Um... well...

Rating: Null/10 (6 July 2002)

There isn't much that was left out here, but therein lies the problem, isn't it? I know many avid harry potter fans, and they can't seem to put a finger on why they didn't like it, they just didn't! This film is almost completely made up of scenes stripped from the book, which makes it even more irksome when certain minor things are left out. It almost seems that this movie has no soul of its own, and manages to botch things at times: the awkward position of harry's scar, the way hermione looks, Professor Magonagoll's age, Harry's well kept and less than unruly hair, et cetera. Since everything is stripped from the book, the movie can barely afford to stray at all, making it irritating for fans to watch when something minor like that is changed.
People who haven't read the books, however, are sure to have a peachy time of it.
There are redeeming qualities to the film. The score, while extremely redundant and innapropriately "magical" at times, is still a very good one. Coltraine is a great Hagrid, the same giant in the book whom you just want to run up to and give a hug. Some fans have qualms with Maggie Smith for being too old to play professor magonagoll; I personally think she does a great job. Dumbledore is very endearing, even though his very long beard looks like the fake spiderweb you buy for your house during halloween at the ends. And of course, you just want to bash in the pretentious little nose of Draco Malfoy. Macaully Culkin would have been a good Draco, I think.
But that's just me. All in all, not great, but it gets the job done.