Postcards from Hogwarts

Rating: 6/10 (11 December 2001)

I've read all the Harry Potter books with my daughter. They're best for ages 8 to 10. They're fun but not great. This movie is not as much fun. People who think it keeps to the book should re-read the book.
There wasn't much buildup to the climactic scene. It just seemed to suddenly happen. In the book, Harry seemed to have earned the right to confront and defeat Voldemort, but in the movie, he just happens to end up in the right place at the right time, and with no particular effort, emerges victorious.
This movie is like a postcard version of the book, but with less emotion than you can put into a postcard. As many others have said, it's passable if you've read the book, but only because you are then able to fill in the tension, emotion, and character development missing from the movie.
Casting was okay. Radcliffe is adequate as Potter. Rupert Grint is better as Ron. Emma Watson's hair isn't right. Robbie Coltrane is superb as Hagrid. Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith - blah, blah, blah. John Hurt's excellence as Mr. Ollivander is much appreciated.
I gave "Harry Potter" a 6 out of 10.