Only for the very young

Rating: 6/10 (8 January 2004)

Spoilers ahead!
While the Harry Potter movies in general are worth watching once for a familiarity with the storyline and the rather beautiful shots of each one, they are worth no more than that, unless you're less than 13 years of age. While J.K. Rowling's world, even more enchanting in film than in book, it quite unique its blatant black-and-white-ness is ridiculous at best and angering at worst.
This is a world where students are sorted from day one as to whether they will be evil or good and God forbid they break from those roles.

To say nothing of the fact that Harry's ability to absorb all the attention and action in every scene makes one wonder if anyone else in this world could even exist without him.
The only major redeeming factors in this movie are the excellent portrayls of Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape. Dumbledore can be excused from his pure whiteness for the mere fact that he is both mysterious and rather insane. Severus Snape, on the other hand, is the only character given any hope of proving evil as well as good.
The Magic of this story is purely in the wonderful sets and special effects the movie makers used. Anyone looking for depth of character or unexpected revelations will be sorely disappointed