Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Review
by : Gareth Von Kallenbach
Starring:
Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid),
,Rupert Grint (Ron), Emma Watson (Hermione)
Directed by: Chris Columbus
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One of the most anticipated films of the year, "Harry Potter
and the Sorcerer's Stone" has finally arrived amidst much
hype and circumstance to the delight of fans the word over.
The film is based on a popular book series by J.K. Rowling
that tell of the adventures of young wizard Harry Potter and
his friends while attending Hogwarts Academy of Wizardry and
Witchcraft. The four books published to date have been bestsellers
the world over and have inspired legions of devoted fans,
so it seemed only a matter of time until Harry made his debut
on the big screen.
Not since
the last Star Wars film "The Phantom Menace", has their been
this much hype around a film, and advanced tickets to the
first weekend have been sold out in many places for weeks
in advance, and this is just the tip of the iceberg for a
film that many predict will break box office records.
The movie
tells of the orphaned Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), who is raised
by his mean and neglectful aunt and uncle. Harry's relatives
pay him little attention and force Harry to live in a cupboard
under the stairs and wait on them hand and foot. His relatives
never buy him gifts or treat him as family even on his birthday
and punish him for anything they believe he has done wrong,
even when he has not. Worse yet, Harry's aunt and uncle spend
all of the attention spoiling his obnoxious cousin as they
shower him with gifts and praise despite the fact he is a
greedy and rude child. Things change for Harry on his 11th
birthday when he learns that his parents were great wizards
and he is to attend Hogwarts in order to develop his amazing
talents. It seems his relatives have kept his parents abilities
and true fate from Harry, and were determined to keep him
from following in his parent's footsteps.
Aided
by the schools caring caretaker Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) Harry
equips himself with the items he will need to attend school
all the while learning about his parents. It is learned that
Harry was orphaned when an evil wizard killed his parents
and for some unknown reason, spared Harry although leaving
a mark upon the child's forehead.
As Harry
travels to his new school, He meets Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint)
and Hermione Granger(Emma Watson). Like Harry the two are
new students and they soon become good friends. No sooner
do Harry and his friends arrive, when strange things start
to happen ranging from a Troll running loose in the school,
hidden secrets, and a suspicious Professor Snape (Alan Rickman)
who seems to be up to something.
Along
the way, Harry and his friends learn about the fabled Sorcer's
Stone. A magical stone that can not only turn anything into
gold, but can create a elixir of immortality that the evil
wizard who killed Harry's parents seems intent on capturing
for himself. Despite Harry's warning, his notions are dismissed
by the faculty at Hogwarts as many believe the evil wizard
vanished for good long ago. Undaunted by the dangers that
face them, Harry and his friends set out to stop the forces
of evil and save the day.
The film
is a triumph of imagination as it blends, fantasy, humor,
and special effects in way that is charming and delightful
for all ages. A sporting match played on broomsticks is a
visual delight as characters zoom all over the screen in a
scene that will delight audiences of all ages. Despite having
some nice effects, the film never relies on eye candy to be
its drawing card. An interesting, if not to deep story and
likeable, well-written characters are what makes this film
shine. The acting is first rate and young Radcliffe seems
to be a star in the making. Coltrane gives an outstanding
performance as do Maggie Smith, and Richard Harris as the
wizards that not only teach Harry about magic, but about life
as well.
The film
moves along at a good pace, and despite its 150-minute running
time, there are few slow moments, as director Chris Columbus
paces the film to perfection. It should be noted that despite
its PG rating, some younger people in the press screener were
frightened by some moments of the film. That aside, "Harry
Potter" is a modern day classic that more than lives up to
the hype and is well worth seeing for fans of all ages. The
second film in the series is already under way and I must
say that for many people, myself included, I look forward
to seeing what future adventures Harry and his friends have
in store for audiences.
Gareth
Von Kallenbach
Gareth@nwlink.com
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