No magic in the movie

Rating: 6/10 (19 November 2001)

As an adult fan of the Harry Potter series, I was unimpressed by the cinematic version of the story and surprised that so many critics are already calling this uninspired production a classic. I can think of dozens of childrens' movies that are superior to this one including Shrek and Monsters Inc. which are playing at the same time. Compared to a true classic like ET, this Harry Potter movie appears weak even by muggle standards.
With only a few exceptions the acting here was wooden and uninspired. Maggie Smith as Professor/Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall stood out as did David Bradley as Caretaker Argus Filch. Robbie Coltrane as Gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid also had his moments. The kids were cute, but they all acted as if they were reading their lines and Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe)had pretty well one expression for every occasion. The special effects were pedestrian.

As others have also noted, director Chris Columbus would have been better off to leave out some parts of the book and concentrate on doing a better job with the parts he kept. As it is, the movie rushes forward, lurching from one scene to another and barely taking the time to develop characters or any kind of dramatic tension.
What made the first book so enjoyable for me was the excitement of discovering a magic world existing side-by-side with the muggles. It was so much fun to experience Harry's surprise and wonderment when he is first introduced to that world. This movie captures none of that. For a movie about wizards and witches there is painfully little magic to be found here.