Given all the hype, ultimately disappointing in originality

Rating: 5/10 (30 November 2001)

All the buzz and news hype had my expectations up in order of props, special effects, storyline and music. Sadly, only John William's magical melodies had the type of wizardry promised.
Being fair, I found the props antiquatedly quaint and efforts were made in the make-up, though the faces of the goblins still looked distinctly stiff.
However, the special effects were a let-down with a plasticine-like troll. But the biggest let-down must have been the storyline, which clearly evolved into a Lord-of-the Rings wannabe after the sparkling initial ingenuity of a modern-day wizard boarding school, and ended with an 'Indian Jones and the Last Crusade' -like finale.
I gave it a 5 rating. Which means I won't be watching it again... nor reading the book.