A Surprise

Rating: 8/10 (1 October 2006)

This first Harry Potter surprised me. Not a reader of the books nor a proponent of occult beliefs, I still went into this with an open mind and found I enjoyed the movie. I watched the first three films and own the third ("Harry Potter and Prisoner Of Azkaban").
This film offered good escapist fare with lots of interesting sets and special- effects, as all the films have done. There is very good color and sound in here, making it even more attractive with a good TV and sound system.
Daniel Radcliff was a likable hero, with his round glasses and winsome smile. You can't help but root for him. His friends, played by Rupert Gint and Emma Watson, are okay but Watson gets annoying as the know-it-all school girl. She became more likable in the subsequent Potter films. For me, the British accents in here were not always easy to understand.
The story, despite its length of two-and-a-half hours, movies pretty well as there is always something interesting to view. Once again, this movie and the sequels all excelled in this department with great visuals.