Having just traveled to the magical land of Orlando, Florida to visit not Disney World, but rather the Universal theme parks, I am coming back from a Harry Potter high. Both parks, Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios are home to Harry Potter attractions including Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and Diagon Alley. Visiting these amazing attractions reminded me how much I love the entire world of Harry Potter. After spending just three short days in the magical splendor sipping frozen butter beer and dining at the Leaky Cauldron, the first thing I will be doing upon my return is watching the entire movie franchise over again.

While the books were absolutely amazing, the movies were equally, if not more enthralling. A stupendous book series, the Harry Potter movie franchise did amazing in terms of profit, but in terms of captivating an audience, there is just something magical about Harry Potter (excuse the terrible pun). Book series normally tap out at three, maybe four books, but Harry Potter is a chronicle. A world that seven books can be written for while still managing to stay intriguing, and overall captivating for the audience, is no small feat. The only other book collection that has come close in popularity would be the Chronicles of Narnia, however, the movies never seen to do quite as well as the books (and production generally halts after the first three films).

In contrast, producers from Universal were able to make not seven, but eight movies out of the books, with each movie release racking in more dough and popularity than its predecessor. One of the reasons why Harry Potter is so enthralling for especially millenials, is the way in which the characters develop in maturity alongside their readers. Not only does the plot line become more twisted and convoluted as the series progresses, but also so does the depth of emotion and magical aspects. What starts out as more of a lighthearted tale of a special boy, Harry Potter, who learns he is a wizard (you’re a wizard Harry) and proceeds to attend a magical institution called Hogwarts in order to learn more about magic, turns more dark as the books and movies develop.

So much can be said about the wonderful wizarding world of Harry Potter, but the one aspect of Harry Potter, which I would like to focus on, is the contrast between good and evil. Harry is the protagonist, accompanied by Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, while Voldemort serves as one of the greatest literature villains of the century. Voldemort encompasses every single bit of evil imaginable, while Harry represents the good that remains in even a falling apart world. With every protagonist, there is always a struggle between good and evil, but for Harry, that struggle stems from the little portion of Voldemort that lives within him (as Harry is the horcrux which Voldemort never intended to make). Harry knows he is the only one who can destroy Voldemort, once and for all, but with that great power and good, also comes the potential for great evil. Harry knew this, and so throughout the series he is terrified that he might become like Voldemort. However, unlike Voldemort, Harry chose to be kind, loving, honest, and good. This was shown when he chose Gryffindor, even when the sorting hat would have liked to place him in Slitherin. There are literally so many awesome things about Harry Potter that I cannot even find the words to express just how spectacular this timeless and fantastic story truly is (which most of you I’m sure can understand). I will conclude that Harry Potter is one of the best movie series you will ever watch. Regardless what your stance is on magical movies, I can honestly say that Harry Potter will not disappoint. Harry Potter is not about the magic, it is about the story of good versus evil, and magic just happens to play a larger role in that fight. Finally, I must say that if you have not seen Harry Potter, or are skeptical about the movies, give them a chance, because I have full confidence that you will fall as much in love with them as I have. And if you do get the chance, take a trip down to Universal to experience firsthand the magical wizarding world of Harry Potter.