9 on a scale of 10

Rating: 9/10 (18 December 2001)

I went into this movie somewhat concerned about whether the subject matter would be offensive to me or anyone else who took religion seriously. I am quite aware that in western culture we tend to overlook many issues that conflict with historical (and conservative) religious viewpoints. Halloween would be a great example.
However, as I watched this movie I realized that considering the absence of any direct references to God or to the Devil, everything else was pretty much fair game. Furthermore, I had to ask myself why would this movie be offensive and yet evil, non human entities such as the Klingons or the Borg aren't. And, I couldn't come up with an answer. So, I look at it as a modern day fantasy (which it is) set in London that isn't all that much different than a futuristic science fiction movie about the struggle between good and evil.
Once I was over that issue, I could examine the movie on its merits. I had no idea how long it was until someone told me the time after the movie. I thought it was probably 2 hours, but I was surprised to hear it was over 2 1/2 hours. That clearly is a positive because it meant I wasn't bored.
The movie is extremely well crafted and the special effects are first rate. I was reminded of so many other movies as I watched it from Superman to the Wizard of Oz. But, it was about as unique a movie as you could ever hope to see. Having not read the book (a ridiculous waste of time when I can get it all for just a 2 1/2 hour investment), I had no idea how fantastic was/is the imagination of JK Rowling. How anyone could create an entire world such as this is remarkable - to say the least. Really, the Einstein of imagination.
One other thing. I noticed that the best two women groups in IMDB were under 18 years old and over 45 years old. And, the best men group is over 45 years old. That also is remarkable. It says that a story about a young boy in a fantasy world is liked as much or more by geezers such as myself. And, when you add the fact that ALL kids want to see it, you have the makings of a mega hit - perhaps the biggest of all time.