Daniel Radcliffe,
Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Richard Griffiths, Julie Walters,
Leslie Phillips,Ian Hart, Verne Troyer, Robbie Coltrane,
Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Derek Jacobi
Written by Steve Kloves
Based on the popular book
by J.K. Rowling
Produced by David Heyman
Directed by Chris Columbus |
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One of the most anticipated films of the year, Harry
Potter and the Sorcerers Stone has finally arrived
amidst much hype and circumstance to the delight of fans the
word over. The film is based on a popular book series by J.K.
Rowling that tell of the adventures of young wizard Harry
Potter and his friends while attending Hogwarts Academy of
Wizardry and Witchcraft. The four books published to date
have been bestsellers the world over and have inspired legions
of devoted fans, so it seemed only a matter of time until
Harry made his debut on the big screen.
Not since
the last Star Wars film The Phantom Menace, has
their been this much hype around a film, and advanced tickets
to the first weekend have been sold out in many places for
weeks in advance, and this is just the tip of the iceberg
for a film that many predict will break box office records.
The movie
tells of the orphaned Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), who is raised
by his mean and neglectful aunt and uncle. Harrys relatives
pay him little attention and force Harry to live in a cupboard
under the stairs and wait on them hand and foot. His relatives
never buy him gifts or treat him as family even on his birthday
and punish him for anything they believe he has done wrong,
even when he has not. Worse yet, Harrys aunt and uncle
spend all of the attention spoiling his obnoxious cousin as
they shower him with gifts and praise despite the fact he
is a greedy and rude child. Things change for Harry on his
11th birthday when he learns that his parents were great wizards
and he is to attend Hogwarts in order to develop his amazing
talents. It seems his relatives have kept his parents abilities
and true fate from Harry, and were determined to keep him
from following in his parents footsteps.
Aided
by the schools caring caretaker Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) Harry
equips himself with the items he will need to attend school
all the while learning about his parents. It is learned that
Harry was orphaned when an evil wizard killed his parents
and for some unknown reason, spared Harry although leaving
a mark upon the childs forehead.
As Harry travels to his new school, He meets Ron Weasley (Rupert
Grint) and Hermione Granger( Emma Watson). Like Harry the
two are new students and they soon become good friends. No
sooner do Harry and his friends arrive, when strange things
start to happen ranging from a Troll running loose in the
school, hidden secrets, and a suspicious Professor Snape (Alan
Rickman) who seems to be up to something.
Along the way, Harry and his friends learn about the fabled
Sorcers Stone. A magical stone that can not only turn
anything into gold, but can create a elixir of immortality
that the evil wizard who killed Harrys parents seems
intent on capturing for himself. Despite Harrys warning,
his notions are dismissed by the faculty at Hogwarts as many
believe the evil wizard vanished for good long ago. Undaunted
by the dangers that face them, Harry and his friends set out
to stop the forces of evil and save the day.
The film is a triumph of imagination as it blends, fantasy,
humor, and special effects in way that is charming and delightful
for all ages. A sporting match played on broomsticks is a
visual delight as characters zoom all over the screen in a
scene that will delight audiences of all ages. Despite having
some nice effects, the film never relies on eye candy to be
its drawing card. An interesting, if not to deep story and
likeable, well-written characters are what makes this film
shine. The acting is first rate and young Radcliffe seems
to be a star in the making. Coltrane gives an outstanding
performance as do Maggie Smith, and Richard Harris as the
wizards that not only teach Harry about magic, but about life
as well.
The film moves along at a good pace, and despite its 150-minute
running time, there are few slow moments in the film, and
Director Chris Columbus paces the film to perfection. It should
be noted that despite its PG rating, some younger people in
the press screener were frightened by some moments of the
film. That aside, Harry Potter is a modern day
classic that more than lives up to the hype and is well worth
seeing for fans of all ages. The second film in the series
is already under way and I must say that for many people,
myself included, I look forward to seeing what future adventures
Harry and his friends have in store for audiences.
5
stars out of 5
Gareth Von Kallenbach
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