Just right!

Rating: 9/10 (6 April 2006)

One of the hardest things to do is to take a novel and condense it down into a movie. It takes great restraint and a brilliant mind to pull it off.
Well, Chris Columbus pulls it off! First of all, the casting was phenomenal. Daniel Radcliff IS Harry Potter. Emma Watson and Rupert Grint bring Hermione and Ron to life. The other stroke of genius in casting was Alan Rickman. Rickman brings unexpected nuances to the character of Professor Snape.
The score is soaring and uplifting. The cinematography is superb, with the rich soaring colors one would expect from the wizarding world.
My only complaint (and it's a small one) is that they left out Peeves the Poltergiest. Not a major character, but one, I'm sure that many who are fans of the books will agree, that I had been looking forward to seeing brought to...I don't know...can you say "life" about a poltergeist?!? 9/10...one to own and watch so often you memorize it!!!