Better than the Phantom Menace

Rating: Null/10 (26 November 2001)

I didn't read the book. I'm not saying that to show how unique this perspective will be, I'm just saying that I can not comment on how it compares to the book, nor do I think anyone ever should with an adaptation.
I've never liked Chris Columbus. He's always lacked any sort of vision or style...unless unbelievably hokey is a style. But with this, he obviously had a good script (still not commenting on the book) to work with. With this movie, we have our typical first chapter in what is obviously going to be a series. It's not leaving you with a cliffhanger or anything like that, but one can never get away from the feeling that this is all set up for things that will happen in the distant future. Well, maybe not too distant, but beyond the end of this movie.
So the real challenge for this movie is to make us care about what might happen to these characters later on. I suppose that was accomplished to a certain extent. Mostly I was rather interested in the story and hoping that, before the future get here, these kids take a few more acting lessons. Don't get me wrong, they are quite good, but that little girl needs to stop over annunciating every last word. Outside of that, I see some great potential. Is it cruel to pick on these defenseless kids? Maybe, but I'm not the one who put them on screen with some of the best British actors ever. I know if I was twelve years old, I wouldn't want to be up against Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, John Hurt, Maggie Smith, and Richard Harris. (wow)
Next, I know it's a kids' movie, but do we really need a scene where, one after another, the three kids show their individual talents? It's mildly contrived (we need some one who has studied, now a good broom flyer, and finally we need that comic relief guy who plays chess). And my final complaint before I get into the good stuff are the names of the characters themselves. The names of bad people and things are stuff like: Draco, Voldemort, and Slytherin. This is much like what Hawthorne used to name his characters (Chillingsworth anyone) and it's just plain silly. Think of it this way, would the name Hannibal Lecter conjure up a bad image in your mind before you saw The Silence of the Lambs? Maybe a little, but not to the point where you would immediately know that, "he's the bad guy...BOOOOOOO!!!"
As for what was good, I don't mean to repeat what others have said, but that Quidditch game was great. I think it really got the feel that it was going for. The effects were very good for the type of movie that this was. Sure, they didn't look all too realistic, but it is a movie about magicians and wizards, so let's not get too carried away. And, like I said before, you can't deny that the story was interesting. I thought it opened up a whole new world where things were different enough for us to continue asking questions. But it wasn't so erratic that you just gave up on following any of it (see Tomb Raider). Overall, it was a rather enjoyable experience. I do wish I had seen it that first weekend though. I ended up seeing it this afternoon (a Monday) and I was the only one in the theater. This does need to be seen with other people.
And most importantly, while that Macaulay Culkin look-alike, Draco, came dangerously close, there was no Jar Jar Binks! HOORAY!