Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone - movie review
Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone
Plot: Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Richard Harris
Director: Chris Columbus
Rating: PG
Runtime: 2hrs 32 mins
Release Date: Friday 16th November 2001
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is arguably one of the greatest film franchises ever created. From the brilliant books by J.K. Rowling comes an adventure like no other. Transporting you to a world that is now internationally recognised, the first Harry Potter film is one of the best. With a star studded cast and fresh, new actors as the main trio, this film launched the careers of so many and catapulted the Harry Potter brand to super stardom. As cheesy as it may seem, Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone is simply magical.
To cast not one, not two, but multiple newcomers to these adored roles was a risky move by the production team to say the least. Having cast the trio as well as supporting students such as Neville Longbottom and Draco Malfoy, they had no option but to be good because the likelihood would be, that they would continue in this role until the very end. If they were bad, well, Harry Potter fans wouldn't be very happy. Fortunately enough, the casting team were spot-on with their picks for these students, especially with our main group. As soon as I were to mention the name, Daniel Radcliffe, you automatically think of Harry Potter. At the young age of 12 at the time of release, Radcliffe had the daunting task of carrying not just a single film on his shoulders, but the possibility of an entire franchise. That clearly didn't phase him as Radcliffe delivers a great performance as The Boy Who Lived combining child-like wonder as he discovers magic with a capable dramatic flair as he remembers his deceased parents. Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley was ideal casting. I always found Ron to be the bumbling idiot who is always out of his depth and Grint manages to encapsulate that perfectly. His charm and wit emanate from the screen and for me, after the countless viewings, Ron remains my favourite of the trio. Completing our main group is Emma Watson as Hermione Granger. Watson could have become the stereotypical nerd who begins to come out of her shell but through her bewitching depiction of Hermione and brilliant writing, Granger leaps from the page and onto the screen exactly as I had hoped. These three young actors may not have given the most mind blowing of performances (which is to be expected because of their age and inexperience at the time) but they carry this epic adventure with no problem at all.
In fact, I found every single casting decision to be as accurate to the books as possible. Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall, John Hurt as Ollivander, Julie Walters as Molly Weasley, Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom, Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy, John Cleese as Nearly Headless Nick and David Bradley as Argus Filch, they all give wonderful performances of respected and adored characters. What makes it even better is that they all fit into their significant roles perfectly and as a Harry Potter fan, I couldn't ask for a better cast. But you will notice that I have excluded some major cast members from this list. The purpose of this is to simply highlight how they shone and impressed me the most. Firstly, Ian Holm as the stuttering Professor Quirrell was phenomenal. To truly understand how great Holm was, I do have to reference a major spoiler. So, if you have yet to see any of the Harry Potter films; firstly, what exactly have you been doing with your life to avoid them?, and secondly, I would advise to skip through this section. The big reveal that Quirrell is actually the main antagonist of the piece surprised me when reading the book and it translates perfectly onto film. The deception that Holm conveys and then his turn into the sinister wizard sharing a head with Voldemort resulted in an iconic character. We also are treated to Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore. In my opinion, I did slightly prefer Harris to Michael Gambon but after Harris' unfortunate passing, I couldn't have thought of a better replacement. Harris presents the care and compassion of Dumbledore magnificently and gives the Headmaster the representation he deserves. Who could forget the friendly half-giant himself, Rubeus Hagrid played by the phenomenal Robbie Coltrane? Hagrid was always the most consistent character within the books and that consistency is presented wonderfully in the film. Coltrane gives what turned out to be my second favourite performance of the film as he gives the lovable keeper of keys the respect that Hagrid needed. But it is Alan Rickman that runs away with the title of best performance in this film. Never has an actor within the Harry Potter universe given the most authentic and real performance that can even be compared to Rickman's portrayal of Severus Snape.
From reading the books, The Philosopher's Stone was my third favourite book. But Chris Columbus had the difficult task of launching this intended franchise in the hope of pleasing the fans and not angering them. Thankfully, the mind behind Home Alone delivers profusely in his direction. Being over two and a half hours, it's clear that Columbus wanted to take his time to tell the story and fulfill all that was asked for within the book. This results in not only one of the best book to film adaptations of all time, but also my second favourite entry in the Harry Potter franchise. The story flows beautifully and whilst the length may seem too much, there is never a dull or wasted moment. It transports you into a world that most fans would not have thought could be possible, but they succeed to the highest level. To make matters even better, J.K. Rowling was constantly on set to provide advice on how the beloved characters should be treated. After all, what she says, goes. Because of the fantastic pacing, The Philosopher's Stone envelops you into the world and doesn't let you go. Each and every scene adds something to the story or characters. What I enjoyed immensely was the structure. We, as an audience, could easily understand as the film moved from one sequence to another. We began with Harry at the Dursley's, then Hagrid took him to Diagon Alley, Harry arrived at Hogwarts and was sorted into Gryffindor, he partook in Quidditch and of course, stopped Quirrell/Voldemort. To try and fit all of that into one film seems like an impossible task but somehow they achieved it to the best possible result.
I think I can easily say that the majority of people on the planet have at least heard of Harry Potter. Surely that explains how popular and influential it has become. From simply reading the books, I could never have guessed that the films would have been as good as they were. But it all began in 2001 with this film. The word iconic could not be used in such an appropriate term. It is incredibly quotable thanks to the writing from Steve Kloves and every set piece can be recognised and recalled when asked. Speaking of sets, the production design is flawless. Having taken the tour in Leavesden Studios, it is insane to think of the fantastic sets they created. Some standouts in this installment include: the Hogwarts castle itself, the Great Hall, Diagon Alley and the thrilling chess game. As if things couldn't get even better, we are also treated to a score composed by the master himself, John Williams. His music featured in The Philosopher's Stone is instantly recognisable and every Potter fan should be able to hum it without mistake. If you can't, you're not a true fan. But the magic and wonder that Williams is able to transfer into his music is wonderful and transformative. I would go as far to say that I would place this score amongst some of Williams' best. But the legacy that this initial installment has caused is unprecedented. I once thought that it would be impossible to depict Hogwarts onscreen but now, because of the unparalleled success, you can actually visit it! The Harry Potter franchise has become a pop culture icon and deservedly so.
I simply cannot stress enough how I unabashedly adore this film. It is an epic adventurous experience that will transport you into a world of magic and spectacle. Never has there been a more fulfilling book to film adaptation and as a fan of the series, I was so immensely pleased to witness a source material that I grew up on be treated with care and be amazing in every way possible.
My Verdict: 10/10
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