Harry Potter Franchise Best in Movie History?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 reviews have reached classic levels with a 96 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. Since these are the best reviews of the series, it more than ensures that the franchise will have fresh scores for every movie. Since Deathly Hallows Part 2 is the eighth straight film to have above-average numbers, it is the ultimate achievement in an industry where franchises usually collapse after two or three films.

But does that alone make the Harry Potter series the best in movie history? Although the review numbers don't lie about the franchise's quality throughout, not many of the films have been regarded as true, timeless classics. The series as a whole might have that honor, yet most of the movies have been put in the "good" and not truly "great" category.

When it all started, Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets had their share of critics, mainly due to director Chris Columbus. Things turned around with Prisoner of Azkaban, which is still regarded as the best of the installments. However, Deathly Hallows Part 2 is the first sequel to mount a serious challenge to Azkaban, at least in the eyes of most critics.

The Star Wars saga has had a mixed legacy lately, yet A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back are still recognized as all-time classics, despite what followed. Likewise, The Godfather series is defined by the first two epics, while the Toy Story and Lord of the Rings trilogies each have three chapters recognized as near masterpieces or better. And even though the James Bond films have as many misses as hits, the early films like Goldfinger and From Russia With Love have helped solidify its legacy

Yet there is no defining masterpiece for the Harry Potter movie legacy, with Prisoner of Azkaban and Deathly Hallows Part 2 coming the closest. Even some of the positive reviews for the finale fall under the "good but not great" category, with the odd complaint here and there about the short running time and a rushed final act.

While most everyone else has raved about the finale and is looking back fondly on the earlier movies, it's hard to say where the franchise will ultimately rank when the mania dies down. It will forever be remembered as the rare series that got better -- or didn't get extremely worse -- over time, but there's enough room for others to think it was a missed opportunity.

Most of the epics can be placed in the three star range, although reviews for Deathly Hallows Part 2 are closer to 3 1/2. But without a four star classic towering over the lot -- or not enough of them -- it may place just below the top franchises in movie history despite being the highest grossing. Still, the finale seems set to be the best closing argument to the contrary.

Sources

Rotten Tomatoes- "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"