Lately, I watch tv and movies through the lenses of a writer. I can’t seem to stop. Unbelievable characters, confusing plots, slow pacing, and uninteresting protagonists are my biggest turn-offs.
So when I catch something I like, I think about it. Every Harry Potter book and movie has been a good experience for me.
With the movie, there were a few hiccups where they diverged from the book and the story lost something, but overall I liked it.
The movie sucked me in 95% of the time. Here’s why:
- Great actors making the characters come to life and feel believable.
- Strong plot with good pacing.
- Tension throughout and more of an edge (which seemed to appear in the later Potter movies).
- Clear POV. No head hopping or uncertainty over whose narrating.
- Great secondary characters–most quirky, some lovable, and some despicable. But all eliciting a response from me.
- Cause and effect follow through. Things flow from each other and the past books flow into this one seamlessly.
What were your favorite things about the Harry Potter movie? Any that might also be characteristics of a great novel?
