Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) --- “Go On A Journey Beyond Your Imagination To Find A Stone Of Unimaginable Power. Let The Magic Begin.”

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Plot Summary

Adaptation of the first of J.K. Rowling's popular children's novels about Harry Potter, a boy who learns on his eleventh birthday that he is the orphaned son of two powerful wizards and possesses unique magical powers of his own. He is summoned from his life as an unwanted child to become a student at Hogwarts, an English boarding school for wizards. There, he meets several friends who become his closest allies and help him discover the truth about his parents' mysterious deaths. (1) 

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Review

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Hello, Movie Buffs! 

     Directed by Chris Columbus (Mrs. Doubtfire; Home Alone) and written by Steve Kloves (Harry Potter films), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2003) is the first film in the franchise and is based off the best-selling young adult series by J.K. Rowling. The film introduces us to Harry Potter, a young boy who discovers that he is a wizard on his 11^th birthday, and follows him on his adventures at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But aside from the adventures that take place, the series also carries an overall message that is inspiring to its core. It teaches us about the importance of love, friendship, courage, and loyalty, and that seeking knowledge or having ambition should be embraced as equally as courage and loyalty.

     The effort and passion that went into this film, as well as its predecessors, is outstanding and worth commemorating. Director Columbus and crew have created a terrific film with wonderful storytelling, fast pacing, great direction, mesmerizing special effects, memorable dialogue, and notable acting. The story was presented in a way that would appeal to both new fans and old fans, and yet surprisingly, Columbus was criticized for being too faithful to the book but as an avid reader myself I believe that it was the right approach for the film. In addition, I heard that the filmmakers ended up with more than 4hrs of film when everything was done but they had to remove certain scenes – like the magical world's jubilation at the demise of Voldemort, a lot of the pre-letter scenes with the Dursleys, all of Dudley's "friends", the first meeting with Malfoy, the school song, etc. – in order to bring it to a “more reasonable timeframe” of 2 hr 32min.

     The visual effects were incredible and the music score by John Williams (Star Wars, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, & Jurassic Park) is brilliant This is a film about magic and I was delighted to see a film that creates a world for all to see if only for a short time and its filled with delight and cheer. And the music score adds to the film’s magic and ties the whole film together.

     The cast is superb, especially the child actors. Daniel Radcliffe (Now You See Me 2) is outstanding as the laid back, quiet, and unassuming Harry Potter. Rupert Grint (Snatch and Sick Note both TV series) and Emma Watson (Beauty and the Beast) are dorky and adorable as Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The rest of the cast like Maggie Smith (Prof. McGonagall), Alan Rickman (Prof. Snap), Richard Harris (Dumbledore), Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid), and more did an amazing job. Each of the characters convinces us that they fit the shoes of the character they are portraying.

     Overall, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2003) is entertaining, magical, and a well placed modern fairytale. Director Columbus and crew have created a terrific film with wonderful storytelling, fast pacing, great direction, mesmerizing special effects, memorable dialogue, and notable acting. If you’re a fan of the books or you’ve never seen the films then I recommend that you check this series out.

"You're a wizard, Harry!"

- Hagrid 

Final Vote

Worth Seeing:  8 of 10 star

Worth Buying:  8 of 10 stars

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