Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a film directed by Chris Columbus. For many years, I hadn't given a damn about the Harry Potter series. But seeing the fanfare surrounded by the series, I decided to give it a try. After watching this one, I can definitely say that I am on the verge of being a fan.

Plot: Harry Potter, an orphan living with his uncle and his family is invited to Hogwarts School of Magic to become a wizard.

Story and direction: I had watched this part around the time it released but never just kept in touch since I didn't understand a word. Seeing it now as an adult and a movie lover, I just fell in love with this fictional world created. The characters, settings, story, etc.. all just feel seamless. Thanks to J K Rowling, Steve Kloves and Chris Columbus who have done justice to the source material provided to them. I feel the themes are so very relevant in this film. The intricacies of those themes are valid in the current world we do live in. This is what I just exactly want from any story presented to me. Although the film is very long, I never felt bored for a single moment. And to adapt quite a huge novel comes with responsibility and precaution, which the makers completely justified. The sets are huge and awesome. You just feel you are in Hogwarts actually. Also each characters costume is just to marvel at. John Williams once again just proves why he is the composer of the century. But I did feel some flaws to the film. Being a first film, the main plot of the film comes at around the 90th minute of the film. Also the VFX of the film felt very amateur considering some great VFX was done in the years preceding this film.

Performances: I would say that the casting of the film is just perfect. Applause for the casting team is deserved. Never do you feel that another actor should play the role. The kids, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Tom Felon just to name a few are fantastic. These 10-11 year old just steal your heart. Also the other cast like Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane make themselves likable.

Favorite Scene: There were many favourite scenes in this film for me. But one scene in particular was the troll scene where Harry and Ron decide to save Hermione and after the saving Hermione vouches for the boys. This is the scene where you actually happen to see the bond solidified between the 3 as friends.

Verdict: For anyone who just loves fantasy film and worlds with great visuals, this film is just for you. I assure you won't be disappointed. I plan on seeing the entire series now because I am fascinated by this world and want to see what else has it got to offer.

I am going with an 8/10.

To be faced with the challenge of adapting Harry Potter for the Silver screen must have been any director's nightmare- the chance of directing possibly the biggest film of this decade, but also the hardest audience-the millions of fans of the book who know every line and will pick up on every mistake. Being one of the above, I can only say that Christopher Columbus and all of the team working on HP did marvelously. The cast was brilliant (particularly notable are Alan Rickman as Snape, Maggie Smith as McGonagall, and the eerily creepy David Bradley as Argus Filch), the directing wonderful, and the scenery perfect. The only qualm is that it does not track perfectly with the book, but squeezed into 2.5 hours, this can only be expected. Well done all involved!

I really liked this film, but I much prefer the book, which has a lot more magic and wonder. Daniel Radcliffe is very likable as Harry, and he is given solid support by a funny Rupert Grint and a good Emma Watson, though she was annoying at times. The scene stealer was definitely Robbie Coltrane; I actually can't imagine anyone else playing Hagrid, Coltrane was just hilarious. Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith were also great, but for me the standout was the late Richard Harris. Now I much prefer Harris's interpretation of Dumbledore. He was soft-spoken, and actually fitted the part better. Both of these qualities were lost in the interpretation that Michael Gambon gave. I am not saying that Michael Gambon was bad, he just wasn't my ideal choice for Harris's replacement. The film is fairly faithful to its source material, and looks very beautiful. However, it is a bit long, and very young children may find Voldemort too frightening. I know because I have triplet brother and sisters who saw it, and couldn't sleep for about a month after viewing. In conclusion, a very good film, well performed and quite dark. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Ah, the first film adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter series. Harry Potter is an 11-year-old boy who comes to find out that he is a wizard. He lives with his uncaring Muggle (non magic) aunt, uncle, and cousin since his parents died when he was a baby. They were murdered by a dark and powerful evil wizard named Lord Voldemort. Harry would be dead too, but was miraculously saved, making him something of a legend. Upon learning of his guarded magic roots, Harry gets enrolled in Hogwarts- a British school for witches and wizards. While there he learns to come into his own, meet people that are actually good to him, and learn more of his dark past. Looking back, I don't know if it was a good idea to have Chris Columbus direct this, as he does have a reputation for being something of a hack, albeit a decent one. I think his direction is okay here. Yeah, retrospectively it could have been better, but it could also have been much worse. At least with him at the helm we get a good amount of whimsy to go along with a bit of menace, and that's a good thing, as the book was likewise not too heavy on the darker stuff (though that sure changed as time went on). Many liberties are taken, which is weird since the book is quite short, and the film is two and a half hours. It does get the point across decently enough though, and also works as a piece for those unfamiliar with the source material. John Williams provides great music, there's wonderful art direction and set design, and there's some nifty set pieces too. Featuring an all-British cast, this film is impeccably cast, and the performances are good too. Finding decent child actors is hard, but they really scored here. My enjoyment of this movie has waned over time, but it's still not a terrible piece of work by any means, so check it out.

Like a lot of others, I refused to watch this film when it was originally released, thinking it was going to be another movie for kids, loosely taken from the source. Was I ever wrong?

J.K. Rowling's novel was brilliantly taken from book to screen. The acting, directing and especially the special effects were tremendously awesome. Director Chris Columbus did a superb job with the direction, I was surprised he didn't get an Academy Award nomination. The acting was too, excellent, especially from the experienced actors like Alan Rickman playing Severus Snape. Truly one of his best performances.

A great adaptation of a very popular book, a fine example of cinema.