Fat-Shaming And 14 Other Things From The Harry Potter Films That Aged Like Milk, And 7 That Stand The Test Of Time
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Here are some Harry Potter film moments that aged poorly and some I think have stood the test of time. Let us start with the bad:
1.AGED POORLY: Harry's ongoing abuse isn't addressed
Over the span of the eight films, there is no way Harry would realistically stay with the Dursleys. If their abusive nature weren't enough to get the attention of wizards, we muggle-folk would handle that quickly before the end of the first film.
There is no consequence. Minimal reaction from magic folk. Seriously, is Harry somehow safer with the Dursleys? He is often faced with dark magic outside of school grounds, so realistically, living with a wizarding foster family would be the obvious way to handle this situation. It makes zero sense, and, as I will say with many on this list if the books explain it better, this is a list about the films.
2.AGED POORLY: Why couldn't Harry see the Thestrals all along?
After witnessing both his parents die, Cedric, and Quirrell, Harry only sees the Thestrals when it is convenient for the plot. Maybe it's explained better in the books, but this moment feels tacked on for the sake of "ex-machina-flying-creatures-help-the-kids" later.
Was it explained better in the books? See the final sentence in entry #1.
3.AGED POORLY: The story of the Malfoys
The final thing we see of the Malfoy family is them tucking their tail between their legs and leaving. Then, years later, Draco sees his child off to Hogwarts. We can infer that he corrected his life choices, but it would have been nice to see Draco "turn face" amid the darkest moment in the final battle.
I'm not saying Lucius and Narcissa deserve redemption, but it would have been nice to see Draco toss Harry his wand or something in the final battle. Movies refuse to see bad guys redeem themselves and accept the consequences afterward.
4.AGED POORLY: Lucius Malfoy is ready to risk it all over losing his house elf.
This part kills me. After being tricked to given away Dobby's freedom, Lucius is so angry about losing his servant that he whips out his wand to "Avada Kedavra" Harry.
The moment is so silly after watching the other films and knowing this is a killing spell. The man was ready to murder a child at Hogwarts over a gifted sock! It's meant to build tension, but it is rather silly. The moment Harry said to Lucius that "he would be" there to save the day was way better than this interaction between them, and this moment kind of poured water on a fire scene.
Speaking of house servants...
5.AGED POORLY: House elf slavery
House elves are slaves, and while the books addressed this, the movies did not. And...yikes.
Everyone seems pretty indifferent to slavery because elves are non-humans, so even the good guys in the film seem pretty awful for how they normalize slavery.
6.AGED POORLY: Harry asking questions gets pretty old fast
Young Harry has the excuse of being tossed into this new magical world, so the fact he is asking so many questions is pretty standard.
But, man, by the fourth movie, the fact our lead is oblivious to everything around him makes me think he is not actually learning anything in school. I'm not asking for his report card, but if a group of people walks into a tiny tent, you should assume magic is at hand.
7.AGED POORLY: The entire idea of Slytherin
Hogwarts splits students into houses to basically "sort out the bad kids" into green and silver. Big yikes.
Seriously, keep your little sorting hat characteristics, it's so apparent everyone in Slytherin is an antagonist, and they don't even hide it. In the final movie, they literally toss children into a dungeon!
8.AGED POORLY: Umbridge was taken away by centaurs
Umbridge is a horrible person and one of the best villains in the Wizarding World, but her exit in The Order of the Phoenix has aged pretty terribly.
Centaurs grab her before she pleads to Harry, but Harry lets them take her. She ends up being okay, but it is not heroic of Harry, and the insinuation of what the centaurs were going to do to her makes me cringe more than a grown man pretending to be a boy's rat.
9.AGED POORLY: The general concept of love potions
Speaking of horrifying, how about not teaching kids how to make potions to trick other students into falling in love with them, yeah?
Sure, it seems like a harmless gag until you see it in action and realize: a teacher taught a classroom of students how to make someone else fall in love with you against their will. How the hell is that not a forbidden potion? Say what you want about Snape, but he wasn't teaching his students this.
10.AGED POORLY: Bad green screens can be really distracting.
So much of Harry Potter was filmed on real sets, so the moment someone stands in front of a green screen, it is painfully obvious.
It may be nit-picking, but we're talking about stuff that didn't age well, and some green screen moments take me out of the movie.
11.AGED POORLY: A majority of CGI creatures
None of the CGI creatures really hold up anymore. The troll, giants, mermaids, etc. (The dragon still looks pretty great). Some scenes in the first film even feature CGI extras, and they look like you're on Level 3 of a video game.
Speaking of which...
12.AGED POORLY: The Quidditch Matches
The pacing and storytelling of quidditch matches are still quality, but the effects have not aged well. A mix of bad green screen and special effects are to blame. They're still fun, but little moments throughout look very dated.
13.AGED POORLY: Dean Thomas is the Lando Calrissian of Hogwarts
Diversity is lacking among the speaking roles in the films. Off the top of my head, Dean and Cho are the only two students I can think of that check that box.
Throughout the 2000s, the only mainstream Black British actor I can think of is Naomie Harris, so it's easy to say it was a Hollywood casting problem. I imagine they will fix this problem if they go forward with the series. I say send a casting call for Richard Ayoade for Gilderoy Lockhart.
14.AGED POORLY: Heavy people are bad people in the Wizarding World
It's either a heavy person antagonizing our hero or being the butt of a joke. The fat-shaming is as common as Voldemort saying "nyahhh!"
All the scenes feel pretty dated and even mean-spirited for a film meant for kids. For example, Hagrid is a good character and a giant, but the point is how they treat overweight antagonists. It's always a slight about their appearance rather than their character. A character like Hagrid is never the butt of a weight joke, but literally every heavy villain is.
There are some things in the films that I think have aged pretty well that may not have gotten the right amount of love at the time:
15.AGED WELL: Daniel Radcliffe's acting shaped the lead character
Daniel Radcliffe's acting helped build the nuance of Harry Potter. Harry isn't a "cool" character. He has some teen angst and is very awkward at times. It's interesting to watch the series back and see how much he grew as an actor and even stole some scenes (which is hard to do as a lead).
His Felix Felicus scene takes the cake. Not only is the Wizarding World magical, but it's fun and layered, thanks to the acting of Daniel Radcliffe.
16.AGED WELL: Aunt Marge's inflation
The effect of Aunt Marge blowing up still looks great today. When something feels more tangible, it sticks out in a series like this. Is it corny? Yes. It's a children's movie, so the scene's pacing matches the ridiculous nature of its happenings.
17.AGED WELL: Spells still hold up
I'm a big-time hater of unnecessary CGI if you've read my content. That said, the Harry Potter films nailed the spell effects. It is the closest thing to the movie magic of Star Wars lightsabers. They happen so fast, so they are often overlooked but still hold up.
Even the wand illuminations are a simple but effective spell that still looks great. Speaking of spells...
18.AGED WELL: Dumbledore vs. Voldemort
This fight not only holds up but is one of the better on-screen movie fights ever. Think about it: how hard must it have been to make wizards fighting from a children's book look cool?
The pacing is fantastic. All the effects, from the broken glass to the water sphere, still look fine. It was a long-awaited showdown, and it paid off by not being dragged out. It's short and sweet.
19.AGED WELL: The realism of Cedric's death
This is a two-parter.
One: The death of Cedric was sudden and shocking. It didn't dwell on the moment and was a more realistic scene than other grounded movies.
Two: The aftermath of the crowd discovering Cedric is dead steals the thunder of Voldemort returning...in a good/human way. A boy, a classmate, is dead, and everyone reacts in shock, and worst of all, they must witness Cedric's father react to the tragedy.
I dare anyone to find a better, more grounded death reaction in a film...and it's from a children's movie about witches and wizards!
20.AGED WELL: Since it is set in the 90s, it still feels relatively timeless, like most period pieces.
Despite the lack of cellphones and tech, the fact the books took place in the '90s helped this film stay in its respective time period. Assuming they go through with the series reboot, they should try to keep it placed within the same time period.
21.AGED WELL: The films still feel magical (pun intended)
From the heart of the story to the characters to the movie magic, the films still manage to hit people of all ages in the feels. It's easy and fun to poke fun at little things, but overall, it still has a magic to it that makes the series as a whole very rewatchable.
