The New Age Fairytale

Rating: 10/10 (19 September 2006)

Harry Potter's (Daniel Radcliffe) life as a famous wizard begins at age eleven, when rescued from the horrible Dursleys by Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane),"Keeper of the Keys at Hogwarts." Adventures and life changing encounters are bountiful as Harry moves from a life as a prisoner to become a celebrity. Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt (Fiona Shaw) and uncle (Richard Bremmer), Harry, as a young boy with a great destiny, proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Flying brooms, wands, evil potions, and invisible cloaks are all part of a world that is soon to be introduced to Harry Potter. This movie sparks the imagination of a wonderful, mystical world in which good triumphs over evil. Harry Potter begins his life as a deprived and socially inept young man. These personality traits are due to the cruel treatment endured while living with his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Cousin Dudley Dursley (Harry Melling). Unexplainable events occur such as the intriguing conversation and surprising release of the boa constrictor at the zoo. Harry is as startled by this occurrence as everybody else. Although he doesn't understand why these incidents occur, he takes them in stride and suffers through the punishments doled out. Harry's character is changed when he receives the invitation to attend Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is with this invitation that Harry's character begins to transform. Hidden secrets and family skeletons are revealed to Harry when he accepts this invitation. By entering this new world, Harry grows financially, socially, and intellectually. There are two main settings that make a lasting impression: Diagon Alley is the first of the two, where Harry goes to purchase necessary school supplies for Hogwarts. When entering an establishment, he is recognized and readily greeted like a war hero arriving home. Diagon Alley is an open market for any potion or ingredient a witch or a wizard could want. In the many shops, owls are displayed much like puppies at a pet store; children longingly stare at "the new Nimbus Two Thousand" broomsticks. It is during this stop that Harry realizes the enormity of his situation. The next setting that teases the imagination is Hogwarts, perched atop a high mountain, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, a huge castle. But within Hogwarts staircases shift with no notice, ghosts roam the hallways, food magically appears on tables, and portraits converse with passersby. This puzzling maze of corridors and hallways that make up Hogwarts entice the reader to explore the many passageways of Hogwarts in their imaginations. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" tells the story of an orphaned boy who learns on his eleventh birthday that he possesses magical powers. Also he learns Voldemort (Richard Bremmer) killed his parents instead of them dying in a car crash. After ten years of living under the stairs, he's suddenly among people who share his peculiar gifts at Hogwarts. But the real journey is Harry's growing up adventures, in which he encounters people who need his help against the forces of evil, and his effort to live up to his father's name.