It's a film

Rating: 5/10 (3 December 2001)

I have never read any of the books and so I am a little tired of people comparing the two. As a film in it's own right I can't see what the fuss is all about. The story is charming yet predictable. The special effects leave something to be desired whereas the production design is excellent. Actors of the calibre of Rickman, Smith and Harris are wasted with small and unimportant scenes, and the rest of the film is dominated by children with mediocre acting ability. It was modestly entertaining but at 2 and 1/2 hours long it drags on with a wafer thin plot and marginally entertaining set pieces. I can see the appeal of the film to those who have read the book, but as a stand alone piece of film making it comes about par for the course.