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HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE Send This Review to a Friend
No matter how popular the books by J.K. Rowling are, the film versions will have to stand on their own. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," the first to reach the screen, is absolutely enchanting and deserves to take its place as a family entertainment classic. It will please legions of youngsters with their parents in tow and it bids to be seen repeatedly over the years.
Director Chris Columbus and screenwriter Steve Kloves were in a bind. They couldn't tamper much with the novel without having its fans in an uproar. They also had to contend with the imaginations of those who had their personal visions of what everything looked like. Taking the wise road, they attempted to be as faithful as possible. Columbus mustered the myriad techniques of moviemaking with his own wizardry to make the adventures of Harry Potter come vividly and gloriously alive. Here is an elaborate entertainment packed with fun and it would take a Scrooge not to enjoy it. Yes, there's a point at which it slows some, but Columbus has succeeded in meeting the enormous challenge and avoiding the pitfalls built into the situation as a result of the publishing phenomenon that has captivated youngsters the world over.
First of all, the casting of Daniel Radcliffe as 11-year-old Harry works beautifully. Radcliffe has the right mix of innocence and wonder, enthusiasm and cool. He's easy to be with and quickly engages us as we follow him, from his abusive surroundings living beneath the stairs to his amazing adventures when he goes off to learn the wizardry that is his inheritance. His companions have been chosen well too, Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger. They and Harry make a delightful threesome. Tom Felton merits praise too as a scene-stealer in the role of Draco Malfoy.
Next in importance are the fabulous sequences that rely on special effects. The flying match of Quidditch is both amusing and exciting, sort of a junior "Star Wars" battle. In fact, the entire production design is a marvel. The Great Hall at Hogwarts is as impressive as it should be, as is the charming Hogwarts Express that leaves from Platform 9 3/4. One can see the film twice just to appreciate all of the visuals that invoke their own spell.
The overall casting amounts to a trove of talent. Getting into this film, no matter how large or small the role, was special, and accordingly, the cast is a star-studded one: Richard Harris as Professor Albus Dumbledore, Maggie Smith as Professor Minerva McGonagall, Ian Hart as Professor Quirrell, Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid, Zoe Wanamaker as Madam Hooch, Alan Rickman as Professor Severus Snape, John Hurt as Mr. Ollivander, Julie Walters as Mrs.Weasley, John Cleese as Nearly Headless Nick, and Fiona Shaw and Richard Griffiths as Harry's nasty aunt and uncle.
There may be those who resent the merchandising and all the hoopla connected with this film. But all that is beside the point. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" stands on its own, and it is a joyful gift for this or any other holiday season. A Warner Brothers release.
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