But is it as good as the book?

Rating: 7/10 (9 August 2006)

Of course like all paper to celluloid projects this movie was inevitably going to pose the question "but is it as good as the book?" but with JK Rowling firmly in control and overseeing the film production it was to be expected that she would push for authenticity in any case. It is still likely, however, that many die-hard Harry in print fans who have their own image of how it should have been will still say "not near as good as the book". But that is possibly more so a reflection on the delights of reading and how the imagination can conjure up an image in ones mind as opposed to being a criticism of the film.
Inevitably of course elements of the book had to be sacrificed for brevity to make a movie that could retain the attention span of children - and even still it comes in at a considerable 2 hrs and 32 minutes. It still does manage to convey the core parts of the book admirably though and indeed it is said that, such were they complexities of aspects of the plot and location, it would have been very difficult to do just credit to the book without the advances in digital editing of the past five years. In that context Harry's School of Wizardry, Hogwarts, is portrayed exactly how you imagine it should be and even the Wizarding Game of Quidditch, which is basically like an airborne cross between seven a side soccer and basketball played on broomsticks with four balls, is portrayed quite well, though this is possibly one area where an over-dependence on special effects and high action (excuse the pun!) didn't exactly equate with what I had conjured up in my own head from the book. The casting is also rather inspired. Daniel Radcliffe quite simply IS Harry Potter. Richard Harris, as Headmaster Dumbledore, sports a beard even wilder looking than as the Bull McCabe if that is possible. Robbie Coltrane is excellent as the unkempt giant caretaker of Hogwarts; Hagrid and it seemed almost inevitable than no one but Alan Rickman at his super evil best could play Professor Snape, Harry's nemeses at Hogwarts.
And so for those rareities who have never heard of Harry Potter  What of the plot? Basically young Harry Potter is something of a prodigious celebrity amongst Wizarding folk for surviving an attack from "You know who", otherwise known as, but seldom called the arch evil dark Wizard, Lord Maldevort, who killed both his parents when he was only one year old. Afterwards Harry is doomed to live with his very nasty muggle (Wizarding Folk Terminology for non wizards) aunt and uncle and cousin for the following ten years, knowing nothing about his wizardry, until he is finally rescued by Hagrid on his eleventh birthday and brought to Hogwarts school of Wizardry to begin to learn his trade. The film thereafter basically follows the adventures of Harry and his friends Ron Weasley and Hermoine Granger during their first year in Hogwarts.
And so to the verdict? I found it a highly entertaining and quite inspired adaptation of the book; admittedly with some flaws, but I'd still grant it 7/10.