Satisfying start to the series!

Rating: 8/10 (13 October 2009)

Harry Potter is here to stay! Almost down to the last couple films, the Harry Potter series may end up being the most successful franchise in film history...not Star Wars, not LOTR, not Indiana Jones, not Batman, not even James Bond...but Harry Potter! And this film, HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE (2001), is the one that started it all! Really a super-cute kid's fantasy film while the future ones went darker and deeper, I still find this first one very enjoyable and watchable.
As kids, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson (Harry, Ron, Hermione, respectively) were infectiously adorable! There's an utter innocence in them in this first entry that hearkens one back to when things were simple. Thankfully, they have some major adults to back them up! Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, and especially Alan Rickman! Sadly, Mr. Harris is no longer with us (he was in the 2nd one CHAMBER OF SECRETS thankfully), but the rest have continued on throughout the series to keep it faithful and strong!
SORCERER'S STONE, while not especially deep, does have some wonderful set pieces: the Hogwarts train ride, the exciting Quidditch match (Harry's first!) and the climactic Wizard's chess scene! But mainly, the directer Christopher Columbus does an admirable job introducing the viewer to this magical world without it ever devolving into insipid sappiness. This first film makes one "believe", and that is a good start indeed!