The magic has truly begun

Rating: 10/10 (17 November 2001)

After reading all of J.K Rowling's excellent Harry Potter books, I was a little unsure about what to expect from the film. It is so very hard to convey the essence and vitality of a book to the big screen. Little did I know that I was in for a massive and rather pleasent surprise.
The splendour of the locations as described in the book were translated so very well to the movie - one could not help but be astounded by Hogwarts, it's grounds and the Forbidden Forest. The use of CGI in the film was well balanced, effective and warranted.
But of course, 'smoke and mirrors' can only do so much to enhance a film. The 'magic' truly comes from the actors and actresses who portray those so vital roles. The casting staff need to be given full credit; I cannot think of any one more suited to the roles than those who were cast for them. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson were absolutely spectacular, words are insufficient to lavish the amount of praise upon them that is necessary to convey my feelings. Harry, Ron and Hermione leapt from the book and onto the screen in their form. Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltraine, Richard Harris and Alan Rickman must be praised for their portrayal of the Hogwarts Faculty, each as stunning as each other, the spirit of the book must have truly flowed throughout the film set during Filming.
My only critique if any was that there were not enough scenes with the Aforementioned faculty. However, Daniel, Rupert and Emma certainly shone with such a light that it was only after I had thought about the film in retrospect that I developed this 'critique'.
A whole hearted 10 out of 10 goes to this film, and deservedly so.