Which Harry Potter Movie Has the Worst Ending?
The Harry Potter franchise introduced the world to 8 movie adaptations of the fantasy fiction books written by author J.K Rowling. From its first release, the world of wizarding took the film industry by storm, and Harry Potter quickly became a global phenomenon that few other franchises will ever compare to.
It's hard to find fault with movies or series like Harry Potter that played an integral part in millions of viewers' childhoods. The mystery and magic surrounding the Harry Potter franchise captured the hearts and minds of an entire generation from the release of the first movie all the way to the final. And many will argue that the franchise is as popular and captivating today as it was 21 years ago, for all ages.
The endings of each of the Harry Potter movies impacted audiences in a lasting way, whether with happiness, excitement, or sadness, each final scene resonated in some way.
When it comes to ranking the 8 movie finales, one will always be cursed to be chosen as the least favorite, and in this case, fans, known as Potterheads, seem to collectively agree on one that they feel deserves to be at the bottom of the list.
Fans felt that the Deathly Hallows Part 1 had the second worst ending. The quirky character Dobby easily became a favorite among fans. It is no surprise that the death of the sweet, heroic house Elf at the end of Deathly Hallows Part 1 was a powerful emotional moment. However, the ending of the 7th movie of the series is overshadowed by the underwhelming fight as Harry and Ron duel the Deatheaters.
It is understandable that the directors did not want to have a powerful fight scene in the second to last movie as the next movie was intended for the final battle, but fans felt that the sequence of events really took away from what could have been a strong, impactful ending of the Deathly Hallows Part 1.
The Half-Blood Prince is the 6th movie in the series and takes a darker, more somber turn. Fans were unhappy with the movie from the start because this adaptation of the book lacked many important moments, but the ending is the worst. This movie is meant to depict the second biggest battle to happen in the series, the Battle of the Astronomy Tower. Fans were eager to experience it on screen having read it in the book, but the big moment fell terribly short of their expectations.
Fans felt let down again by an anticlimactic battle scene in the movie series that lacked most of the action described in the book. To make matters worse is the death of a beloved character. It is upsetting enough that at the end of the Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore, who served as headmaster and mentor to Harry dies, but the fact that his funeral is left out of the movie ending entirely makes it worse. In the book, the funeral is especially symbolic of Harry's vulnerability and fans feel that it should have been featured in the movie.
Instead, his dramatic death is shown, the movie ends and fans are mortified by the cheerful, upbeat music that plays in the background. For fans, everything felt wrong with this ending, from the events that lead up to it, to the overall execution that makes it lackluster and unmemorable.
Ironically the Half-Blood Prince is also sitting at the bottom of the list for the star of the franchise. Harry Potter, known as Daniel Radcliffe to those in the world of Muggles, had issues of his own with the movie. In more than one interview Radcliffe has mentioned that it was his least favorite movie, but not because of the ending. His reason? He feels like his acting wasn't good, he is even quoted saying, "I hate it." At least he and the fans are on the same page in one way or another.