A great book squeezed into an OK film

Rating: 7/10 (1 December 2001)

Making a full-size book into a film is a huge challenge. When that book is as well-known and action-packed as Harry Potter et al, the challenge looks well-nigh impossible, and so my expectations for this film started out low. Then the reviews started to come in, along with claims that the film was miraculously not bad at all. My expectations shot up again. Foolish...
In brief, the film is nothing more or less than a very pretty condensed summary of the book. All the scenes are there, portrayed in loving detail, but all the character development and atmosphere of the book have been stripped away in the attempt to fit all the scenes in. Several of the actors, e.g. Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint do an excellent job, but most do not manage to develop any personality, including Daniel Radcliffe (Harry). The computer graphics are excellent IMHO although opinions vary.
In retrospect it would probably not have been possible to do much better with this without seriously altering the story. If you're a fan, you'll go and see it anyway, but don't, like me, get your hopes up...