An effects-laden excuse of an adaptation

Rating: 1/10 (10 December 2001)

Many viewers of this film applaud its faithfulness to the book, however they miss that while the film includes much of the book in it (more than is necessary in fact), it lacks the central story. That is: the story of a young boy who has suddenly had his wildest dream come true, and who now must deal with his newfound celebrity, his amazing magical heritage, and most of all, day to day life at Hogwarts with his friends (and enemies). The movie is more preoccupied with populating Hogwarts with ghosts and moving staircases than it is with characters of any depth. Everyone from the book, Harry included, suffers from a serious lack of on-screen development, and as a consequence the story lurches ponderously from event to event without the throughline that stong character development would bring. I, for one, am not easily impressed by effects, no matter how impressive, especially when they are a duplicitous substitute for the real strength of a story such as this: character.