The kids are alright

Rating: 6/10 (17 November 2001)

I saw this in a theater that was completely full, with a crowd that buzzed excitedly over the Scooby Doo preview before the feature. The major thing that I noticed was the complete lack of buzz during the film. No laughs, no sudden breaths, very little sound at all. I think the movie simply moved too fast, and everyone felt the need to focus on the screen completely so as not to miss anything. I understand the problems in adapting a widely read and hugely successful novel to a screenplay, so I empathize with the screenwriter. I enjoyed the film, even at the 2.5 hour length, and I recommend that fans of the books see it, but I do not think children under 7-8 would sit through the second half. One negative (somewhat) was the seeming lack of special effects in a movie about a wizard. What effects were there were fairly shoddy. The three main actors, particularly the adorable little Hermione, were wonderful. But why was John Cleese included for a two line role? The same for John Hurt. Overall, 6 out of 10