The director of the first two Harry Potter films, Christopher Columbus, isn't afraid of criticism.

In a recent interview with Sci-Fi Wire, Columbus said that he wasn't disturbed that the third installment is being called the best of the series.

"Well, no, because then you're really into it for a whole other reason, as opposed to just wanting to make really great films," Columbus said. "The desire was to just survive the making of 'Sorcerer's Stone' and put the world together and a cast and create the whole world."

He also said he felt that the actors have come full circle.

"The second film ('Chamber of Secrets') was a whole lot more fun to make," he said. "The kids (Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint) were better as actors. So they were able to get through a couple of lines. Not an entire sequence, but a couple of lines and almost one shot. Then, to see them graduate to this film, it's a wonderful thing. You see these kids doing an entire scene in one shot and you realize, 'My God, they've actually come this far. They're actually professional actors.' So it's a real sense of pride.

"I love the visual look of the movie. I love the visual style. I love that we improved the visual effects. It was always our goal to make a better film each time out. So had we done anything less, I'd have felt that we hadn't succeeded."

Columbus currently is attached to co-produce the feature film adaption of "The Fantastic Four" and direct a feature film version of the hit broadway play "Rent." While the second Harry Potter was his last, he said he's still open to directing future installments of the series.

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" will be released June 4.

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