The boy who lived, the movie that rocked....

Rating: Null/10 (10 November 2001)

The most eagerly awaited movie of the year is finally here, and it was sure worth waiting for.
It has all the elements of a blockbuster. The child stars for the younger audience to identify with, the adult jokes to keep the older ones interested and enough twists and plot developments to keep everyone on the edge of their seats.
The cast are all perfect for the roles they're in. Richard Harris as headmaster, Dumbledore, Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall and Alan Rickman as Harry's most hated teacher, Snape. The child stars are great too. There's been a lot of bad write ups about them, and how they don't cut it, but as child stars go, they're not so bad. I thought they were rather good. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson playing Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, respectively, do a great job of convincing the audience that they're newbie wizards and witches. Watson particulary shines as the pretentious Hermione, but Grint does a bang up job playing the sarcastic Ron.
Chris Columbus has done a wonderful job of putting J.K Rowling's story onscreen with Steve Kloves adapting the script to it's full potential. Sure, some scenes have been left out or changed slightly, but it doesn't affect the main plot. I'm sure die hard fans would try and complain, but they'd have a hard job picking bad points. I'm a fan myself and I was most impressed, especially since although it's mainly an American movie, the cast are all British, which makes a change, in this case, a welcome one.
The use of cgi wasn't over used, as one IMDb user said. It was used only when needed, and used to it's full effect. The mountain troll, the quidditch match, the dining hall and the final showdown all had it and made the movie what it was. The quidditch match is by far the best scene. The moving camera follows the speeding broomsticks and quaffles with the sounds coming from in front, behind and at the sides (when watched in cinemas with surround sound) make the whole scene a feel as if you're up there on a broomstick with the team.
This movie appeals to both children and adults alike and is a film that can be watched several times without getting dull. Go see this movie as soon as you can. The cast alone make the movie worth seeing, the effects just make it better.
A classic that'll still be watched in years to come.