MUCH ADO ABOUT HARRY

Rating: Null/10 (30 November 2001)

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE (2001) ** Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Ian Hart, John Hurt, Zoe Wanamaker, John Cleese, Warwick Davis, Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, Julie Walters. Overrated hoopla over JK Rowling's internationally popular junior wizard in training in this first outing with Master Potter enrolled in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with the thick, gooey Hollywood homogenization via special effects and a time-straining screenplay adaptation by Steve Kloves (the sorcerer's stone' is first mentioned at the 90 min. mark I kid you not!). I'm sure for purist Potter freaks they'll be gasming over this and looking forward to the next chapter; I'm not. (Dir: Chris Columbus)