Bland

Rating: 4/10 (24 July 2002)

Basically, it's a reasonable movie, but I found it mostly unexciting and uninvolving - to the point of yawning at some points. Maybe it's just a kids movie, but I feel that insults kids ;)
The start of the movie with Harry living in the cupboard came across as farcical to me (especially when the house from outside was a conventional urban home complete with SUV) and I didn't know whether to laugh or groan. Presumably it was done more convincingly in the book?
Some people have said it was too close to the book and needed to take some liberties to make it more interesting as a movie. Sounds reasonable to me, though I haven't read the book(s). On the other hand, quite a few people said that they changed too much as it was.
It also sounds like JK Rowling was maybe a bit too restrictive with the licensing.
In summary: 6/10. (I'm being harsher than some - I'd give a bad movie 1 or 2).