I definitely have a newfound respect for J.K. Rowling after watching the series; her imagination is extraordinary. Even if many of the individual elements of her mythos are familiar fantasy tropes, they've never been combined in this way before, and I'm certain that her saga is unique and will probably remain so; it's unlikely that something similar will come along again.
The success of the series in both the filmic and literary worlds still seems remarkable, despite the evident quality of both. Few film series have manage to last so long and hold onto so much of their core audience, especially in such a serialised format that discourages new viewers mid-series (as it did me). The fact that the final film was the highest grossing film in the series shows that the filmmakers and Rowling certainly got a great deal right, and even before the big finale, the box office consistency ($900 million worldwide or thereabouts each time) is unparalleled. Sure, if you were being pedantic, you could argue that accounting for ticket price inflation the audiences gradually decreased in number, but that doesn't lessen the achievement.
The first film launched soon before that other blockbuster fantasy series The Lord of the Rings, and compared to the Peter Jackson trilogy Potter was never as successful in its adaptation of the books so suffered in comparison; the critical acclaim and awards recognition that the former received has never been quite matched. In some ways, you could say screenwriter Steve Kloves had a tougher job than Jackson and his collaborators in that he was adapting a series that was still being written and so did not know what elements would later become important, thereby making the necessary trimming that much more difficult. The first two films were accordingly very conservative adaptations; it's only when the books grew longer and the directors more adventurous that the stories became truly filmic.
From the third film onwards, Potter managed to come into its own. Azkaban was the first film to really gave hints of the heights the series could attain, and remains a high water mark five films later. Looking back, though, it probably isn't quite my favourite one. I'd rank them in this order, worst to best:
8. Philosopher's Stone - The hesitant first steps, hampered by poor acting from its inexperienced lead actors, cheap looking effects and a lack of purpose and plot.
7. Chamber of Secrets - A big improvement from the first, but still slightly lacking in terms of pacing and narrative construction.
6. Order of the Phoenix - A downbeat middle chapter which I find I like more in hindsight than I did while watching it.
5. Deathly Hallows Part One - Too meandering for its own good, but an engrossing and enjoyably character-driven set-up for the finale.
4. Goblet of Fire - Seems to be unfairly maligned by hardcore fans, but I found it a fun, action-packed adventure with great drive and humour.
3. Deathly Hallows Part Two - The emotional, epic finale delivered just about everything I wanted.
2. Prisoner of Azkaban - When Potter really started to mean business. The most beautiful film of the series with a superb second half, a real sense of threat and great acting.
1. Half-Blood Prince - The Potter formula honed to its most thrilling and gripping point. Darkly compelling, with a killer (literally) ending, entertaining character beats and everything you'd want from a year at Hogwarts.
That's that, then. Twenty years of work from the author, ten years by the filmmakers, and a week for me to watch. I do regret not seeing the films before now, but I'm glad I finally have. Their success is deserved. It has been fun.
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