Very Entertaining

Rating: 8/10 (8 December 2001)

To be put simply Harry Potter is: Very Entertaining. It was at times slightly mundane, but I put that down to the fact that I had read the book only a day before, so I knew every scene that was coming.
Apart from that, the special effects were breathtaking, just amazing. The movie setting was spot on, people must understand that in order for Harry Potter to of done well in movie form, the SFX and sets were as equally as important as the actors and storyline. This may not of be the case for other movies, but it is crucial for Harry Potter, as the wizarding world MUST be brought to life through visuals too. As for the acting - well, you don't have to be the next Meryl Streep to play the parts of Harry, Ron and Hermione. Although having said that, Ron played by Rupert Grint was absolutely brilliant. He got the right expressions in just the right amounts without over-doing it (like his co-star Emma Watson who played Hermione). Daniel Radcliffe as Harry...I would say it was a good choice. In the books, unlike the other characters, Harry's personality is the most hard to depict, even though he's the central focus. He does not have as strong traits of personality as the other characters. Therefore, although people might describe Daniel Radcliffe as "wooden", he's only playing up to his character. Overall, pleasurable viewing. Any who say otherwise, either do not like this genre or have been swept up by the hype and have too high expectations. The soundtrack is also very good.