Production Year: 2001 - Family - Director: Chris Columbus - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Zoe Wannamaker, Tom Felton, Harry Melling, Matthew Lewis, David Bradley, Bonnie Wright, Sean Biggerstaff, Julie Walters, John Cleese, Fiona Shaw, Warwick Davis, John Hurt, Richard Griffiths, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Ian Hart, Robbie Coltrane, Zoe Wanamaker more
American director Chris Columbus (HOME ALONE) brings the magic of British author J.K. Rowling's beloved best-selling fantasy novel to life in HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S... more
and newcomers to the global fantasy phenomenon. An adaptation of J. K. Rowling's enchanting, funny debut novel,Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone(known as the...
ofHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stonemet head on. The result of their efforts is one of the most lavish, beautiful and magical cinematic treats to hit our screens...
ofHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stonemet head on. The result of their efforts is one of the most lavish, beautiful and magical cinematic treats to hit our screens...
and wizard and possesses magical powers of his own. At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Harry embarks on the adventure of a lifetime discovering a worl...
ofHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stonemet head on. The result of their efforts is one of the most lavish, beautiful and magical cinematic treats to hit our screens...
ofHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stonemet head on. The result of their efforts is one of the most lavish, beautiful and magical cinematic treats to hit our screens...
original 35mm film from Harry Potter - Philosopher's Stone. The collection has a black mount with black frame, an individually numbered plaque and certificate of authenticity.
selected original 35mm film from Harry Potter movie Philosopher's Stone. The collection has a black mount with black frame, an individually numbered plaque and certificate of authenticity.
A review by Suzela on Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone (DVD) October 9th, 2007
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Loved it
Story
Good
Characters / Performances
Good
Special Effects
Good
How does it compare to similar films?
Good
Advantages:
Good fun and entertaining
Disadvantages:
long and not as good as the book
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
In the run up to the release of the fifth DVD in the Harry Potter series Harry Potter and The Order of the Pheonix, I have decided to review the previous four films. This is the first of the four - The 2001 Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone (or Sorceror's Stone for our US friends). Before I start I must state that I am a big kid and love Harry Potter but don't worry that doesn't mean that I will babble on inanely about how brilliant the film is despite its flaws. Like anything you really love you can forgive the flaws but you can also point them out more objectively.
The Philosopher's Stone is an adaptation of the introductory book to the highly successful J.K.Rowling stories about the boy wizard Harry Potter. Born to wizard parents, killed when he was a baby by the evil dark lord Voldemort, Harry had been brought up by Muggles (non magical folk) until the age of 11 not knowing who he really was or his significance in the magical world. In the Philosopher's Stone the reader/viewer and Harry begin a journey of discovery into this magical world and discover his past, his new world and glimpse his future.
There is always a danger when a well loved book is adapted for the big screen that the essence of the book is lost - it becomes a parody or a simple condensing of scenes into a 2 hour 30 minute slot with all the soul ripped out. This was my biggest fear when I first sat in the cinema preparing to watch it. I remember my husband asking me as we sat there waiting the start of the film if I was excited and yes I was but I was also apprehensive. I was also concerned that the director who had brought us Home Alone, Mrs Doubtfire and Bicentennial Man, Chris Columbus was going to give us either some gooey, misty eyed version of the book or over do the humorous elements of the book and turn them into a Home Alone style slapstick fest. I knew deep down that I would take the film to my heart but I was prepared to be disappointed.
The opening scene calmed my nerves slightly - it was reassuringly accurate as Richard Harris appears as the magnificent headmaster of Hogwarts Albus Dumbledore. And at this point I realised that I had to try and separate my mental images from the books from those of the film so that I could settle back, watch the film objectively and enjoy. To a certain extent I managed it but I then started doing something even more annoying. I started thinking "oh I wonder how they will do this?"
The interesting thing is that my husband had not read any of the books and I was so looking forward to hearing his thoughts on the film as I was hoping that he would have had a little insight into the stories that I enjoy so much. I knew I would be entertained by the film, despite the apprehension but I didn't know if the film would have been enough to entertain him. But I will tell you what he thought of it later.
My overall impression of the film was that it was faithful to the book - Steve Kloves' screenplay even took lines from the book but they were incredibly minor lines. Normally the biggest criticism with an adaptation of a book is how much is left out or how the story is altered. I don't actually see this as a problem as long as the spirit of the story is retained. The feel of the magical world in this film was like something out of a Dickens novel but with much more colour, as were the costumes. This is in stark contrast to the suburban environment that Harry was used to. And really this was how I saw it in my mind so I expect that is how everyone else saw it. The Harry Potter phenomenon was huge before the films so to ensure the film's success you have to keep those who are already familiar with the works happy and yet keep it entertaining for the newcomers. And let's face it Warner Bros would not make a film that they didn't think would make money. The filmmakers knew they had a captive audience but if they got it wrong they risked alienating the fans. So you always felt as if they would play it safe.
And safe they played it but I fear too safe - it all seemed a bit too sterile and contrived and the film industries own form of magic or special effects as they are commonly known didn't seem to be able to bring the magic of the book to the screen. Yes there was an impressive visual feast of the sets, costumes, locations and acting but the real magic of the book - the little unexpected magical things and the idiosyncrasies that surprised Harry in his discovery of his new world and slightly humorous and over the top scenarios which accentuated the book and made the magical world so special - were not there for the outsider to see. All the background, politics, day to day existence of the magical world which is built into the book was converted in a quick one line exposition every so often. Yes they had to leave a lot out but they could also have been more inventive in adding those "in the background" scenes to portray more of the world. You got no sense of the ongoing crisis Harry had in the books of fitting in, failing or being rejected. You didn't get that sense of wanting to belong. A lot of the amusing scrapes they all got into were missed out and yet despite this the film still seemed to plod along from one scene to the other. Even the Quidditch match was not as good as it could have been. And I felt quite sad that people like my husband has missed out. It was really just like a good v evil film but the good and evil were a bit weak rather than the opener to a great story. My husband's impression was one of "what was that all about?" and "was that it?". He couldn't quite work out what I had been evangelising about. I had to spend all dinner afterwards, bus trip home and until bedtime explaining that this happened because of this, that and the other. All in all as much as I enjoyed seeing what could be done out of curiosity I left the cinema a little dejected. I wanted it to be so good and yet it was just OK. But there were some redeeming features of the film in the form of the cast and John Williams' brilliant soundtrack that we both agreed on.
Together with the costumes, make up and acting performances the characters and creatures of both the muggle and magical world really come to life. They may not have had the best script to work with but the characterisations were superb and all the characters were believable. The main flaws only came about in my mind because of the divergence of my imagined characters and the screen personas but from an acting standpoint the adult cast excelled.
As previously mentioned Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore is just how I imagined him to look but he only captured a few elements of Dumbledore's character from the book. That said for the film this was perfect as there was no point in putting a multi-faceted and eccentric Dumbledore on screen. I felt he was more grandfatherly than grand and that was one of the things I felt was common with all the adult cast - that you felt they were supporting roles in every sense to allow the children's characters to shine through. Maggie Smith gave Professor McGonagall that strict yet fair air that was expected and Robbie Coltrane, although not the half-giant Hagrid of my imagination, did a good job of making this larger than life character on screen seem as normal as the rest. And then we have his royal badiness himself, the wonderful Alan Rickman as Professor Severus Snape. He's cool, he's calm, he's expressionless and he's got it in for Harry. He's the Mr Bronson (for those of us who remember that era of Grange Hill) of Hogwarts. He simply is Severus Snape and if I may say so makes him even better than the books. Ian Hart I felt was a little subdued as Professor Quirrell. That said you could argue that it was the perfect way to play him considering his actual role in the story (I won't spoil it for you if you haven't seen it).
Other key performances which although small parts added a great deal to the film were from stalwarts of British acting - the likes of John Hurt as Ollivander the wand maker - eccentric, intuitive and yet very creepy, David Bradley as the nasty Hogwarts caretaker (and let us not forget his cat), Zoe Wannamaker as Madam Hooch, the flying teacher with the scary eyes and finally Richard Griffiths and Fiona Shaw as Mr and Mrs Dursley, Between these two they delivery a superb performance as the gruff Uncle and prim and proper Aunt of Harry who grudgingly take him in after the death of his parents - totally as I imagined them to be and totally engaging on screen.
So to the kids. Are they any good? Well here is where it gets hard. When the film was made they were 10 and 11 years old so they were great at playing 10 and 11 year olds. Were they any good as the characters? Well the seeds were sown. Daniel Radcliffe with his round glasses is how Harry Potter looks in the books. You feel he is being led a bit in the film but then as a character he is being led into a new world and he is finding his feet. Shots of him gazing wide eyed in amazement is quite possibly how anyone would react in a new and exciting situation. His delivery seemed a bit laboured at times but then trying to speak to an 11 year old boy is like that anyway. But was this acting? Unfortunately this film didn't offer enough to really see how good or bad an actor he was. He just really needed to be there. As for Ron and Hermione well Rupert Grint plays the flame haired sidekick as you would expect him to be played. He's there to support Harry, knowing that he'll never be the hero but revelling in the chance to shine when it comes. He certainly makes him a likeable character. He is the oldest of the three actors and that showed slightly. He seemed to get into character more and although it was still awkward you did have to wonder how much of it was to do with him playing Ron awkward or him just being him. I do have a problem with Emma Watson though - of the three she was by far the worst. She is too pretty to be Hermione who only scrubs up in the fourth book and as for being an insufferable know it all - well yes she may well be but Watson piles it on. She completely overacts and I would like to say it was an age thing but frankly I'm not so sure! Overall though as a trio they work well - Radcliffe and Grint do manage to subdue Watson a little to make her bearable. As for the other child actors, their roles were small in the film but Tom Felton as the nasty Draco Malfoy and Matthew Lewis as the bumbling incompetent Neville Longbottom deserve a mention. They both showed a good measured performance completely in keeping with their characters and provided some lovely touches to the film. As for the rest, the older ones were fine but a lot of the younger ones were awkward and not many showed any real promise for development.
We didn't see many creatures in this film but the Goblins at Gringotts were excellent. As for the centaurs, Fluffy, Norbert and the appearance of Lord Voldemort this was completely CGI and although it was good even 6 years on it looks a little worn.
Now for the real winner you only have to hear the soundtrack. John Williams really is the king of all things movie theme related. From Star Wars, Jaws, Indiana Jones, Superman, Jurassic Park (shall I go on), this man has created music on the grandest scale for everyone to enjoy. How often do I turn on Classic FM and hear one of his themes? Quite a few I tell you. The themes and orchestration are wonderfully magical and capture the subject of the film beautifully. It supports each scene providing a lot of the emotion and suspense which is not so much lacking from the actors but from the way the scenes are set. The music alone is worth listening to and will I am sure be counted amongst the best of his work in years to come.
I suppose the best way I can describe this film overall is like a snapshot - it does not have the depth of the book and yet it is still nice to watch and look at. The ever enthusiastic fans will be pleased with it as it doesn't include any unforgivable errors and yet I felt that it could just have done that bit better to capture the essence of the book and the world it was portraying. The characters came alive and in a way the actors have now become inextricably linked with their characters in the imagination of the reader which is a shame. But on the other hand if it encourages those who watch the film to go and read more of the series and books in general then we cannot really complain. I do like the film though - it's a bit sickly sweet in places but it is a kids film (honest!) after all and would recommend it to anyone especially children who may now be old enough to appreciate it. This is very much one of my curl up on the sofa when I'm not feeling very well films and for all its flaws it's still a good watch. It can be quite scary in places for a child and has a little mild swearing and therefore it is rated PG but there is nothing too bad in it. If anything they will be captivated for all 152 minutes of it as will their parents even if they don't want to admit it.
Advantages: Great film, great bonuses, magic! Disadvantages: I wish they'd put out takes in
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
2 Disk DVD Set
This set originally cost £22.99 but has since come down in price considerably. Amazon now sells this set for £9.97 which is even better value for money.
PRODUCT DETAILS:
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35 Wide Screen (If this edition)
• Available Audio Tracks: Dolby Digital 5.1 • Main Language: English • Sub Titles: Arabic, English • Hearing Impaired: English • Disc Format: ... ...I don't think the first Harry Potter film can be beated. The second and third films came close. But the sheer impack, magic and originality of 'The Philosopher's Stone' was completely new back then, and its appeal continues.
This film has a heart-warming quality, perhaps because Harry's story calls out to a lot of people. Harry is an ordinary boy, bullied by his uncle, aunt and cousin, an orphan who believes his parents died in a car crash. But ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: It's like the book...only with pictures! Disadvantages: Nah, not really
...as the book') but young Harry Potter fans can be very persistent. (As can the older ones - I think my wife was more excited than anyone about seeing it!)
How to introduce the film? Anyone who's read the books will know exactly what to expect and will only want to know how it compares. Those who have yet to become familiar with the charms of J.K. Rowling's world-famous wizard but can't help but be interested by the hype, will need a wee bit more ... ...miserably by his adoptive family, Harry is amazed and surprised to find out that he's really a wizard - and quite a famous one too.
His parents were actually killed by an evil wizard, Voldemort (sorry, "You-Know-Who"!) but Harry somehow repelled the attack, nearly destroying the murderous magician. Harry is left with a lightning scar on his forehead and a legacy he finds it difficult to live up to when he is invited to the wizard school, Hogwarts. ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Did you enjoy it?
Story
Characters / Performances
Special Effects
How does it compare to ...
very helpful
18.11.2001
Sorry Harry Review ofHarry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone (DVD)by
Pumpkin
Advantages: Fantastic sets, and some amazing special effects. Adheres broadly to the storyline of the book Disadvantages: Chunks of the story are missed out or details changed for no reason. Child actors are generally very poor!
...to the cinema to watch Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Anyone who has read my ops on the Harry Potter books will know that I am a huge fan of the stories, so I was very excited at the prospect of going to see the film.
I was disappointed.
In comparison to the books, the film was a complete let down. I suppose I shouldn’t have been too optimistic, as I can’t recall ever having been bowled over by a film adaptation of a book which I have ... ...author of the Harry Potter books, had been fully involved throughout the making of the film, I still had high hopes for this adaptation.
For anyone who has been living on the moon for the past few months, I will briefly explain the story, although the main part of this opinion will focus on my views on the adaptation. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the first in a series of books (four so far) about Harry Potter, an eleven year old boy, ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: The kids will love it. Disadvantages: A worthy attempt, that falls short.
...of our small wizard friend Harry Potter. J.K.Rowlings great accomplishment of imagination and wit is spellbinding stuff and has understandably enthralled generations.
My quarrel is with the film only, and has nothing whatsoever to do with simply slagging off HP as its becoming fashionable to do. First let me say how excited i have been by all the hype and rumours that have been seeping out ever since production began, then we had the Harry Potter ... ...The trouble is that what Harry looks like is in our heads, and our idea of Harry is totally different from anyone else’s. Therefore it was always going to be tricky trying to find someone that satisfied our imaginations, he was not the only hard piece of casting that had to be done as most of the other characters are described fairly specifically. Because of this we inevitably ended up with either a cast that looked great but couldn’t ...
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Did you enjoy it?
Story
Characters / Performances
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How does it compare to ...
very helpful
17.11.2001
* Philosopher Stone * Review ofHarry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone (DVD)by
xdonzx
Advantages: Good Family Film Disadvantages: Over-Acting , Parts Missing
Harry Potter and The Philosopher Stone (HPATFS) is based on the book with the same title by J K Rowling. The film is taken from a series of books/films. HPATFS was directed by Chris Columbus and released on 16th November 2001. HPATFS stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter. Running time of the movie is 147 minutes.
Harry Potter is an orphan. He lives with his rich aunt and uncle and cousin Dudley ; they are horrible to him. On Harry's eleventh birthday ... ...Wizardry. What will happen to Harry when he attends Hogwarts ? Why Is Harry in more danger than any of the other students ? Watch Harry Potter and The Philosopher Stone to find out! I had heard of Harry Potter but had not read any of the books , but when a friend recommended I read them , I decided to , so on the same day I went out to my local W H Smith and bought a copy of Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone for a price of £5.99.
I read the ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Offers freedom to watch all films so you can keep a continual track of the story. Disadvantages: Although enjoyable, the later films are more compelling to view than those before.
...As an avid Potter fan, it is difficult to hide a natural joy at the chance to watch all 5 films back to back in a complete box set. The lengthy process of filming has meant that the earlier releases of HarryPotter and The Philosopher's Stone I have purchased are actually on the old school format of VHS! The box set experience not only provides extended quality by means of the DVD format but allows the viewer to watch the character grow up from film to film without delay. The oustanding performance of Professor Snape, played by Alan Rickman, never fails to grip and terrify, particularly as the later films begin to introduce a dark and sinister edge that is suggestive of what awaits in those still to come. Harry, Ron and Hermione remain a likable trio throughout, yet their obvious progression towards maturity results in momentrary...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: Loads of extras and behind the scene footage. Disadvantages: The slug scene is quite disturbing.
...aggressive tree! Another great example was when Ron?s spell backfired and he cast the ?eat slugs? spell on himself. (This scene was quite disturbing)
EXTRAS
This double DVD disc set has got plenty of extras to offer.
Disc One Special Features
On disc one you'll find a trailer for the film, a "Year One at Hogwarts" that gives you a quick guide to the events of the first film, and a cast and crew list.
Disc Two Special Features
While the idea of turning disc two of the "HarryPotter and the Philosopher's Stone" DVD into a giant puzzle where the right answers unlocked extra features, was interesting, it did frustrate a lot of fans.
That element is gone here, and along with the expected mix of child-friendly special features, there's also some material that will appeal to a more adult audience.
The 19 deleted scenes are in...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Good film overall, good menu navigation Disadvantages: lack of features
...suprise to round off the film).
HarryPotter and The Chamber of Secrets is an incredibly enjoyable film, for both children and adults alike.
However, as with the Philosopher's Stonedvd, this one also falls short where actual disc content is concerned.
You have the obligatory subtitles and trailers, but when it comes to the second disc, it's rather light on extras. The special features consist of a tour of Dumbledore's office and a selection of short interviews with the cast.
This is the main problem. You navigate your way to the cast section and select a question from a list, which gives you the choice of answer from the children/students or the adults/teachers. This is quite a nice feature, although, the interviews are much too short. It's hard to grasp what the making of the film was really like.
Another downfall is the lack of actor...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Consumer Advice: Contains mild scary scenes, violence and language, Contains mild horror, violence and language
Video Category: Feature Film
Country Of Origin: United Kingdom
Plot: Harry lives the first ten years of his life, unhappily, with his Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia unaware that his parents had been a wizard and a witch. When he is invited to study at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry he discovers that there are two worlds: that of the Muggles where he grew up and the magic and fantasy world where he is destined to live...
Release details
DVD Region: DVD
Studio(s): WARNER HOME VIDEO; CINRAM LOGISTICS, BOULEVARD ENTERTAIMENT; D3 DIRECT
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Special Features: Interactive menu
Dubbing Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo English French
DVD Description
American director Chris Columbus (HOME ALONE) brings the magic of British author J.K. Rowling's beloved best-selling fantasy novel to life in HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE. Eleven-year-old orphan Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) finds his world turned upside down when he discovers that, like his deceased parents, he is a wizard and has been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. With fellow first-year students Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) by his side, Harry's adventures begin in the rambling castle that is Hogwarts. Vivid special effects make Hogwarts' magic a reality with paintings that come alive, staircases that move themselves, friendly ghosts, and fast-paced Quidditch (the school sport) matches in which students zoom around on their flying brooms. Mixed in with the miracles of Hogwarts are its dark hidden chambers and secrets, which Harry and his friends encounter as they embark on a quest to keep a treasured powerful object from falling into the wrong hands. Staying true to the book with this film adaptation, Columbus follows Rowling's story to the tiniest detail, making it a special treat for readers who were smitten with the novel. Radcliffe is especially engaging as Harry, infusing him with a believable sense of wonderment. The star-studded cast also includes Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, and Robbie Coltrane.
Professional reviews
Review: "...A stunning achievement in set design, costumes, make-up, special effects and a well-chosen cast rendering perfectly and vividly an iconic and universally renowned fantasy world..." (Box Office, p.60, 01/01/2002)
"...[Mr. Radcliffe] possesses a watchful gravity....Ms. Watson has the sass and smarts to suggest she might cast a spell of her own..." (New York Times, p.E1, 16/11/2001)
"...Rupert Grint is very good....HARRY POTTER will captivate younger children..." (Sight and Sound, p.43-4, 01/01/2002)
"...HARRY POTTER, the film, looks just as dazzling as readers of Rowling's captivating book might hope..." (USA Today, p.1E, 16/11/2001)
"...The script is faithful, the actors are just right, the sets, costumes, makeup and effects match and sometimes exceed anything one could imagine..." (Variety, p.27-33, 12/11/2001)
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