I’ve never read a Potter book. I’ve seen all the films. I think fans of the books are more critical because they notice anything left in or removed. With that being said here is my list, based solely on entertainment quality, from worst to first:
8. Sorcerer’s stone- 1/10 ( the only movie my daughter ever wanted us to walk out on. It’s awful)
7. Chamber of Secrets-2/10 ( slight improvement over first film, still bad)
6. Deathly Hallows Pt. 1- 3/10 (pointless, made for more money. Nothing more. Bad)
5. Half Blood Prince-4.5/10 ( watchable, not great. Slightly better than the worst 3)
4. Order of the Phoenix-5/10 ( again, watchable. I gave up on Potter after Prisoner. There is a reason I came back)
3. Prisoner of Azkaban-6/10 ( by far the best of the first three but not a great movie. Tedious & boring like most Potter installments trying to satisfy book fans. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Fan service is important but to the movie goer who isn’t aware of the book’s detail, it all seems bloated. Gary Oldman and David Thewlis made this film better than it actually was)
2. Deathly Hallows Pt. 2.-7/10 ( a good finale. Not an amazing movie but it closed out the franchise far better than many. The story came full circle. I watched these little guys grow up alongside my 2 oldest children. That little piece of nostalgia will always hold a special place for me.)
1. Goblet of Fire-8/10 ( had I not became bored & purchased this on ppv back in 06 I would’ve been done w/Potter after Prisoner. Prisoner was by far better than the first two but still, not amazing. It was the first movie to get past a 2 on a 1-10 scale in my opinion. Goblet has everything the other films were not. Action, mystery, drama, passion, competition, all plugged in to one film. It’s a stand alone movie. You don’t need to see the prior three films to enjoy it or understand it. That’s why, in my opinion, it’s the best movie. )
I’ve never seen a book fan place Goblet higher than three, I’ve never seen someone who didn’t read the books place it lower. For the readers, Prisoner, Hallows 2 and Chambers are most often top 3. Occasionally, HBP or Sorcerer creeps in. Rarely is it different. I’ve never seen someone from the film only crowd place sorcerer, chamber or hallows pt1 higher than maybe 4. I think that’s why Potter ranking lists are the most diverse. The film only viewer goes in with an open mind and all the development they know is what they see. The reader goes in knowing what will happen then makes their preference based on how well their characters are portrayed & how precise the film mimics the source material. Entertainment value isn’t as important to them as their imagination coming to life. I get that. As a comic fan I have the same passion for remaining true to the source.