Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Review

For those of you that don't know this, I have recently re-watched all 6 Harry Potter films in preparation of seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 in IMAX.  I watched the first 3 on one day, the next 3 on the following day, and then finally seeing Deathly Hallows on the third day.  Watching all 7 Potter films in the such a short period of time really gave me a newfound respect for these films, and was a truly enjoyable experience that I would recommend to any casual or die-hard Harry Potter aficionado.  This is the first of these reviews, so be on the lookout for SIX more Harry Potter reviews in the upcoming days.  Wish me luck...

Director: Chris Columbus (Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire)

Screenplay: Steve Kloves (All of the Harry Potter films except Order of the Phoenix)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Harris (Camelot, Cromwell), Robbie Coltrane (Goldeneye), Maggie Smith (California Suite, Sister Act), Alan Rickman (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street), and Tom Felton

Gross Revenue: $974,733,550 (#8 all time)

Rotten Tomatoes TomatoMeter: 78%

IMDB Rating: 7.2

Awards: Academy Award Nominations for Best Art Direction, Set Direction, Best Costume Design, and Best Score

     Adapting any book into a movie is an arduous task; adapting seven of them is a seemingly impossible task.  But that was the task that Warner Bros. took on when in the year 2000, they started production on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, based on the first of the massively popular book series by J.K. Rowling.  The franchise has now grown into the second most successful film franchise in history, and will within days of this writing will pass Star Wars as the highest grossing film franchise of all time.  It has spawned action figures, video games, and numerous amounts of merchandise, making the Harry Potter franchise one of the most successful in Hollywood history.  But it all started with the simple tale of a poor boy with a scar, who longed for a better life, and who's eyes were opened to a wonderful and magical world.

     The Sorcerer's Stone (Known as The Philosopher's Stone in other parts of the world) is the first movie based on J.K. Rowling's successful book series, and is the the beginning of the adventures of Harry Potter and crew.  11 year old orphaned Harry Potter lives with his malicious relatives the Dursleys, who dote upon their fat, belligerent son, and treat Harry like dirt. Just after turning 11, he meets a mysterious giant man named Hagrid who escorts Harry to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a famous school for magically inclined children, for Harry to develop his magical abilities.  There he meets fellow wizards and witches Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, with whom he begins a life long friendship.  He joins the Quidditch team, learns how to fly on a broom, and learns more about the dark and mysterious circumstances of his parent's death, as well as his own heritage as the "Boy Who Lived".  There is so much plot going on in this movie, it is no wonder it is well over 2 hours in length.

     There is a little bit of something for everybody in Harry Potter.  There's adventure, magic, friendship, humor, excitement, family; its the kind of film that everyone can enjoy.  Director Chris Columbus does a very good job of introducing fans and non-fans alike to the world of Harry Potter.  Each important piece of information is related in a way that doesn't feel forced and doesn't slow down the film.  This film has the arduous task of not only being an entertaining film on its own right, but setting up at least six other films for future release, and the film succeeds in that.

      The production values are great, and everything from the school to the "Muggle" world looks and feels real.  The fantastical creatures also look great for a movie that is on a very fast-paced production schedule, and only aid in the movie's other-wordly feel.  John William's score is obviously amazing, and I expected nothing less from this master of music.  The young actors do a splendid job of becoming these characters, even if their performances are rather stoic and one-dimensional.  They're also among the cutest child actors I've ever seen.  The adult cast does a great job too, notably Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid.  The cast and crew do a splendid job of delivering a fantasy adventure that is fun for the whole family.

     The only real flaw in the film is it's length.  When adapting a book that is 309 pages in length, it is hard to know what to keep and what to cut.  Chris Columbus and screenwriter Steve Kloves played it safe and included every major plot point and several sub-plots in the film, resulting in an unusual length of over 2 hours for a film marketed for children.  Due to Chris Columbus' fun and swift direction, the movie is rarely slow or boring, and most of the plot points included in the film ARE necessary to introduce the characters and the world to the viewers.  However, I do believe that Columbus and Kloves played it safe, and were too scared to make any changes that were too drastic to the book for the sake of making a more economic and swift film.
      I understand that the filmmakers have a duty to uphold the spirit and integrity of the book when adapting it, but they also have the right to creative license to make an enjoyable and fun movie that retains the spirit of the book without just being a filmed version of it.  For the most part, I believe that these skilled filmmakers were successful in creating an enjoyable final product, but it is just my opinion that some tighter editing could have made for an even better film.  But again, these are just minor complaints in what is surely a modern family classic.
    If Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone had been worse then it ended up being, it is doubtful that Warner Bros. would have stopped making more Harry Potter movies; there is just too much money in it.  But thank goodness that the first film set such a high precedent for other directors to follow in telling the story of one young man's unique journey through adolescence.  The Sorcerer's Stone is a modern fantasy family classic, that families generations from now will be curling up with and enjoying.  It is the perfect film to watch on a lazy Saturday afternoon, to escape into a fantasy world of wonder, delight, danger, adventure, and growing up.  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a fantasy adventure that the whole family can enjoy, with acceptable acting and high production values that expertly set up the remainder of films in the franchise.  Chris Columbus sets a high standard for the rest of the series.  4/5
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live" - Albus Dumbledore