. Honestly usually movie series become bad as they create too many but the 8 potter films although some better than others are consistently spectacular
These two movies franchises were ones that I watched and then rewatched so often to the point where I could probably recite every single line of dialogue without even thinking about it. Granted, that made me pretty insufferable if you watched them with me, but I digress.😂 Chris Columbus really is a director who is a true master of his craft, like Christopher Nolan or Quentin Tarantino. It's just that his specialty isn't as widely known or appreciated sometimes, but that doesn't really detract from how special it truly is.
Have you watched those videos about AI writing the Harry Potter films as if they were written and directed by Tarantino or Nolan (although I wonder how Nolan would have made Harry Potter, by the time he was working with Warner Bros).
The first three Harry Potter films are my favorite- they have a magical quality owing to the charm of the colors and John Williams' unbeatable score. The following books/films have a different tone and are much darker, and maybe that's why the color palette and composer were changed to match that, but the charm is really in those first three!
I remember WB offering Columbus the entire franchise after the success of HP1 but for some reason that never came to be. Not sure if his style would’ve been fit for the later, darker installments, but to get the franchise started he was definitely the perfect choice. The heart that he managed to imbue within those first two films is what allowed the franchise to run for a decade. Awesome video, happy holidays!
I think it was because he didn't want to miss being in his kids lives and watching them grow up. Which is why he decided to produce the third movie and not to be involved with the rest of the series.
Thank you for this. I adore the filmmaking style and storytelling narrative Columbus employs not just through direction but writing also. He always conveys a strong sense of warmth and magic through the eerie sinister overtone. Its through the sets, the visuals, costumes, makeup and overall design. Being able to watch The Goonies, Gremlins, Harry Potter, Young Sherlock Holmes and Home Alone every christmas makes me really appreciate his style. Invoking horror and warmth within big picture movies is not happening these days especially in family films so big respect to a director who can.
Aside from just being generally well-made, and generally very entertaining, your videos have one extraordinary quality that always, always kind of blows my mind… I see the title and think something like “What the heck?” but by the end of he video, I have been given a whole new perspective on some aspect of filmmaking or a filmmaker, and this one was absolutely your best work (which is saying something, because you’re consistently great.)
0:59 I never realized how weird it is that they call their normal version of chess "wizard's chess" instead of just calling it chess, and referring to the version where the pieces DON'T move as "muggle chess"
Have seen both of them so many times and never thought about how similar they are. And both of them have some kind of magic of making you feel like home
Firstly, I adore your work on this channel. Your videos have helped me to enjoy cinema in a way I never thought I would. I have a question though, how come you're always changing the titles of your videos? Does it have to do with the analytics performance or is that just your style. Again, love your videos, keep it up!
Thank you! So happy to have you here :) Also, thanks for asking. It’s a bit difficult to explain it fully, but yeah, it ultimately has to do with performance. On an individual level, it may not seem like one title would be “better” over another. But with enough data, I can see pretty quickly how one title can be, en mass, more attractive to a larger group of people. And that’s something I just can’t completely predict in advance. I’ve developed a bit more of an intuition about it over time, but in the end it’s always a bit of an experiment. And for sure, I appreciate that it’s a little weird and annoying. And I regret that. But I really believe in the videos I make. And it’s important to me to try and get them out to as a wide an audience as possible so that I can continue to grow. I don’t know if that really answers it. But if you have any specific questions, I’m happy to try and answer them. One day maybe I’ll write a book about it. -Danny
Phenomenal comparison. Ironically enough, a huge fan of the first two Home Alone films, but could barely get through the first Harry Potter film, never saw any others. I also tried reading the books and I got as far as chapter 3. Funny l, I had never made the comparison.
If this dosen't make you watch Harry Potter in it's entirety, then I don't know what else will, or at least the first 2 films, 3rd one is actually a cinematic masterpiece in itself, directed by Alfonso Quarón, that's when the films got more mature as the protagonists were growing up. I tell you, stay for the cast, especially the adults, you have Richard Harris in the first 2 (who also played Marcus Aurelius in Gladiator) and Alan Rickman (also known as Hans Gruber in Die Hard) who's character is one of the best. John Williams did great scores in the first 3 (even a portion of the Star Wars main theme plays, intentional or not, nice add).
I never noticed that it’s the same director. But every time I hear the music for either movie I need a second to remember whether it’s from Harry Potter or home alone.
The title either implies that children's movies don't deserve good directors, or that children's movies are made poorly. Either way it feels like bad form, and to me it perpetuates the notion that "kids don't know what good movies are, so they don't have to be good," when this video goes on to point out two classics that prove that idea holds no water.
On the third day the lord said, "Let there be effortless in-depth analysis over calming instrumentals and smooth transitional editing" and so he created Danny Boyd
I see James so I paused the video and like it first. Despite many drama around the channel throughout the years, James’ still one of my all time favorite RUclipsrs. I could hear him talk about movies and games for hours.
I think you hit the nail on the head when you mention horror elements in both films. I think that's also what makes Disney classics from the 60's and 70's so special. In every film there's some very real and very well directed horror- thriller tension moment, almost like a "stealth" section , to describe it in videogame terms: dogs escaping the manor and Crudelia's chase in 101 Dalmatians, Robin Hood infiltrating the castle and robbing prince John, the Edgar sequences in the Aristocats, the haunting presence of shere khan in the Jungle Book, I could go on and on and on. The seriousness and maturity of these moments are what really makes them work in my opinion
Thank you! I actually wrote this one a year ago to come out around the holidays. But life got in the way, and I decided to hold off for next year. So I was really glad to finally get to do it.
what's crazy to me is harry potter came out when i was a small kid and i absolutely loved it. now years later, my niece is 5 and she's obsessed with the first 2 movies (the other ones are a bit too mature for her age). that's a sign of quality filmmaking and the movie industry is lacking that when it comes to family movies.
Loved the first two Harry Potter movies. They actually felt magical and recreated the world of the books. The rest were just teen dramas with the magic taking the backseat.
I never thought of the comparisons between Harry Potter and Home Alone. Hell, sometimes I forget its a Columbus film and not a Hughes-directed film. Thanks for spelling it out.
I personally think Chris Columbus should have directed up to Goblet of Fire. Cuaron should have directed the last 3 movies. The 5th film would have been the right time to introduce a new Dumbledore as well, if we had been lucky enough to see Richard Harris live longer. He should have delivered "Harry, did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?"
Columbus should’ve directed all 8 movies. As you pointed out in your video, Columbus had an eye for and interest in horror, and he didn’t shy away from putting kid characters into deadly situations, so I think he would’ve done a great job translating the more serious, mature books into films.
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Home Alone and especially the first Harry Potter movie have this "book by the fireplace" coziness to them that really sticks to me.
I think it's the lighting and music of the first one. It plays largely like a fairy tale meant for children and manages to stay magical the whole way through.
It really makes you wonder how the rest of the series would have turned out had they not taken a hard turn into grittiness with the 3rd movie and never pulled up.
@@echodelta2172 Unfortunately that was just kind of the style everyone was going for in the mid 2000s and early 2010s. I do wonder what 3-7 would've looked like if they were a bit more whimsical though
Yeah. Always felt like they overdid the grittiness thing. Of course it was always the point that the franchise matured as it went on, but jesus, the color-correction of the final instalments was just wayyy to bleak.@@echodelta2172
@@muffinman3052i think the tone change works perfectly though. When they're children it's whimsy and fun, nothing truly bad happens, everything is resolved quite nicely minus a few loose ends. Then goblet of fire comes around and the first half still has that somewhat whimsical tone then by the end it takes that very dark turn with Voldemort and the death of Cedric. it also works nicely with how the fans of the movies at the time grew up at the same time as the actors, so in that way the tone reflects real life.
very well said.
This explains why Harry Potter feels like a Christmas movie
Especially the first one!
to this day, it's the only HT I ever watched. good movie.
yes
@@fredvasquez4201 Man you missing out. The first 4 are great. Number 2 is done by Chris Columbus too.
Especially the first two. Always watch them around Christmas.
John Williams is the closest thing we have to a living wizard, and it doesn’t hurt that he uses a wand for part of his work either.
Briliant joke 😂
And yeah, I agree, J. Williams is a very talented person, who does amazing musics !
The man is basically Dumbledore.
@@melodieprimvert2702how do you know this? he could be a excellent music writer and do atrocious things at home... we'll never know!
@@Herbert2892 (I'm French, hence the misunderstanding when using english, sorry lol)
You are completely right ! I did not want to assume anything about his personnality nor about his private life :)
My idea was more, let's say, genius instead of "amazing", or incredible, would that work ?
(Edit : I modified my comment by putting "talented" instead of "amazing", I think it shows better what I was trying to say ? )
my mans got really away with changing a few notes from classical pieces and is regarded a genius for it lmao
One thing that was really downgraded in HP films is color. The first two have this beautiful colors in every scenario, but by the 8th film there is only green, black, and inbetween. I know its because of the darker atmosphere, but its something I really missed
Edit: Wow, I was just saying that I missed color. I wasnt expecting a Spanish Inquisition
They fiddled with the colour palette in post production, to their detriment imo.
I think it works for the later films. It adds such a contrast to when they were younger, just like real life. The first two films being colorful is like your childhood being colorful when you look back. The later years darker.
Sadly that's the case ever since Batman: Begins came out in 2005. It's a means of attracting viewers as people got bored with bright, colorful movies. Even video games became darker and desaturated during the Xbox 360 / PS3 era, IMO the worst decision ever made. Plus it's easier to make movies that way, you don't have to worry about lighting, color grading and atmosphere as much, just make everything dark and suddenly it's brimming with suspense. Win-win scenario.
Sure it works for later HP movies but I think they overdid it.
@@VergilHiltsLTIts because Alfonso Cuaron took over the 3rd one. He knew the darker themes needed a colder color palette.
Cuarón’s take on PoA was really great but I don’t think the darkness had to progress so linearly from there. The movies could have had a mix of light and darkness that would have made it more interesting. Instead, everything after GoF is a dark mess. They could have found their own cozy magic to them like Columbus did. Letting David Yates run with his style was a mistake because he seems to equate dark themes with dark scenes.
Wish I could live in an alternate reality where Chris directed all 8 movies. He just grasped everything that makes Harry Potter so lovable and made it so incredibly tangible. Yates, on the other hand, by directing the last movies with a lack of color and fun (which the books never stopped having even though things took a dark turn by the way) squeezed all that makes Harry Potter so memorable. They're not terrible movies obviously but wow was the vision so different.
I want to live in that alternative reality too. The last movies are bad movies, as movies by themselves and even worst as reflections of the books
While I agree with 88% of what you said, I would never trade the director of Prisoner of Azkaban, Alfonso Cuaron, for anything. Chris mastered the hominess of Hogwarts, but Cuaron nailed the strange, fantastic, dark side of the wizarding world (while also being quite funny and moving).
@@netherworlde Oh yeah 100%! PoA is my favorite movie for those exact reasons too! He balanced the fun and seriousness of the third book perfectly. He made the Wizarding world a fun and kooky place and took the music as a storytelling element too. Had he directed all 8 movies I wouldn’t have complained 🕺🏻
Yeah I don’t think the movies really got bad until the fifth one when Yates took over. I actually think Mike Newell did a great job with Goblet of Fire and reflected the changing tone wonderfully in that film. Nothing had become desaturated and devoid of fun in that film the way it did in the last four films.
And I also think Cuaron wins the prize with Prisoner of Azkaban for best film in the series. Doesn’t hurt that it’s probably the best stand-alone book/story in the series (arguably) as well.
@@isaacgraham5727 Agreed, the Goblet of Fire still carried the torch that made the earlier films great.
I think one of the many things that makes Cuaron's work different is that he actively tries to make you forget you're watching a movie so you can really be in the moment. In PoA and even in his other films (like Children of Men and Roma), he's intent on shooting things like it's a documentary of fictional happenings. The long take of Arthur warning Harry about Sirius Black is a classic example.
Another difference is his attention to everyday things that often go overlooked. Columbus had the kids dress prim and proper, but Cuaron told the kids to wear their cloaks and ties however they wanted. So of course they untucked their shirts and mussed their hair. It's the undirected details that make the kids feel like kids.
And when you consider that Daniel Radcliffe and Macaulay Culkin both seem to have real down-to-earth personalities as well, it really ties in with how real the characters of those films feel
The really great thing about the casting there is that all of the "goofy children's acting" complaints are both incorrect, and really describe why the performances have always worked.
They're authentically awkward, because children are authentically awkward
Macaulay defends child rapists though and Daniel doesn’t
They don`t have much acting expectations for child actors, its easier to choose the kid that fits the charachter naturally. Hence prolly why both carreer had tanked. Not everyone becomes DiCaprio and authentic acting is not easy, lot of the people like Wahlberg, Rock, Kevin Hart etc just playing themselves/their persona over and over again.
@@ndark907sorry what criminally convicted child rapist did he defend?
@@kluneberg8952he's referring to michael jackson's unfounded allegations
I truly believe Columbus was the best director of the HP movies, he truly understood the books and characters, it's a shame he didn't work on more of them.
I personally put him behind Alfonso Cuarón because he really opened up Hogwarts and gave it some real geography, making it feel like a truly lived in place. But Columbus knows how to direct kids and I think you feel his absense by the time the fourth film arrives (he produced the third and stepped away after that.)
You have to factor in that the kids are growing up by that point, and as they do the films embrace it- so of course they feel different
@@novakov7412 i understand it and my opinion still stands. very little of the book core were in the movies after the first two.
Totally agree.
@@lysblack I kinda disagree. After book 3, there was a marked change in writing style that made the books more heavy. I think the change in direction fit that to some extent.
Watched Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone with my 9 year old two weeks ago, and then Home Alone last week and he said during the opening credits: "Hey, this is the Harry Potter music!"
This video is well timed!!
That is so fantastic! I was definitely not that sharp as a kid.
I just remember watching Harry Potter, I loved that John Williams made the score of the first three, since I was already a fan of Star Wars and Indiana Jones (and most Steven Spielberg films, he almost directed Philospher's Stone), that's why I loved the first 2 movies so much, they gave me that vibe of child fantasy adventure that took me back home. Not only that, but Industrial Light & Magic making the VFX.
Fun facts: a portion of the Star Wars main title plays in a Philosopher's Stone scene, where Harry finds the 8.3/4 platform. Also, part of the score of Attack of the Clones plays in Chamber of Secrets (both released in 2002).
Smart kid. Do they play an instrument?
If your child can intuitively recognize these similarities, please help them find a musical education! I'm so happy and excited for your family!
LOL, I had that same reaction when I first watched Home Alone, though I was 12 and my youth orchestra had played Harry Potter the year before so it was firmly engrained in my head.
I find it fantastic how all three main kids became accomplished actors. Not just celebrities, but amazing actors doing all kinds of challenging work, and in the case of Daniel Radcliff, using his influence to help smaller and weird projects.
Chris Columbus really chose the right kids.
Yes. The entire HP film series franchise owes a tremendous amount to Columbus’s prescient casting on #1.
I really enjoy the fact that Radcliffe is a huge weirdo who wants to do all the bonkers movies.
@@erakfishfishfish And Daniel has done more films than Emma Watson, my first non-Potter movie of his was The Woman in Black, fun fact: the actor who plays Daniel's father in that movie, is the same actor who played James Potter.
Uhhhhh, news flash: the Casting Director makes casting decisions, if they didn't, then there would be a union dispute. That's not how films are made.
@@NextToToddlinesswell they choose based on insteuctions from the director, and I think said director probably has the final say
Richard Harris really embodied the warmness of Dumbledore, something which I feel Michael Gambon was never able to do.
No disrespect to Michael Gambon (a good proportion of the fandom misses him right now), he was a great actor in other stuff. Harris appeared in the movie, because his graunddaughter wanted him to play Dumbledore. Also, not only Harris was the menthor of The Boy Who Lived, but also played Marcus Aurelius in Gladiator (in the latin spanish dubbings of both Gladiator and the first 2 HP films, Richard Harris had the same voice actor, who passed away recently, he also dubbed Michael Gambon's Dumbledore during the rest of the series).
I feel both were miscast.
The book DD has depth (and flaws) that never really show up in either actor’s performances.
@UloPe Don't you think that's more of a script/direction thing, as well as Harris not being in any of the movies that would have given him a chance to expand the character? I'd love to hear who you think should have been cast. Not being snarky, BTW. Genuinely curious.
@@sammygirl6910A chance to expand the character? Harris would not have been able to do any of the physical stuff 😂😂
I agree, but I cannot see Richard Harris doing any of the fights with Voldemort in the 5th movie
There is a story about the casting for Harry Potter that makes me smile. Apparently he had the three write a report about their respective characters so make sure they understood them. It was supposed to be this quick couple pages. Emma Watson wrote way above the page limits and went into high detail, Daniel Radcliffe wrote a half decent paper, and Rupert Grint didn’t even turn it in. And if that does not show an understanding for the characters I don’t know what does,
Hahahaha love that
That wasn’t about casting. They were already cast by that point. Alfonso Cuaron had them do that for the third movie
Yes exactly that was Alfonso cuaron
sounds fake
@@Yoyomeyo but the person who cast them did a great job , proven by Cuaron
Absolutely love your work. I'm no cinema snob, but you invigorate a real appreciation for films that I otherwise look past for being just "okay." Chris Columbus isn't my favorite director, but damn if you didn't give me a new level of respect for this guy. It's easy to imagine how badly a movie full of unknown child actors could go in the wrong hands.
Thank you. This is such a kind comment :) And I know, it blows me away for much the same reason as being a grade school teacher does. The skills required to succeed in that kind of environment.. it’s off the hook, and generally under appreciated.
It's totally fair to talk about Home Alone and Chris Columbus during christmas, also the Harry Potter films have some holidayish vibes, like they're good to watch at halloween and christmas, just like A Nightmare Before Christmas and other Tim Burton films (I remember a critic once saying about The Philospher Stone should've been directed by Tim Burton, can you imagine how that would've been.
That's the element that gets most overlooked about CC's HP films. It's very easy to imagine a world in which they would have begun with the wrong key actors or the wrong direction of those actors, ruining the ability of older moviegoers to enjoy these - and then it would have just been a "kid's" series beloved by a generation but limited to that at best.
@@CinemaStix My brother-in-law reviews fantasy books, and he approaches it with the exact same eye and tone that you approach cinema. We get a lot of negativity with reviews; you and he take, to steal the word of the comment at the top of this thread, an approach of appreciation. If a work doesn't leave you appreciating something about it, you surely leave it alone, which is fine - but then you're there to shine a light on what you do appreciate, and that's most valuable when it's the unexpected. Cheers!
@@jesustovar2549His very first film has two kids and an Elizabeth Shue playing iirc a 17-year-old. He’s been “practicing” his craft for a long time.
Just recently watched All the Harry Potters again and first ones definitely have a unique feeling to them and feel good to rewatch. While the later ones start feeling like just high budget action movies.
Magic in the first movies seemed much more creative and visually interesting imho. Magic in the later movies however was heavily over-reliant on CGI and wands were portrayed more like guns than anything else.
The first 2 HP movies are among my all time favourites, and I am really happy that Chris Columbus finally gets some recognition for his masterful direction. He captured both the wonder and the terror of these stories.
I love how some poeple will say how "mature and dark" the series became later on, and yet some of the imagery and scene direction in the first two movies is still genuenly some of the most terrifying I've ever seen in any movie.
Me too. People have been telling me that the later films did much better, but they seem comparable, though the last had the highest domestic and worldwide box office.
1 318/1049M
2 262/926
3 250/807
4 290/899
5 292/941
6 302/934
7 296/986
8 381/1356M
I'm still shocked that they dropped John Williams' Voldemort music. That was truly bone-chilling stuff!
the second movie does an amazing job of still being fun and meant for younger audiences while also being suspenseful and genuinely terrifying at some parts
@@All-ze9clAgreed! Really enjoy Chamber of Secrets.
@@All-ze9cl
That's why CoS is my favorite HP film with PoA. Good kids horror movie. It's also the most book accurate plotwise
wait, wait, wait, wait.... the guy that done Home Alone, done Harry Potter too?! How have I never connected these dots before. What a Legend to so many childhoods.
Mrs Doubtfire as well
And on top of that a memorable score from one of the most influential composers to cinema.
Crazy to see the parallels that Danny points out. I too never even put it together.
🤦♂️ Learn to read. The credits of movies will be eye opening to you.
@@TroyUlyssesLearn to write. An understanding of hyphenation will be eye-opening for you.
No, this is fake.
Every now and then I think about how wild in comparison (to what we got) it would have been for Chris to have done all the Harry Potter movies. There's this certain charm and magic that almost seems to some what fade (imo) as the movies go on, except for the third film, but I do think that suits and helps those movies though.
You’re totally not alone- the magical feeling really does fade, though I think that’s to the benefit of the story. The characters are getting older, the situations more grim, and not only are they used to the idea of magic but they are now having to depend on it for their lives. I think that’s why my favorite scene in all of the movies is the one in Slughorn’s office when he remembers the magical fishbowl. It’s this intense glimmer of the innocent magic and charm of the first few movies in the midst of the very serious final acts of the story. Always been obsessed!!
i see this especially in the spells, which are reduced by just flashes of light after the 2nd movie
@@dion9781and the lack of audible incantations. They just become magic guns 😂
we have the same profile pic but mine is on discord lol
Whatever movie that they all had long hair... That pissed me off more than anything. What was up with that? Was that style trending on wizard tik tok or something?
The first two HP have that charm in them. A genuine magical feeling
I think what truly makes the Harry Potter films special is that they all matured and changed in tone as the series progressed. Columbus is a man who thrives on the sense of wonder. He takes magic and juices up the fun and awesomeness in it, and makes it absolutely amazing and simply leaves you in awe of what it’s capable of. For a movie that’s introducing the world and the characters and mechanics in it, that’s a genius tactic. The first two films are all about the magic. One shows off the inherent beauty. The other shows of the omnipresent darkness. As the series continued, it grew and matured with it’s characters. Gone were the innocent faces of young 11 and 12 year olds seeing magic flourish, and enter the dark and gloomy teenage years, where you’re forced into adulthood and responsibilities and growing up. That childhood wonder and innocence is something Chris Columbus is so adept at capturing. I’m glad they chose him to make the first two films.
I do you think you are right, but only partly. The last few movies do have a more mature tone, but they’re also just a tad boring. Sure, my world, as a child was bright and colorful and fun, but my teen years were also incredibly fun and wonderful and curious. I feel like the Afters had to really Carrie poor script and boring Director across the finish line. Alfonso Cuaron is fantastic and killed it with his HP movie. But David Yates just dulled down the HP movies he did.
The films are not special, past the first 2-3 they are awful. You probably grew up watching the films first and that is okay. But the reality is when they premiered in theaters it was always met with dissapointment. Even younger kids would audibly express dissaproval mid-film at all of the changes and content cuts.
My life didn’t immediately become grey and shitty as soon as I turned 18 lol, they’ve been through dangerous situations in the first 2 films as well lol
@@Hkouggbmha yea but there wasn't an ongoing war then. wars and deaths just make everything less happy and colorful and more depressing and painful unfortunately
@@Luckingsworth Similar to the books which also got worse in quality with each new installment. I loved the first two, 3 was sort of okay, and then from 4 onward it really nosedived. I dont even remember what happens in 6 and 7. What a bore. Rowling definitely hit something originally but got lost midway through. Which is surprisingly common for longer fantasy series. People should just stick to trilogies.
For copyright reasons, I wasn’t able to delve as deep as I wanted into the music of these films. But the next time you watch HA 1/2, keep it in the back of your mind and I think you’ll be able to experience the similarities in Williams’ themes pretty well. And in general just the impact of his work on the tone of the movies.
if we ever find immortality, williams gets dibs
Brilliant stuff ❤
I love your channel
I don't have the eye for movies, but I do have the ear for music. I remember noticing how similiar the themes are and then found out that, of course, same composer.
I think you should do the same with Tarantino. Every movie he's made since Reservoir Dogs has been Reservoir Dogs reskinned. When asked "how do you make a masterpiece" he cockily answered "Make Reservoir Dogs", and he's done that same thing ever since. The plots of all his movies share the same structure from start to finish, they're all masculinity wars between [mostly] men who neither are truly good, but one is worse than the other. They all do quick cut action scenes. No long takes with the exception of some dialogue scenes. Obviously extended dialogue scenes will happen in all of his movies, as well as at least 1 castration. They're all essentially rewrites of history - taking a historical event and twisting it into a fetish-focused, male-on-male sexual fantasy of Tarantino's. Excuses to get close-ups of women's feet. It's all basically the same thing, but with increasing level of his sexual preferences being included with each film, probably capping at Django. Beyond that, they also all share the same camera tricks, the same elementary filming style, blatant shadows covering half a person's face to show that you should be questioning if someone is good or evil, cartoonish introduction to plot elements, pausing the movie to introduce characters. Piece by piece, they're all exactly the same.
Really happy to hear this level of respect for Williams from RUclips movie essayists.
The colour of the first few hp films were so warm and, welcoming. It's probably on purpose how the films darkened to more greens and blues to fit the narrative, but oh the magic I felt when I first watched the first film when I was younger ❤️
I remember watching the first film on VHS when I was 11. When Harry goes into the wand shop and Olivander says "hmm, curious", I turned to my mother and asked what that word meant, only for her to burst out laughing when Harry asks the exact same question a beat later.
I have always thought that the first two Harry Potter films were undoubtedly the best. They are very true to the books and are absolutely charming in how wholesome they are. The third one brings in this washed out color grading that became the rule for all the later films where everything became green and gray and combined that with this desire to make things far darker. That, combined with the fact that, starting with the fourth book, Rowling's books started to balloon in size to the point where they were competing with great 19th century novels (a comparison not to Rowling's credit), made it so the films had a huge problem just with adapting the source material. All this just makes the first two stand out as idiosyncratic and even more charming.
The first 2 movies were the only ones that were truly accurate to the books. They were also filled with quotes that once they were put on the screen were just funny (like that scene where Hermione says "Neville, I'm really sorry about this" and knocks him out with a spell). Third movie already felt like it was being rushed through with more interest being shown to the activities than to dialogue. I still liked it, but when you stop and listen to the dialogue and try to make sense of the actions of characters, it kind of loses its charm.
The bigger books weren't adapted well at all. They decided they wanted to go for "LOTR" battle flashiness (a lot of slow motion, staredowns, closeups on faces, instead of focusing on the actions) and they didn't pay that much attention to the source material, which sometimes hurt the stories a lot.
I don't think Rowlings books are that big. They seem that way because they are written in quite a large font size. I know the feeling of the 19th century novels and I don't think I read one of those from my country because they were just too long lol. There is something to say about making the HP books smaller, kind of like Pratchett books, but that would mean that almost all the school life would be cut out and I think that was one of the greatest appeal of the books. You always followed a story of the whole school year with the challenges being appropriate for the age of the characters. Many characters would have to be cut out entirely if the books were smaller and the story would probably be changed a lot.
@@TrykusMykus I'm in line with you a lot. Following the books to the letter was never the point, but currently, the movies deviate further and further from the books and become darker and darker, missing many hopeful themes from the books. They also miss some of the significant scenes of the books which would have been way more impactful if they were not changed to increase the action. The best example of this is the last battle in the Great Hall where in the end harry, voldemort, molly and belatrix circle around each other. It is really impactful in the books, especially because nothing happens but in the movies, it's made into a comic relief and very long action sequence without any of the satisfactory explanation that is going on in the books and ties everything together. It is a pity and I think with a bit more light and truthfulness to the books this could have been alleviated.
And indeed, the books are not too big to be made into a movie, the weight that has been given in the movies is just off.
@billdestroyerofworlds FACTS 🤌 I share your opinions regarding the superiority of the first two movies in terms of adaptation and the dubious decisions of maintaining a mostly cold photography for the films remaining in the franchise. Now, I can understand the will from Cuarón to detach his thematic ambiance from the first two HP movies since the third book represents a significant growth in Harry's character (the beginning of his teen rebellion) as he uncovers and comes to terms with some foundational hidden truths from his past which then solidify his resolution to defeat Voldemort during the rest of the franchise. Moreover, Cuarón imputs this peculiar ambiance through technical brio as well as a fresh and creative perspective. What is more questionable is why directors after Cuarón and especially Yates chose to stick to a dark photography as if the only way to picture the nihilistic, ghastly, decrepiting Wizarding World was to use a fashionable at the time blueish/blackish tint. There are countless exemples of movies from past and present who use a warm and vivid palette to depict very accurately and creatively the loss of hope, filth, rot and serious matters. A more serious and darker tone in a source material should not automatically mean darker tones on the film screen and the latter are not more true to the situation than a warmer photography, they only are the more evident and less creative choice. The most famous Hammer films, some giallo flicks or even recently Ti West's 'Pearl' are examples of movies that have not anihilated warmth in their photography under the pretense that their subject matters are serious and touch on the collapse of moral values.
@@m780dff Well, I’d argue that Harry Potter has never been defined solely by the tragedies that happen in the story. If we list all the things that happen to Harry, it sounds like a tear-jerker, but I don't think that's true of the material. There is also a lot of humour, and the films missed out on the complexity of it. (I always felt that Rowling's British humour didn't translate well into a Hollywood blockbuster.)
"How do you feel [cheery lighting and color grading] is an appropriate choice in comparison to having the tone of the film match the story?"
The tone of a film is determined by much more than just lighting or colour grading. This is central to the criticism at hand, because many people in the film industry in recent years seem to think that scenes with no colour or barely lit scenes automatically equate to a serious tone and dramatic scene. But the mise-en-scène is so much more than light!
Think of The Lord of the Rings, with its great battles and drama, which still has colour (thank god it was shot on film) and good lighting. I'd argue that it makes the scenes even more powerful. The battle of Helm's Deep would be nowhere near as iconic if it had been shot like a night scene in Game of Thrones, where you can barely see anything. There's also Midsommar (or Pearl, as someone already mentioned here), a horror film that's very colourful and takes place in bright daylight, which makes for a great juxtaposition. „Psycho“ has excellent lighting too, but it’s still horror. And Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" is a black and white film about facism, which sounds dramatic, yet it's unmistakably comedic. So I would argue that lighting and colour grading aren't the only things that can reflect a dramatic story.
I also think the darker tone in Harry Potter worked really well in Cuarón's Prisoner of Azkaban. It has my favourite cinematography of all the films and does a great job of making Hogwarts feel alive. It feels magical and profound. The later films lack that nuance for me. And finally… I just want to be able to see what is happening on screen.
@@lilybaggins140 really good analysis!
I’m so glad Chris chose intuitive actors that were not super well known, it brought something so special and magical to the films.
I'm so happy when people talk about Chris Colombus! Whenever I get to mention my favorite directors to people I talk to, they get surprised when I mention him alongside many other famous directors. There's just something about the movies he makes that are charming and iconic in so many ways.
I don’t know what but your videos have an amazing feel to them that i cant really explain, what I can say is that they are amazing
:)
It's his mellow, relaxed, almost "sleepy-time" narration. He isn't lecturing, he's conversing. And we are here for it!
he's a good writer and understands how to pace his content and edit it well. He's taking his time and crafting something special.
I appreciate the callout regarding the "horror" in the Harry Potter films, the second one in particular...it's probably why it's by favorite of the bunch, which of course runs contrary to the general consensus (Chamber Of Secrets often being placed rock bottom by folks). The series of course gets darker as it goes along, but it also loses some elements of magic and even "school" that the first film nailed so well - hence why #2, which retained those elements while going darker, feels most right to me. Nice video, as always!
These insights into films and filmmaking are fantastic. Short, relaxed, with a warm tone and really informative.
Thank you!
I almost passed on this video because I read the title and assumed it was another movie review youtuber with a similar profile picture because these types of videos from they are usually far more mean spirited, or at least they come off that way.
You on the other hand always give me a new appreciation for something I never thought too much about which is why I watch every new video you post.
Your short video essays are amazing and rekindle my love for cinema every time. Thank you so much
Thank you so much for being here and watching them!
watching your content is always an enjoyable and illuminating experience. I had the good fortune of working with Chris Columbus on the first Christmas Chronicles, and it was clear that he truly loved the process of making films, and was very generous with his time and extremely humble for someone of his stature.
That’s incredible! I actually really wanted to mention those films somewhere in the video to drive home the association between him and Christmas movies. But it just didn’t quite fit.
.
@@CinemaStix perhaps a part two ;-)
He was a true Christian man. He understood the beauty
Absolutely smashing timing! We just watched all four of these movies the past week. This was a real eye opener, I have not given the first two HPs enough credit. The idea of Spielberg directing them is also a mind blowing little nugget. 😂
Macaulay throwing bricks off the roof at Harry and Marv will forever be the funniest damn thing I've ever seen on film.
Chris Columbus built the entire visual world of Harry Potter. I remember when the movie first came out it absolutely blew my mind. It looked exactly how I imagined it would look. That first movie was such an amazing experience and it perfectly captured the vibe and magic of the book. Some of the other films not so much, but that first one for sure
The first two HP movies were magical in every way. You could feel the magic emanating from every scene. From the third one onwards, it gradually turned into ordinary movies that just happened to have magical elements in them.
This is why I love the first 2 HP movies, they're basically Christmas movies to me, and tonally feel similar to Home Alone 1 and 2 strangely, but that's just due to his direction, and of course John Williams scoring both!
An interesting visual source for the Harry Potter films can be found in the film 'Young Sherlock Holmes,' which was directed by Barry Levinson, but was written by Columbus. The visual comparisons are so uncanny as to be undeniable, down to the three central characters and the Oxord-like setting. YSH debuted more than 15 years before Harry Potter; it's a fair bet that the look of the later film was informed, if not directly lifted from the former.
I agree with this and have thought this for years.
One thing Chris did amazing with was the use of the Mise en scene which is a French word that refers to how everything in a scene is arranged.
The Mise en scene can be used to foreshadow events or a characters development. In the case of the first Potter the Wizards chess not only foreshadows the films climax but the rest of the series as well along with Harry's clothing.
This is so well edited. Ive never been able to pin point exactly what does similarities between the two films are. You did it beautifully
All 3 of the Harry Potter directors bring their own special touch to their films, and Columbus’ biggest touch is that childlike wonder necessary to get kids to buy into it. His direction really feels like a kid discovering magic for the first time
but there were _four_ directors! i assume it's mike newell who has slipped your mind? i don't blame you, though. he seems to be the one people forget
@@akbarshahzad5780 You’re absolutely right…I remembered Goblet of Fire being directed by Yates for some reason
This video is an instant classic, you are on top of your craft. The Williams segment was so beautiful, and an overall grand slam. Thank you!
I never realized that one guy is responsible for so many childhood classics.
Had no idea Columbus was behind the first Harry Potter movie as well. The Christmas scenes in Harry Potter felt so warm! This explains a lot. Thanks for sharing
Fantastic writing and editing, as always. And such an elegant intro!
Thank you!! Haha, I wrote that intro crossing my fingers it was going to work out in the edit. It was a bit of a gamble.
2:08 is probably my most favourite use of B roll I have ever seen. Well done, I wanted to make sure you knew it was noticed :D
You can literally watch the color slowly drain more and more out of the films as the series goes on, starting with the third. The first two are so gorgeous and vibrant, and the final film is practically greyscale, it’s so dull to look at.
The first two films are the same vibe as Eyes Wide Shut and The Shining
🤣The Chris Columbus / AVGN lookalike is such a good call!
Haha, phew. I was so worried as I sat down to edit this that it was all just in my head.
:)
Second time in a week James has come up on RUclips. Sucks what went on with Cinemassacre
I think they look nothing alike, apart from both having glasses
@@SqueebPlays what happened? I used to watch him all the time
@jj-if6it they got taken over, and their parent company plagiarized a bunch of reviews afterwards.
i had NO idea these two were by the same director! no wonder they're both favorites of mine omg
The Chris Columbus Harry Potter films are my absolute favorite. The nostalgia and whimsy is what sets them a tier above the rest of the Harry Potter films. I really wish he had directed/produced the entire series.
I hope Chris does watch this video or read some of these comments, im so thankful that this man is alive and did all these pieces of art for us!
I recently watched this multi part behind the scenes of the making of the first Harry Potter and Columbus is an absolute master at working with children. He was the perfect choice for the early Harry Potter movies. You nailed it when pointing out how good he is at blending a slight touch of horror as well.
Each of your videos is dissertation quality but with an amazing level of accessibility and warmth. ❤
I really wish they kept him as a director for all the Harry Potter films. Columbus really captured the true magic of the Harry Potter universe. Maybe wouldn't work for later films, but still.
I had no idea Chris Columbus wrote Gremlins. I'm always arguing that its a Christmas movie in the same way that Harry Potter is. Now I have my proof 🎉
I've always loved the first two HP movies because of how magical & homey they both feel when you watch them. CC really just knows how to deliver a good balance between the magical, wide-eyed wonder and the darkness of the stories.
The first film really set the bar high and we’re grateful for it. Honestly usually movie series become bad as they create too many but the 8 potter films although some better than others are consistently spectacular
havent watched a Cinemastix video in a while and im very glad this was the video to pop up on my recommended page.
These two movies franchises were ones that I watched and then rewatched so often to the point where I could probably recite every single line of dialogue without even thinking about it. Granted, that made me pretty insufferable if you watched them with me, but I digress.😂
Chris Columbus really is a director who is a true master of his craft, like Christopher Nolan or Quentin Tarantino. It's just that his specialty isn't as widely known or appreciated sometimes, but that doesn't really detract from how special it truly is.
Have you watched those videos about AI writing the Harry Potter films as if they were written and directed by Tarantino or Nolan (although I wonder how Nolan would have made Harry Potter, by the time he was working with Warner Bros).
The first three Harry Potter films are my favorite- they have a magical quality owing to the charm of the colors and John Williams' unbeatable score. The following books/films have a different tone and are much darker, and maybe that's why the color palette and composer were changed to match that, but the charm is really in those first three!
He certainly nailed the Hogwarts aesthetic in a way not found in the later films.
These films pretty much defined my childhood and I often revisit them to this day. Kudos to you Chris Columbus!
I remember WB offering Columbus the entire franchise after the success of HP1 but for some reason that never came to be. Not sure if his style would’ve been fit for the later, darker installments, but to get the franchise started he was definitely the perfect choice. The heart that he managed to imbue within those first two films is what allowed the franchise to run for a decade. Awesome video, happy holidays!
I think it was because he didn't want to miss being in his kids lives and watching them grow up. Which is why he decided to produce the third movie and not to be involved with the rest of the series.
@@nickdorenkamp959 Fair enough. Nothing against the Harry Potter films but I think I'd rather watch my own kids grow up than Daniel Radcliffe too
OP, PLEASE watch Eyes Wide Shut and The Shining. That was what ALL 8 HP films would feel and look like if Columbus stayed
Thank you for this. I adore the filmmaking style and storytelling narrative Columbus employs not just through direction but writing also. He always conveys a strong sense of warmth and magic through the eerie sinister overtone. Its through the sets, the visuals, costumes, makeup and overall design. Being able to watch The Goonies, Gremlins, Harry Potter, Young Sherlock Holmes and Home Alone every christmas makes me really appreciate his style. Invoking horror and warmth within big picture movies is not happening these days especially in family films so big respect to a director who can.
Crazy that this isn't widely known/acknowledged
Great video. Never realized all the similarities between these two films. Thank you for not including the nail on the stairs scene.
Aside from just being generally well-made, and generally very entertaining, your videos have one extraordinary quality that always, always kind of blows my mind… I see the title and think something like “What the heck?” but by the end of he video, I have been given a whole new perspective on some aspect of filmmaking or a filmmaker, and this one was absolutely your best work (which is saying something, because you’re consistently great.)
Makes me happy to see content like this. The feelings of tuning in on just the right channel and watching a beautiful essay. Really appreciate it!
0:59 I never realized how weird it is that they call their normal version of chess "wizard's chess" instead of just calling it chess, and referring to the version where the pieces DON'T move as "muggle chess"
Maybe because chess was invented by muggles, so their version is the offshoot, so they call it wizard chess to indicate its not the original
When I got to the end of this video I was begging it not to stop. So good
hey babe new cinema stix upload
Have seen both of them so many times and never thought about how similar they are. And both of them have some kind of magic of making you feel like home
Firstly, I adore your work on this channel. Your videos have helped me to enjoy cinema in a way I never thought I would. I have a question though, how come you're always changing the titles of your videos? Does it have to do with the analytics performance or is that just your style. Again, love your videos, keep it up!
Thank you! So happy to have you here :)
Also, thanks for asking. It’s a bit difficult to explain it fully, but yeah, it ultimately has to do with performance. On an individual level, it may not seem like one title would be “better” over another. But with enough data, I can see pretty quickly how one title can be, en mass, more attractive to a larger group of people. And that’s something I just can’t completely predict in advance. I’ve developed a bit more of an intuition about it over time, but in the end it’s always a bit of an experiment. And for sure, I appreciate that it’s a little weird and annoying. And I regret that. But I really believe in the videos I make. And it’s important to me to try and get them out to as a wide an audience as possible so that I can continue to grow.
I don’t know if that really answers it. But if you have any specific questions, I’m happy to try and answer them. One day maybe I’ll write a book about it.
-Danny
amazing comparative analysis of both the movies. never really made the connection between the two! thank you
Phenomenal comparison.
Ironically enough, a huge fan of the first two Home Alone films, but could barely get through the first Harry Potter film, never saw any others. I also tried reading the books and I got as far as chapter 3.
Funny l, I had never made the comparison.
If this dosen't make you watch Harry Potter in it's entirety, then I don't know what else will, or at least the first 2 films, 3rd one is actually a cinematic masterpiece in itself, directed by Alfonso Quarón, that's when the films got more mature as the protagonists were growing up. I tell you, stay for the cast, especially the adults, you have Richard Harris in the first 2 (who also played Marcus Aurelius in Gladiator) and Alan Rickman (also known as Hans Gruber in Die Hard) who's character is one of the best. John Williams did great scores in the first 3 (even a portion of the Star Wars main theme plays, intentional or not, nice add).
I would NEVER have made this connection on my own, but you've nailed it. Bravo! Brilliantly done. :)
your videos are always such a treat. thank you!
:D
I never noticed that it’s the same director.
But every time I hear the music for either movie I need a second to remember whether it’s from Harry Potter or home alone.
The title either implies that children's movies don't deserve good directors, or that children's movies are made poorly. Either way it feels like bad form, and to me it perpetuates the notion that "kids don't know what good movies are, so they don't have to be good," when this video goes on to point out two classics that prove that idea holds no water.
This was a terrific essay. I learned so much. The side by side on the two movies was brilliant.
Wow! What a great analysis! I’m so happy that you’re on YT. ❤
:D
On the third day the lord said, "Let there be effortless in-depth analysis over calming instrumentals and smooth transitional editing" and so he created Danny Boyd
I see James so I paused the video and like it first. Despite many drama around the channel throughout the years, James’ still one of my all time favorite RUclipsrs. I could hear him talk about movies and games for hours.
I think you hit the nail on the head when you mention horror elements in both films. I think that's also what makes Disney classics from the 60's and 70's so special. In every film there's some very real and very well directed horror- thriller tension moment, almost like a "stealth" section , to describe it in videogame terms: dogs escaping the manor and Crudelia's chase in 101 Dalmatians, Robin Hood infiltrating the castle and robbing prince John, the Edgar sequences in the Aristocats, the haunting presence of shere khan in the Jungle Book, I could go on and on and on. The seriousness and maturity of these moments are what really makes them work in my opinion
Wasn't this called "when you realize you made the same film twice" or something like that? 🤔🤨
My god, one of your best yet, Danny.
Thank you! I actually wrote this one a year ago to come out around the holidays. But life got in the way, and I decided to hold off for next year. So I was really glad to finally get to do it.
Chris Columbus captured the magic of Harry Potter as a child while Alfonso Cuarón perfectly transitioned Harry to adulthood.
And then Yates ruined it all
I didn't even know there were different directors, but the first two harry potter movies were the only ones I enjoyed.
what's crazy to me is harry potter came out when i was a small kid and i absolutely loved it. now years later, my niece is 5 and she's obsessed with the first 2 movies (the other ones are a bit too mature for her age). that's a sign of quality filmmaking and the movie industry is lacking that when it comes to family movies.
Finally some love for Chris Columbus! Chris+John Williams is the ultimate cozy Christmas movie combo
Loved the first two Harry Potter movies. They actually felt magical and recreated the world of the books. The rest were just teen dramas with the magic taking the backseat.
You nailed it, unfortunately I was a teenager when the later ones were coming out so I didn't notice it at the time.
Thank you for making our childhoods that much more special.
anybody know the movie at @00:11?
the magic voyage
shutgefuckup get a life ikwyd
Avengers Endgame
Darude - sandstorm
The godfather
You got me with this one, on every single point. Very difficult to do these days on almost any topic.
Him leaving the Potter-verse was its downfall. First two movies are so magical and perfect
I never thought of the comparisons between Harry Potter and Home Alone. Hell, sometimes I forget its a Columbus film and not a Hughes-directed film. Thanks for spelling it out.
I personally think Chris Columbus should have directed up to Goblet of Fire. Cuaron should have directed the last 3 movies. The 5th film would have been the right time to introduce a new Dumbledore as well, if we had been lucky enough to see Richard Harris live longer. He should have delivered "Harry, did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?"
Wow Harry Potter is just Home Alone 2.0 and now I can’t unsee it.
So why was Percy Jackson so ass?
Columbus should’ve directed all 8 movies. As you pointed out in your video, Columbus had an eye for and interest in horror, and he didn’t shy away from putting kid characters into deadly situations, so I think he would’ve done a great job translating the more serious, mature books into films.
HP 1 & 2 are some of my favorite movies of all time. Thank you M. Chris Columbus.
Thank you sir Colombus, for making our childhood so magical and awesome