Two Harry Potter films are on Empire’s list of The 50 Greatest Movie Sequels!

#24 – Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
DIRECTED BY ALFONSO CUARON
RELEASED: 2004

Why’s it so good? Alfonso Cuaron took over from original director Christopher Columbus, and with the difficult task of world-building out of the way was able to take the story and run with it, making Potter feel like a real adventure story for the first time, and one taking place in somewhere bordering on the real world.

#15 – Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
DIRECTED BY DAVID YATES
RELEASED: 2007

Why’s it so good? David Yates took over the directing reins for this fifth film, based on the longest – and, some would say, dullest – book in the series, and knocked it out of the park. Excising large swathes of not much, he cut it down to one of the leanest films and delivered a barnstorming last act in the Ministry of Magic, with the sort of magical duels we’d been waiting four-and-a-half films to see.

Thanks SS!