Nice to see you again, fans of the cinema! This is the Face-Off, where two movies enter and both movies leave, but one leaves in a slightly better light. Yes, here we take two competitors and compare their key elements and see who comes out the champion. It's a fierce competition that results in blood, tears, and online arguments, but the more brutal the battle, the sweeter the victory.
Last session THE RISE OF SKYWALKER was on its way, and now it's come and is conquering the box office and turning the internet into a worse hellscape than it was before. Naturally, everyone is talking and yelling STAR WARS as if it mattered more than any political issues happening in the world (it sort of does, right?), so I felt it was prudent to keep the talks going here as well. Last time we talked about the previous two finales in the Skywalker saga — RETURN OF THE JEDI and REVENGE OF THE SITH — but now with SKYWALKER here we can talk the whole damn show. And what other massive series are we going to compare it to, you ask? You didn't read the title, you realize. Well, I thought it perfect to pit the massive Skywalker story against that of another epic saga bursting with wonder and imagination and scores of fans both happy and angry: It's The Skywalker Saga vs. The Harry Potter Saga.
One centers on decades-worth of Jedi lore and political uprisings, while the other centers on the coming-of-age of a boy wizard as he faces down his mortal nemesis…and tries to pass Potions class in the process. This bout will be filled with all manner of clever creatures, words to live by, and magical weapons of all varieties, so grab your lightsaber or your wand and let's get this showdown started!
*Spoilers for THE RISE OF SKYWALKER*
A product of the American New Wave that gave us directors like Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, William Friedkin and more, George Lucas effectively changed movies – and even the business of movies – forever when he dropped the first STAR WARS on us back in 1977. On and off over 42 years, Lucas himself and four other directors – Irvin Kershner, Richard Marquand, J.J. Abrams, and Rian Johnson – have all come and left their mark on the Skywalker Saga across nine movies. Three trilogies made in varying decades, with new technologies and growing expectations from the vocal, sometimes volatile fanbase, the direction of the saga goes through wild variations in style and approach. Lucas’ wild imagination kicked things off with a fun, endlessly iconic first entry; Kershner dug deep into the characters with a darker, smarter approach, and; Marquand went back to the breezy fun of the first with not much left of the smarts or depth. Lucas then came back for his prequel trilogy, focusing on the Clone Wars and the fall of Anakin Skywalker, to mixed results – to put it nicely and to stop beating the horse that’s been dead for almost 20 years. While he delivers on the spectacle and gravitas that STAR WARS is known for, he also comes off as too boisterous, standing firm on the notion that audiences wanted to hear about space taxes and space trade disputes – all while proving he cannot work with actors to save his life. Then came in Abrams with the new trilogy that picked up after RETURN OF THE JEDI – and it’s incredible how much the quality of them has mirrored that of the original trilogy. The first is a fun, well-made entry that wonderfully sets up the characters and the new world, bringing back old faces and introducing new ones. Then came the sequel, which like EMPIRE, has been met with derision, but is an undeniably unique entry in the saga from Johnson that pushes the characters and digs into more intellectual themes. Then, like JEDI, Abrams tried to take things back to the fun, fan-pleasing formula of the first to middling results with SKYWALKER, bowing to the outrage and trying too hard to deliver on impossible expectations – even though it’s all still super entertaining. The point is, with the Skywalker Saga you’re not exactly getting a consistently brought to life story. Instead, it's one with fluctuating styles, bursts of imagination that propel the series forward, and headache-inducing lows that take the series nowhere except to fan-service heaven. There should be no expecting that consistency, what with the breadth of time it’s taken to end the saga. But if anything, all the guiding hands behind the camera are one reason why the saga is worth revisiting. All the different voices and styles make for a roller coaster experience upon rewatches, going through highs and lows in near equal measure. For all the bad – often involving a director muddying up the story, putting great characters on the back burner or simply delivering cringe-worthy moments – there are wild bursts of the kind imagination, insight, and incredible action that stand the test of time and sink into the subconscious.
Now, with the Harry Potter Saga, what we got was a series that benefitted from having the whole story down on paper well before the finale, and the ability for directors to tell that story uninterrupted. Perhaps most lucky for audiences and the existence of the series, in general, was the realization that a director like Chris Columbus was perfectly capable of tackling the first two movies in the series, but beyond that new blood would be needed. Yes, he introduced the HP world with a needed bit of magic for the first two outings, driving home the childlike sense of wonder and making use of some practical effects pre-digital era. But shit needed to get dark, so enter Alfonso Cuaron, who skyrocketed the series into a weirder, more mature and more fantastical level with PRISONER OF AZKABAN. While Mike Newell didn’t exactly keep the ball rolling with his vision, what he did excel at was the spectacle and action, and working with the actors to get push their performances into more adult territory – which was necessary now that people are starting to die all the time. David Yates ended the saga with his final four outings, and true to the series left his mark by ably incorporating political themes, being the right director to work with more matured actors, and not being afraid to experiment with more gorgeous cinematography (HALF-BLOOD PRINCE looks like a damn Renaissance painting) and production design. Whenever I rewatch the HP movies, what strikes me as most impressive is how the series was steered throughout the eight movies, succeeding where no other YA series has since. Each director chosen was perfect for their section of the story and the actors growing up with the movies. Each director came in and improved on the series by working within their strengths, which ensured that the saga felt like it was growing where it needed to in the story, character and visual departments. Does that mean each movie gets better overall? No, no it doesn’t. AZKABAN is better than all but the final entry, and I can’t remember the last time I watched CHAMBER OF SECRETS without falling asleep before the big spiders show up. And yet, thanks to the minds behind the camera each movie does improve on the overall story as it evolves. The actors get better, the stakes are higher, the emotional beats hit harder. While it may not be quite fair to give this point to the HP saga over STAR WARS – I feel like what makes the series so iconic on a filmmaking standpoint is the quality behind the camera constantly growing the story. STAR WARS doesn’t get to have that, understandably, but even when you break it down into the trilogies, you’re getting inconsistencies that weaken both the trilogy and the overall saga. Even with four directors, the HP movies could’ve been executed horribly wrong, but instead feel like one cohesive, magical vision.
Unlike the HP series, The Skywalker Saga is built around an original concept – which is probably why in terms of storytelling it sometimes feels like it has no place to go or is taking the most arduous route getting there. When looking at the sheer scope of the Skywalker Saga you’re looking at three separate stories – one of Anakin in the prequels, one of Luke in the originals and the one of Rey in the sequels – each of which has their strengths and weaknesses and can offer a mixed bag of results. The original series, while not always sporting the best dialogue, is filled with lovable characters and tells a classic story of good vs. evil and legacy, all wrapped up in inspirations from serials, westerns, and samurai movies. Things start well with the first two – evolving Luke into a Jedi, connecting Han and Leia and digging into themes – all before ending on a less-than-great note that favors the Luke/Vader story and little else, including the uninspired finale stakes. Going to the prequels – which feels the most operatic of the space operas – is all about love, deception, responsibilities of power and the ultimate tragedy of a central character. But the story getting there is often a slog – filled with sowing the seeds of political turmoil, weak characters, and less-than-stellar dialogue. Lucas on the script he, oddly enough, digs so deep into his imagination that it can’t help but feel boring – with the first two movies feeling like endless exposition until the finale cashes in on it all epically, driving home key character moments and the emotional stakes. Then there’s the new trilogy, which despite Lucas hinting at making more movies himself before he sold off the property, feels factory-made by Disney to bring the fandom to new custom – errrr – fans. The story is set up well (even if the many comparisons to A NEW HOPE are very warranted) and offers up some new characters to continue the Skywalker story. There’s a mystery to who Rey is, her place in this, and the interesting story arc of Kylo Ren – who has more to offer than even Vader. THE LAST JEDI steered away from lofty fan expectations in mostly fascinating ways – giving Finn and Poe more to explore in themselves, as well. But come RISE OF SKYWALKER, virtually all of it falls flat, with the lack of an instilled plan and ignoring character growth for most of the cast ending with a movie that feels rushed and needy for fan appraisal. Twists and turns often don’t make sense, and the similar themes of legacy and carving out your destiny not having the emotional resonance it could have. What the Skywalker Saga does offer in the way of the story are some palpable themes about heroism, power, and identity, all in a sweeping package that hits more than it misses. But when it does miss, it misses big. Whether it’s weakly building up to a finale or starting strong and not knowing how and where to end things, the Skywalker Saga and the massive story is, at its best, emotionally rewarding, epic and offers plenty to mull on when it comes to certain characters. At it’s worst, so much feels forced, unfocused, uninspired, hammy and as if succumbing to the desires of the angrier, louder sect of the fanbase.
In her HARRY POTTER series author J.K. Rowling created the most influential fantasy saga since LORD OF THE RINGS, inspiring scores of readers young and old to dream of a world filled with magic, deadly sports with flying broomsticks, and all the Butterbeer you can drink. Centering on Harry Potter – with a wonderful cast of supporting players fleshing it out – writer Steve Kloves (and Michael Goldenberg on the fifth outing), did a fantastic job progressing his story while keeping the magic of the universe alive. While Harry may not be the most compelling character in movie or literature history, his story indeed feels grand and exciting, filled with mystery, love, danger, tragedy and ultimately peace, with each movie building upon all of that around him. The first entries stick closely to the books for the most part and feel more centered on Harry’s adventures at Hogwarts, and it’s not until the third outing where everything starts moving forward, as Harry learns about how his parents died, the figures who played key roles and figuring out how he’s going to deal with everything around him. As I discussed in the “Direction” section, the key to these movies’ success lies in the storytelling, and how in the adaptations the most important parts stayed in to keep it ever-evolving, with relationships deepening, events growing larger, and every step feeling logical. Are there slowdowns? Sure. GOBLET OF FIRE, ORDER OF THE PHOENIX and HALF-BLOOD PRINCE are meaty books that make for a complicated juggling act in the movies, with a lot of plot strands that may not connect as well as they should. But the main characters and bigger supporting players never feel lost in the shuffle, with meaningful changes occurring each outing. As for the dialogue, there’s plenty of great material for the veteran cast to chew on, Kloves perfectly translating Rowling’s sense of wit and humor. On the whole, the story of Harry taking on Voldemort is not as grand or operatic as STAR WARS, but I feel that’s a strength. A single character being the key to it all makes the story more focused, with the supporting players, even big ones like Ron and Hermione, having room to grow but never like they need their arcs to conclude – or at least not in as big a way as Harry. In STAR WARS, there are so many big figures that are given so much to do, that it can sometimes rob time from the characters whom the story revolves around. Having Rowling’s books isn’t the only reason why the story is so well told in the movies. Plenty of adaptations are trashed and ruined on screen, but POTTER avoids the pitfall. Having someone like Kloves around for virtually every script meant that, like what the directors brought, the story was benefitting from a sense of consistency to feel like a fully fleshed-out story. By the end, everything was built upon so well that the emotional payoff is staggering, with the entire ten-year journey feeling worth every second.
*Chronological*
- Arrival of Vader (ANH)
- Solo Shoots (ANH)
- Trash Compactor (ANH)
- Vader v. Obi-Wan (ANH)
- Attack on the Death Star (ANH)
- Battle on Hoth (ESB)
- Meet Yoda (ESB)
- Vader's Suprise (ESB)
- I Know (ESB)
- Vader v. Luke (ESB)
- I Am Your Father (ESB)
- Sarlaac Pit (ROTJ)
- Luke v. Vader (ROTJ)
- Vader's Redemption (ROTJ)
- Pod Racing (TPM)
- Qui-Gonn, Obi-Wan v. Maul (TPM)
- Battle of Geonosis (AOTC)
- Execute Order 66 (ROTS)
- Yoda v. Palpatine (ROTS)
- Anakin v. Obi-Wan (ROTS)
- Falcon Chase (TFA)
- Solo Returns (TFA)
- Resistance v. First Order on Takodana (TFA)
- Solo Dies (TFA)
- Rey v. Kylo (TFA)
- Finding Luke (TFA/TLJ)
- Burning of the Jedi Books/Yoda Returns (TLJ)
- Rey and Kylo vs. Pretorian Guard (TLJ)
- Luke v. Kylo (TLJ)
- Rey v. Kylo Against the Waves (TROS)
Lines:
Leia: “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope.” (ANH)
—–
Kenobi: “The Force will be with you, always.” (ANH)
—–
Vader: “I sense something; a presence I've not felt since…” (ANH)
—–
Kenobi: “These aren't the droids you're looking for.” (ANH)
—–
Kenobi: “Mos Eisley spaceport: You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.” (ANH)
—–
Vader: “No, I am your father!”
Luke: “No, no, that's not true! That's impossible!” (ESB)
—–
Leia: “I love you.”
Han: “I know.” (ESB)
—–
Yoda: “Do… or do not. There is no try.” (ESB)
—–
Leia: “Why, you stuck up… half-witted… scruffy-looking… Nerf-herder!”
Han: “Who's scruffy-looking?” (ESB)
—–
Han: “Never tell me the odds.” (ESB)
—–
Luke: “I won't fail you. I'm not afraid.”
Yoda: “You will be. You… will… be.” (ESB)
—–
Luke: “I can't. It's too big.”
Yoda: “Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you?” (ESB)
—–
Vader: “Luke, you can destroy the Emperor. He has foreseen this. It is your destiny. Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son.” (ESB)
—–
Luke: “I'll not leave you here. I've got to save you.”
Anakin: “You already have, Luke.” (ROTJ)
—–
Han: “Who are you?”
Leia: “Someone who loves you.” (ROTJ)
—–
Yoda: “Everything! Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” (TPM)
—–
Anakin: “Attachment is forbidden. Possession is forbidden. Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is essential to a Jedi's life. So you might say, that we are encouraged to love.” (AOTC)
—–
Kenobi: “You were the chosen one! It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them! Bring balance to the force… not leave it in darkness!” (ROTS)
—–
Kenobi: “It's over Anakin, I have the high ground.”
Anakin: “You underestimate my power!”
Kenobi: “Don't try it.” (ROTS)
—–
Vader: “NOOOOOO!” (ROTS)
—–
Solo: “Chewie… we're home.” (TFA)
—–
Finn: “Solo, we'll figure it out. We'll use the Force.”
Han: “That's not how the Force works!” (TFA)
—–
Rey: “The Jedi were real?”
Han: “I used to wonder about that myself. Thought it was a bunch of mumbo jumbo. A magical power holding together good and evil, the dark side and the light. Crazy thing is… it's true. The Force, the Jedi. All of it. It's all true.” (TFA)
—–
Yoda: “Heeded my words not, did you? Pass on what you have learned. Strength. Mastery. But weakness, folly, failure also. Yes, failure most of all. The greatest teacher, failure is. Luke, we are what they grow beyond. That is the true burden of all masters.” (TLJ)
—–
Kylo: I'm sure you are! The Resistance is dead, the war is over, and when I kill you, I will have killed the last Jedi!
Luke: Amazing. Every word of what you just said was wrong. The Rebellion is reborn today. The war is just beginning. And I will not be the last Jedi. (TLJ)
—–
Rey: “They were nobody.”
Kylo: “They were filthy junk traders. Sold you off for drinking money. They're dead in a pauper's grave in the Jakku desert. You come from nothing. You're nothing. But not to me.” (TLJ)
—–
Luke: “This is not going to go the way you think!” (TLJ)
—–
Luke: “No one's ever really gone.” (TLJ)
—–
Luke: “We've passed on all we know. A thousand generations live in you now. But this is your fight.” (ROS)
—–
Kylo: “Dad…”
Han: “I know.” (ROS)
—–
Emperor Palpatine: “You are nothing! A scavenger girl is no match for the power in me! I am all the Sith!”
Rey: “And I… am all the Jedi.” (ROS)
*Chronological*
- Arriving at Hogwarts (SS)
- Sorting Hat (SS)
- Wizard Chess (SS)
- Basilisk (COS)
- Dementors (POA)
- Flying with Buckbeak (POA)
- Reveltations in the Shrieking Shack (POA)
- Dementors Attack (POA)
- Time Turning (POA)
- Expectopatronum (POA)
- Battle with the Dragon (GOF)
- The Black Lake Trial (GOF)
- The Hedge Maze (GOF)
- Voldemort Returns (GOF)
- Battle Among the Prophesies (OOTP)
- Sirius Dies (OOTP)
- Voldemort v. Dumbledore (OOTP)
- Slughorn (HBP)
- Battle in the Fields (HBP)
- Lucky Harry (HBP)
- Dumbledore Dies (HBP)
- Flying Motorcycle Chase (DHP1)
- Dobby Dies (DHP1)
- Voldemort Wins (DHP1)
- Gringotts Dragon Ride (DHP2)
- Arming Hogwarts (DHP2)
- The Battle Begins (DHP2)
- Snape's Truth (DHP2)
- Harry v. Voldemort (DHP2)
- Grown Up (DHP2)
Lines
Dumbledore: “It does not do to dwell on dreams, Harry, and forget to live.” (SS)
—–
Hagrid: “Yer a wizard, Harry!” (SS)
—–
Ollivander: “We do not speak his name! The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter. It's not always clear why. But I think it is clear that we can expect great things from you. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things. Terrible! Yes. But great.” (SS)
—–
Hermione: “Now if you two don't mind, I'm going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed – or worse, expelled.” (SS)
—–
Lucius: “Let us hope that Mr. Potter will always be around to save the day.”
Harry: “Don't worry. I will be.” (COS)
—–
Dumbledore: “It is not our abilities that show what we truly are. It is our choices.” (COS)
—–
Dumbledore: “For in dreams, we enter a world that is entirely our own. Let him swim in the deepest ocean or glide over the highest cloud.” (POA)
—–
Dumbledore: “But you know happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light.” (POA)
—–
Sirius: “Why don't you run along and play with your chemistry set?”
Snape: “I could do it, you know… But why deny the Dementors? They're so longing to see you.” (POA)
—–
Harry: “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” (POA)
—–
Dumbledore: “No spell can reawaken the dead, Harry. I trust you know that. Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.” (GOF)
—–
McGonagall: “The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizarding world for nearly ten centuries. I will not have you, in the course of a single evening, besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons!”
Fred: “Try saying that five times fast.” (GOF)
—–
Sirius: “I want you to listen to me very carefully, Harry. You're not a bad person. You're a very good person, who bad things have happened to. Besides, the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are.” (OOTP)
—–
Kingsley: “You may not like him, Minister, but you can't deny: Dumbledore's got style.” (OOTP)
—–
Voldemort: “You're a fool, Harry Potter, and you will lose…everything.” (OOTP)
—-
Dumbledore: “You were a fool for coming here tonight, Tom. The Aurors are on their way.”
Voldemort: “By which time I will be gone, and you, shall be dead.” (OOTP)
—–
Sirius: “Get away from my Godson!” (OOTP)
—–
Luna: “Anyway, my mum always said things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end…if not always in the way we expect.” (OOTP)
—–
McGonagall: “Why is it, when something happens, it is always you three?”
Ron: “Believe me, Professor. I've been asking myself the same question for six years.” (HBP)
—–
Slughorn: “It was a student who gave me Francis. One Spring afternoon I discovered a bowl on my desk, just a few inches of clear water in it. Floating on the surface was a flower petal. As I washed, it sank. Just when it reached the bottom, it transformed into a wee fish. It was beautiful magic, wondrous to the behold. The flower petal had come from a lily, your mother. ” (HBP)
—–
Hermione: “She's only interested in you because she thinks you're the Chosen One.
Harry: “But I am the Chosen One.” (HBP)
—-
Dumbledore: “Once again, I'm afraid I must ask too much of you.” (HBP)
—–
Harry: “But, Sir, I thought we weren't allowed to apparate on Hogwarts' grounds.”
Dumbledore: “Well, being me… has its privileges.” (HBP)
—–
Belatrix: “You stupid elf! You could have killed me!”
Dobby: “Dobby never meant to kill! Dobby only meant to maim, or seriously injure!” (DHP1)
—–
Dobby: “What a beautiful place… to be with friends.” (DHP1)
—–
Dobby: “Dobby has no master. Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!” (DHP1)
—–
Ron: “You're amazing, you are!”
Hermione: “Always the tone of surprise.” (DHP1)
—–
Harry: “You don't think I know how this feels?”
Ron: “No you don't know how this feels! Your parents are dead, you have no family!” (DHP1)
—–
Snape: “Always.” (DHP2)
—–
Dumbledore: “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.” (DHP2)
—–
Molly: “Not my daughter, you bitch!” (DHP2)
—–
Dumbledore: “Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living and above all, those who live without love.” (DHP2)
—–
Voldemort: “Harry Potter, the boy who lived… come to die” (DHP2)
—–
Harry: “Is this all real? Or is it just happening inside my head?”
Dumbledore: “Of course it's happening inside your head, Harry. Why should that mean that it's not real?” (DHP2)
—–
Lily: “Harry, you are so loved, so loved. Harry, Mama loves you. Dada loves you. Harry, be safe. Be strong.” (DHP2)
Among changing directors and several decades, there has been one constant across the entire Skywalker Saga: John Williams. With his booming score kicking on with the title in this year’s THE RISE OF SKYWALKER just as it did for the first time in 1977, Williams’ work has been the unifying factor that’s brought all the movies together. The spinoff movies have had good music, but it doesn’t quite feel like STAR WARS without Williams’ sweeping score giving a sense of majesty to the smallest moments and unsurpassed theatricality to the biggest. Whether you’re listening to his first work in A NEW HOPE, his epic finale sound in REVENGE OF THE SITH, or the work that makes for the best part of RISE OF SKYWALKER, there’s always something to love about the music of STAR WARS that never grows old. He doesn’t always change things up from movie to movie, but that’s okay, because with his score in place even the weakest of the movies feel exciting – making moments (like the final lightsaber duel against Maul in PHANTOM MENACE) feel even bigger than mere action can get across. Look, praises have been sung for Williams’ work in these movies for years, and there’s really nothing more I can add to the discussion nobody already knows. The galaxy far, far away would seem way less magical without his work. It’s some of the very best movie music from one of the best ever, and it’s a shame that wherever the series goes in the future, this year will likely mark the last time we get new SW music from the master. No pressure, future composers.
And for more John Williams! Funny that even though the composer didn’t handle most of the movies – stopping after the third entry – it’s his music that still has the biggest influence and presence in the series. His flagship pieces fill the scene with a unique sense of wonder when the new students are rowing towards the castle in the first film, and tug at the heartstrings when they’re saying goodbye at the end. The same sense of imagination and whimsy that makes the STAR WARS music so great is present in the first of three of the HP movies, and also like SW, makes the Wizarding World feel more breathtaking than even the visuals get across. Composers Patrick Doyle and Nicholas Hooper came on for the fourth and fifth/sixth entries, respectively, and they did solid work, especially Hooper for the sixth outing. That magic and excitement are still there in the music, even if it feels slightly less so with Williams gone. For the final two outings, the great Alexandre Desplat came on board, making for some of the best music of the series – the final two entries feeling appropriately mature and epic with rousing themes and heartbreaking pieces. The scene where see Snape’s past is made immeasurably more powerful thanks to Desplat’s haunting and beautiful score. In the end, it all came back to Williams with his “Leaving Hogwarts” theme booming louder than ever, bringing the whole saga full circle in tear-jerking fashion. Across the series, we do get some incredible music, but it doesn’t stand near as high as Williams’ encompassing work across the Skywalker saga. I mean, “Battle of the Heroes” alone…okay, I'll stop.
When hearts and minds are put to it, the SW movies can boast large souls to go with the impressive effects. Maybe not the kind of movies you think about when you recall movies that make you cry like a baby, but there’s still romance and the sheer weight of the series’ mythos that can make your heart pound out of your chest. Han and Leia won these kinds of moments in the original saga, their growing romance capitalized on in EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (and then not so much in RETURN OF THE JEDI), with the “I know” line enough to melt anyone with a heart. Then tapping into the mythos behind the story, the way characters like Obi-Wan and Yoda talk about the Force and what it truly means to be a good person has spoken to audiences around the world, enough for them to incorporate those lessons into their own lives. A lot of that is lost in the prequel movies, with Lucas proving he’s not the best at dialogue, especially that of romance. The scenes between Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman feel robotic and undeniably creepy, with cringe-worthy lines only matched by their off-putting delivery. It’s not until the final movie where the emotional weight of the spectacle and seeing Anakin fall does it have some tear-jerking power. In these final movies, we go back to that big heart that can come from a story about finding yourself and learning to champion love over all else. THE LAST JEDI is bursting with that big sense of heart, with characters like Rose representing that more than most, and Luke and Leia getting some powerful moments that speak to the spirit of the series legacy. And that final shot, with the small child looking up to the stars, dreaming of the endless possibilities? Forget about it! The heart of STAR WARS wrapped up in a single shot. Then there’s the final outing, with Ben Solo getting the most emotional moments, turning back from the Dark Side and kicking ass with a blue lightsaber. Rey’s final moment, meant to be heartfelt, is a mixed bag, but it does look great with the dual suns of Tatooine in the foreground. Much like a lot of STAR WARS, some of the movies are bursting with soul when others are severely lacking in it, but there is an undeniable heart pumping within the Skywalker Saga, some directors knowing how to make it shine more than others.
If the HP series has anything in abundance, more than visual splendor and witty lines, it’s a big, fat, stupendous heart. From the moment Harry gets taken away from the brutish Dursleys and is placed into the exciting magical world, the story becomes fixated on the power of love and friendship…and all the accompanying gooey feelings. Try not shedding a tear at the end of the first movie, where Hagrid gives Harry that photo of his parents as he’s leaving school, the John Williams music building up over it. As the series grew so too did those emotional roots, with us going on the journey with the characters and feeling the weight of their bonds. Credit goes to Kloves for mining out the most tender and soulful of Rowling’s characters and her writing, with Dumbledore spewing more words to live by than the Dalai Lama, numerous lines cutting to the core of what it means to be the best human being you can be. Sticking so close to so many characters you grow to love over the journey, the stakes increase so that when any of them are having a particularly rough go of it – or sadly meet their end – you feel the weight of it as if losing a friend. Speaking of, if we’re talking tear-jerking movie deaths, movies six, seven and eight hit the big notes with Dumbledore, Dobby, and Snape. Again, more than the technical wizardry, what the movies boast are lessons in learning how to love and value the people in your life, which is, I’m betting, what has made the series stand the test of time over anything else it has to offer. Yeah, the wand action is cool and who doesn’t love a good dragon or Cedric Digory’s smile, but when Dumbledore says the line “Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living and above all, those who live without love,” how do you not realize where the magic of these movies really lie. Yeah, I’m emotional! So what?!
Starting with seemingly real landspeeders, alien creatures, and dual suns, STAR WARS movies have morphed into full-on visual effects bonanzas, with massive armadas blowing up half a dozen planets at once (but still throwing in some sweet puppetry and animatronics). Whether they sport practical effects, horrendous CGI, or an amalgam of those realistic effects and state-of-the-art digital wizardries, the SW movies are, more often than not, stunning visual feasts that have plunged viewers into the galaxy far, far away for years. The originals are seen as benchmarks in visual effects on screen that still look incredible today (if you ignore all the extra Dewback lizards and Jabba the Hutts); the prequels almost have the opposite effect, looking great in spots but sporting then-modern CGI that looks cartoonish today (cleaning up come the finale) and; the new movies blended the two with Abrams and Johnson favoring practical environments and creatures when they could and going all-out on jaw-dropping effects for everything else. Pair that up with unique action that only STAR WARS can deliver on – namely space battles and laser sword clashes – and audiences have expected a certain kind of spectacle when they’ve walked into the theater for each new entry. Most of the time they don’t disappoint, delivering on sweeping action that feels massive and thematic, with numerous scenes imprinting on pop culture (Hoth battle; Vader v. Luke; Destroying the Death Star). They can sometimes lean into pure camp (Don’t let Jar-Jar or the Ewoks come to play in your war), but mostly the action and visuals are thrilling and transporting in ways no other film series can touch.
Much like the SW movies, the HP movies have sported plenty of wonderful practical effects, mostly in the creature department and environments, with the Wizarding World and Hogwarts seeming like real places so easily swept up in. What I’ve admired about the movies as they’ve progressed – even if it does lose them this round – is that they still feel rooted in something grounded – with goblins and big feats of magic (food on all the tables all the time!) blending perfectly with kids just, like, going to class. To young minds, it feels relatable enough to exist while being fantastical enough to push the imagination. The early films leaned more on the magical wizardry, the PG outings pushing more of the magical world that feels more wistful – especially the third outing with more amazing and terrifying creatures. Then the final outings got into even more grounded territory but upping the wizard action with wand battles and tense adventure. While the visual effects have always been top-notch, I have never viewed the HP movies as being the peak of spectacle at the movies. That’s not to say they’re lacking in it, but rather where SW boasts that kind that feels operatic, HP’s feels hinged on being immersive over grand and exciting. The action gets better as the series goes on, growing more dangerous and filled with more consequence – particularly the final entry where it’s just chaos from start to finish. It's all fun enough to make you wanna grab a stick off the ground and start picturing red sparks coming out of the end (adult maybe don't do this in public). But for me, these movies have always been about the stories and the character work, with the fantasy elements more about the setting and rooting us somewhere we can only dream of going. Action and spectacle have never been the strongest of these movies’ suits, despite it all being incredible at times. No, when it comes to the kind of visual feasts and action that can whisk you away and move you to pure awe, STAR WARS achieves that like no other.
Perhaps I’ve said this before, but I’m going to say it again because I have that power: STAR WARS has had a greater impact on pop culture and the progression (some would say downfall) of movies than any other film series before or since. Audiences wasted no time becoming obsessed with the galaxy when they were swept there back in ’77, and still, people are pouring into theaters to see how the Skywalker series ends (*cough* for now *cough*). Grab a levitating rock, throw it at the SW series and hit lines and characters that are permanently fixated in pop culture, spoofed, referenced and studied by the masses. As movies, are they always looked upon so favorably? Certainly not, and certainly not even by the fans who love them the most. There’s passion, anger, frustration and joy that comes from talking the series at its best and at its worst – the overall story of the Skywalkers and what it all means for the future. However, what's undeniable is, for millions, there's an acknowledgment of what the series means to them. Maybe you watched them with your parents, or they got you out of a rough time in your life. Perhaps they’re the reason why you love movies in the first place, being swept up in the music, the visuals, and the characters. Maybe I’m being hyperbolic, as a fan myself. When you are it’s easy to say that STAR WARS has had more of an impact on culture than virtually anything else. Many have not seen the movies, and don’t care to. But even they know what STAR WARS is, and maybe even recognize the characters, the iconic lines, and a few Droids, to boot. That’s certainly going to be the case as Disney continues to push the series down our throats, but even before then STAR WARS was an instantly recognizable stable in our culture, and when we’re talking film series, STAR WARS will perhaps forever be the king.
The HP series already had a legion of fans thanks to the books, but the movies took the popularity of the Wizarding World to grand new heights – bringing life to magic wands, house elves and beans of varying flavors. In the tens years it took to finish the series, and the near ten years since it ended, the HP series has cemented a legacy as one of the top film series ever made, and one that set the standard for how to grow and evolve your series over time. We like to point at the Marvel Cinematic Universe for perfecting the model for a continuing arc of movies, and indeed that has blown the format to impossible proportions across over 20 movies. But POTTER set the standard for how you grow your movies and build it towards an epic, final conclusion – and how it all rests on character development. It doesn’t matter if you have great action or special effects if no one cares about the characters at the core. The HP movies have, better than most film series, showed how you build up character arcs and flesh out a stupendous world with people. In terms of pop culture placement, I say, along with Marvel, it’s the modern people’s movie franchise. Younger folks on the Millennial spectrum, and now whatever the generation that follows is called, have a soft spot for HP in the way some older crowds do for the SW series. It came at key junctures in their lives and offered valuable themes and a sense of imagination that spoke to and has stayed with them. I feel like I’ve spoken with more people who have seen the HP movies than the SW movies, even though the latter has more reason to be popular now given the new movies. But as firm a place it has in modern pop culture, it’s overall popularity and impact is a far cry from what STAR WARS has offered.
Awards:
Oscars: 9 wins, 24 nominations
Golden Globes: 1 Win, 4 nominations
Golden Schmoes: 10 Wins, 28 nominations
Praise:
Rotten Tomatoes – 78% Average
IMDb – 7.2 Average
Metacritic – 69 Average
Money:
$4.2 billion domestic (7.5 billion worldwide) total…and counting.
Awards:
Oscars: 11 nominations
Golden Globes: None
Golden Schmoes: 1 Win, 7 Nominations
Praise:
Rotten Tomatoes – 84% Average
IMDb – 7.6 Average
Metacritic – 73 Average
Money:
$2.3 billion domestic (7.0 billion worldwide) total
As far as consistent, excellent filmmaking goes, the Harry Potter series is more well-made than the Skywalker Saga. While the latter has experienced many ups and downs in quality and execution, the HP saga has always managed to improve on itself in some way, shape or form, telling a massive story with focus, splendor, and heart. For that reason, I actually enjoy watching it much more, as it feels more like a rewarding journey, in the end. It's a clearer story, and a story told better in the key areas. That being said, there's no singular saga on the big screen quite like Skywalker. Even when it's frustrating and maybe even embarrassing, there's an immense power to it that makes it stand above any other film series. The mythos, the spectacle, the music, the iconic moments — all of it can stand apart from anything in the HP series, the Lord of the Rings saga, and even the massive MCU. The characters are iconic, the sequences are legendary, the imagination is off the charts, and even the bad moments crash and burn in style. As often scattershot as the Skywalker Saga can be on a storytelling front, there's no denying it's the one Saga to rule them all.