A great start......the sequels will be even better!

Rating: 8/10 (16 November 2001)

Being something of a purist, I was really concerned about hearing that Harry would be coming to the big screen. At first, I didn't even plan to see the movie, figuring that they would just prostitute something that is destined to be a classic. I was pleasantly surprised, however, to see that they remained true to the books. The movie is long, but so well done that you scarcely notice. Having read the books myself, twice, I watched for any deviations or gross omissions, and found none. There was a point, at the end, where my twelve year old son came out of his seat and said "what did they just do?" when he realized that they had omitted something he expected to see. (This is a child who's read the books four times, so he was *really* watching for omissions.) He realized later that the scene he was looking for really wasn't important, and that it may show up later in the DVD. The casting was well done, and the acting not bad, considering that the kids are all relative newcomers. (I can't wait to see more of Oliver Wood/Sean Biggerstaff--what eye candy he is!) After seeing this, I have changed my mindset about Harry going to Hollywood, and now I can't wait for the rest of the series!