The Harry Potter phenomenon: money thrown at a tepid screenplay

Rating: Null/10 (17 November 2002)

The Harry Potter phenomenon, I admit, it is one thing I do not quite understand. Neither groundbreaking or unique, the stories have struck a cord with a large audience and this is translated from the books to the screen. The canon is, for want of a better word, 'nice'. It's quite under-whelming, forgetful nonsense that would be an attractive notion to gather round the hearth of a nice fire on a Sunday eve and watch as a handsomely produced television series.
But it's a phenomenon, so once Warner's paid through the nose for this series, that was never going to happen. There are first-rate production values right across the board. The film has most certainly been elevated above its source material. Most of the time, throwing money at an idea, a script, simply results in a disaster. Here, it's been lovely applied to all facets of the production: special effects, the score, the production design, the impressive English cast -- all are well-above par and it makes for an experience that elevates above the tepid storyline.
The 161-minute running time on one hand makes me pleased that the film-makers are not afraid to produce a feature that strays above the standard 88-minute running length that plagues most 'family' fare. But on the other, I'm wondering where that script doctor went and why the pruning process was not applied. The first half-hour of the film is essentially a rehash of the first: evil foster parents make Harry's life hell and the mandatory escape, enter London magical netherworld, meet up with the Beasley's, from Paddington we again get another magical portal routine and onto Hogwarts. While it's all a rather pleasant, joyful if you will, return to character's we only saw one year ago, we've seen it before; it's not necessary.
Jason Isaacs makes a welcome entry as Lucuis Malfoy, the father of Christopher Walken Jr. Also putting in a nice turn, and a move that may help to resurrect his faltering career, is Kenneth Branagh as the fraud Lockhart. Indeed, while the adult parts are chock-full of England's finest talent from film and television, the film lives and dies by its young trio of Radcliffe, Watson and Grint. Radcliffe continues to hold the film with his spirited performance as Potter, and while Grint (Ron Weasley) seems to exist solely to pull faces on que, Watson's Hermonie adds spunk to her role.

Chris Columbus has to be commended with what he has achieved with the first two films in this series: they're much better then they deserve to be. Gather together a first-rate cast, a director that understands the genre, and a crew that has had no money spared in its assembly and you can succeed in turning a B-rate fantasy into an event. A fun watch - I can't help but think of the family and the hearth of the fire; as a television Christmas film, this will last the ages -, but it is ultimately throwaway entertainment.