Where the Magic Began

Rating: 8/10 (9 July 2009)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone(the Philospher's Stone outside of the US) began what would become a highly successful series consisting of eight films. The story centers around a young boy named Harry Potter, who after being raised by his abusive uncle and aunt after his parents were murdered years earlier, finds himself swept on a journey that will take him to Hogwarts, a school that trains wizards and witches. Along the journey he makes new friends and enemies while learning magic and overcoming the evil that spelt the end for his parents.
This movie(unlike some of the later films) is very faithful to the book but also is a great movie by itself, allowing people who have never read the books to be entertained just as much as already established fans.
The acting in the movie is overall very good. The child actors are decent but there are times when it shows plain and clear that this is their first movie and they're still getting comfortable with being in front of the camera. Two of the children though that really stood out were Rupert Grint as Harry's best pal Ron Weasley. He captured the lovable and sarcastic charm of Ron to perfection. Tom Felton as Harry's rival and Slytherin enemy, Draco Malfoy also shines.
The real meat of the great acting in this movie and also becomes a defining factor in the series, is the adult actors. The Harry Potter series manages to assemble some of Britain's best actors. Alan Rickman is perfect as the cold and ruthless Professor Snape while Richard Harris brings Dumbledore perfectly to life. There are many more great British actors such as Maggie Smith, Robbie Coultran, and many others.
The special effects are good but nowadays, you can occasionally catch some of the mistakes.
Overall while not being my favorite of the series, Sorcerer's Stone delivers as a great starting point to the saga of Harry Potter!