Gem of a children's film and a fine adaptation of the Rowling novel

Rating: 7/10 (3 August 2016)

Over-hyped but still enjoyable "event" movie, one of the biggest of 2001 until LORD OF THE RINGS comes out, and a film in which every million of the budget is put up on screen in the special effects. What I found most refreshing about this blockbuster is that the entire cast is made up of British actors and actresses! It makes a change for an expensive blockbuster movie to be thus but there you go, HARRY POTTER is indeed a unique movie. Now I'm not one of those people with lots of time on their hands to read the never-ending Harry Potter books (too busy watching cult movies I'm afraid), but the film has turned out pretty much as I would have expected from the adverts. Although it's overly sentimental (blame it on director Chris Columbus) and aimed at children, adults can still enjoy it for the excellent pacing (rarely does the two-and-a-half hour running time drag) and the plethora of special - and some not so special - effects on view throughout.
Highlights include an attack in the school's toilets by a huge, lumbering troll, a life size game of chess in which the pieces come to life to destroy each other, a cloak of invisibility, a man with two faces on opposite sides of his head, and the finale which includes a scene of a man disintegrating into dust as a homage to Hammer's Dracula and is just as impressive. The CGI effects are elaborate and generally flawless, and the only ones I didn't care for were the "broomstick flying" shots in the quidditch game which still ended up looking a little too fake for my liking, which is a shame as they're used excessively. Otherwise the effects work is phenomenal and something to be seen.
Daniel Radcliffe takes on the rather subdued role of Potter, and is overshadowed by two excellent performances from Rupert Grint as the lovably cheeky Ron and Emma Watson as the bossy Hermione. The supporting cast are generally excellent, with fine turns from Richard Harris as Headmaster Dumbledore, Robbie Coltrane as the giant Hagrid (whose weight bizarrely fluctuates throughout the movie), John Cleese - briefly - as an unsuccessful ghost, Nearly Headless Nick, John Hurt as a wand dealer, Richard Griffiths as Harry's unpleasant uncle, and most of all Alan Rickman with a sinisterly villainous performance of Gothic dread - nobody can be a bad guy like Rickman can. Cameos from the likes of Julie Walters, Fiona Shaw, Zoe Wanamaker, and even Warwick Davis (which surely had to be a step up from LEPRECHAUN 5 or whatever his last film was) as a goblin are endless and a delight.
HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE may be a kid's film, but there's enough going on here to make it an enjoyable viewing experience for adults who plan to watch the film with their kids as well. Lots of plot, interesting and original characters, refreshingly old-fashioned moral codes, some fine sets which skilfully mix old and new-style worlds, an effective score, special effects which seamlessly blend in with the story and above average acting help to make this a gem of a movie and a cut above the rest.