Full of Sound and Fury, Signifying Nothing

Rating: 1/10 (24 November 2001)

Cut about an hour out of the middle of HARRY POTTER and you'll have a pretty decent little movie. As is, it's a bloated mess. There's no heart to this, no characterizations. It's just a product reel for all the special effects companies that worked on it.
Seeing actors of the caliber of Alan Rickman and Robbie Coltrane and Maggie Smith wading through this, I wondered what went through their minds while they were performing. They have to eat and pay bills like the rest of us, but the last time I felt so sorry for actors was watching Dudley Moore in SANTA CLAUS.
There's no need for viewers to feel any emotional reaction. The goshawful musical score by John Williams telegraphs everything to us and makes sleeping during the dull parts nearly impossible.
This made a bundle opening weekend and the studio has started work on the sequel. I wonder if business will hold at the same rate as the opening. It's playing on three screens at our local theatre and we didn't have to wait at all for tickets to the 7 pm show tonight (Saturday) and there were plenty of seats empty.