D-, improvement on your first year, but still room for more

Rating: 2/10 (9 November 2002)

Let me start by saying I went to the preview this film ONLY because my 11 year old's son asked me to!
I HATED the first film, I found it formulaic, dull and plodding, and I went in with a certain amount of trepidation to this one.
Whilst the film is an improvement on the first one, it still was an overrated piece of film.
The best thing about Philosopher's Stone was Robbie Coltrane, and he was wasted in this - should have taken that job on The West Wing!

Kenneth Brannagh was able to perform as himself, playing a character whose reputation far exceeds their actual talent!!
As for the kids - Daniel Radcliffe is very good as Harry a vast improvement on last year, but Rupert Grint & Emma Watson were wooden, ironic in the latter's case when she was petrified!
This film, like the last one, is simply and solely a kid's film and makes NO ATTEMPT to cater for the millions of adults dragged along, as such it doesn't deserve to go into anyone's books as a classic.
All in all Columbus' films and Rowling's books show a great ability to take cliched ingredients from many years of children's books and then cook them into something highly unoriginal, but that kids THINK is original.
Lets hope a new director for the third film employs a better film editor and makes a faster paced and less meandering film in 2004.