I was thinking that with the final of the eight films on the way this summer a little run down of the casting and how well they have done through the years would be in order. If nothing else I thought it would entertain myself and perhaps a little bit entertaining to you other people out there.
Michael Gambon/Richard Harris (Albus Dumbledore)
One of the only casting changes in the film and this one was only done because, sadly, Richard Harris died between movies. I will be honest, I don't love either one of these guys in the role although both of them obviously are fantastic actors. I don't think either of them fully embodied what Dumbledore really was although both of them pull of some of those traits well. Richard Harris was better in some ways, Gambon in others. Harris was closer in the sense that he was unflappable and unperturbed by anything and everything, but in all honesty he was to old and frail to play the role fully. He was just not physically imposing enough to emote the charisma and bearing that Dumbledore had. I could never see Harris putting on the asskicking boots ever and I don't think I could have bought a wizard's duel between he and Voldemort. Gambon has that in spades, and in the last movies really pulled off some of Dumbledore's more comedic lines as well. But on the whole he plays the character a little too...emotional and raw at times for my tastes.
Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy)
Felton went through the most dramatic physical change of any of the actors in the film, I think. Between films he changed so drastically that I really just couldn't believe that it was the same kid. Overall he has done a very good job. He was perfectly smarmy to a tee in the earlier movies, and plays the older darker, yet not quite deatheater dark Malfoy quite well. He pulls off the character playing it as one that believes he has huge amounts of entitlement but not much self-confidence to really go with it.
Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy)
Isaacs was one of the people I was most excited to see cast. I don't know why, but I have always been a fan of his. Even when he is playing a character that isn't evil, he just always seems to radiant a cold, calculating, pompous, evil aura. I think it has something to do with his eyes. But mostly, I was just excited because in one of those conversations people always have before the movies came out, I picked him as the perfect choice to play Lucius. I think he is doing a fine job. He plays the early Lucius well, but is a good enough actor to convincingly pull off the emotional chance Lucius makes towards the end.
Domhnall Gleason (Bill Weasley)
A fairly minor character on the whole in the books, and an incredibly minor character so far in the movie. A big fail on this one. Bill is supposed to be Rockstar cool. The coolest one in the family. This guy is not remotely that. Actually he kind of looks like a guy the twins would have pranked mercilessly then beat with a bludger bat.
