Wild About Harry!

Rating: 9/10 (13 November 2001)

Wild About Harry
By C.J. Cauley
If there is one movie that can be called a sure blockbuster even before its release, it's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. One of the most anticipated movies in recent years, it perhaps even eclipses the mania that preceded Star Wars, The Phantom Menace. Advance tickets are selling faster than any other film released in the U.S. this year. The London debut of the film on November 4 drew an estimated 10,000 fans, slightly less filled the seats at the AMC theater at Newport on the Levee. Before the curtain went up, hundreds lined up for the special sneak preview on November 11. Little ones were wearing black robes and wizard hats and waving their magic wands to try to make the line move faster. They grew more and more impatient with every passing minute. Finally, the moment of truth had arrived.

Based on J.K. Rowling's wildy popular children's book of the same name, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone takes us on a magical journey with an unlikely hero, the young Master Harry Potter. Orphaned as a baby, Harry is raised by the Dursleys, his wicked aunt and uncle who force him to sleep in a cupboard while his cousin, Dudley, leads a charmed life. Harry's life soon makes an abrupt change as Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry comes knocking on his eleventh birthday. He learns that he is the son of a witch and wizard who died to save him from the evil Lord Voldemort, a Hogwart's wizard gone bad. All of this was kept from him by his not-so-well-meaning guardians. The Dursleys are what are commonly referred to as Muggles, or non-magic people. Harry was about to exit their world and enter into a whole new existence. Every child dreams that they are adopted and will someday find out that they are a royal prince or princess from some far away land. Harry lives that dream as a wizard rather than a prince.
Harry, being the only person to ever survive Lord Voldemort's wrath, is quite the celebrity at Hogwart's. He was too young to remember but he retains a reminder of the attack on his forehead in the form of a lightening-shaped scar (although it looks more like a slanted Z). The once lonely boy makes new friends, especially Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and learns more about his role in the recent history of magic. The three friends, all first-years at the school, learn more about their surroundings and each other while stumbling onto a mystery involving the Sorcerer's Stone. Along the way, we're dealt clues as well as red herrings and we meet an admirable cast of characters. Alan Rickman is the dark Professor Snape that Harry and his friends believe is up to no good. Richard Harris is exquisite as the old and wise Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Robbie Coltrane will make you chuckle as the enormous and lovable Gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid. Maggie Smith shines as Professor Minerva McGonagall and John Cleese gets honorable mention as Nearly Headless Nick, one of the many ghosts who haunt Hogwart's.
It's often said there are three things you should NEVER work with in any movie: kids, animals and special effects. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone has all three. The kids are adorable and the animals, magical but the special effects could have used a little work. There were a few scenes where the digital imagery looked more cartoonish than real and the transitions were not seamless. Any lack of realism in the special effects, though, were more than made up for in set design. Filmed in the U.K. at locations in Gloucester, Durham and Oxford, director Chris Columbus was able to find magnificent buildings to play as backdrops. Alnwick Castle is just one such place. Foreboding and medieval, Alnwick Castle plays Hogwart's for many of the outdoor scenes. Indoor scenes were shot at Gloucester Cathedral, Oxford and Durham Cathedral. All are brilliant in beauty and majesty. Columbus was just as selective with his child stars. Daniel Radcliffe is a dead ringer for the Harry Potter that J.K. Rowlings envisioned and Rupert Grint is a standout in the cast as Ron. They, along with Emma Watson who played Hermione, will soon find themselves the Macaulay Culkins of their generation.
As is often the case with movies that are derived from books, there were omissions but Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone managed to stay true to the book for the most part. There is some mild language but it's the scary moments that may caution parents of younger children. The only bothersome thing were a few visual clues in the movie that the book lacked. This slight dumbing-down of the plot is something J.K. Rowlings never does to her readers. This was probably done to make it a little easier for younger viewers to understand but it made it a little too easy for parents. In addition, we should have seen more of the Weasley twins, their humor could have stolen the show if given the chance. Sadly, two and a half hours is just not long enough to bring the entire book to life but rest assured, before all is said and done, you too will be wild about Harry. 1,000 points for Gryffindor!