Here’s a look at how Hogwarts changes every time a new director takes us there

“Order of the Phoenix” Director David Yates is the fourth to take on Harry’s world. Here’s a… “Order of the Phoenix” Director David Yates is the fourth to take on Harry’s world. Here’s a look at how Hogwarts changes every time a new director takes us there.

“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone:” Harry Potter’s big-screen debut was helmed by Chris Columbus (“Home Alone”). Columbus focuses on spectacles like rotating staircases and Quidditch. Hogwarts is a bright, oversaturated cartoon palace full of CGI dogs and trolls; even when Harry and his friends are supposedly in grave danger, they are obviously facing nothing more than a green screen or a man in a motion-capture suit. Columbus seems more intent on proving how fantastical Harry’s world is than focusing on the universally appealing characters themselves, making this film a shallow and heartless spectacle.

“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets:” Columbus is back for Harry’s second year at Hogwarts, and, just like the young wizard, he still has plenty of room for improvement. The special effects are convincing, and the young actors seem comfortable in their roles, but Columbus’s direction remains as uninspired as in his first effort. Again, he has put on nothing more than a magic show; it’s charming but fake, an illusion that relies on distractions and trickery.

“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban:” Alfonso Cuaron (“Children of Men”) gives Hogwarts a fresh look with this film. His strong sense of style sets it apart from the prior films; he uses flashy and artistic camera tricks during the film’s most exciting sequences but slows down with simple camera work during the story’s quiet moments. Cuaron’s embrace of the story’s dark tone and his use of practical special effects such as prosthetics and puppetry make Hogwarts more tangible – and terrifying – than ever before.

“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire:” Director Mike Newell faced challenges in bringing this dense book, riddled with subplots and new characters, to the big screen. Unfortunately, Newell never has a firm grasp of where the story is going; he bounces back and forth between superfluous subplots that are never resolved and which could have been excised in favor of explaining some of the story’s denser concepts. Those who haven’t read the book were left with many unanswered questions because of Newell’s focus on frivolous and lengthy special effects sequences. Like the first two films, this is more of a product than a vision.

“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix:” It’s anarchy in the UK for Harry and the gang, as director David Yates takes over. Yates doesn’t pull any punches with the grim story; this film is grisly, bloody and positively terrifying. Packed with enough action to make up for “Goblet’s” anticlimatic end, this film adeptly carries the series into the dark and adult world Harry finds himself thrust into.