Muppets and rabbits, Marshal Mathers to The Smiths, popcorn and Angels & Vampires about sums it up.....
Muppets and rabbits, Marshal Mathers to The Smiths, popcorn and Angels & Vampires about sums it up...
Member since:10.11.2001
Reviews:4
Members who trust:14
When Harry Potter first became mainstream I resisted the temptation of being sucked in. Despite several friends’ recommendations, I refused to be one of those adults who joyfully read the books whilst on the bus.
Then it happened. My mate Mike (yes the one with the spooky phone for all my first op readers) has a friend who works in a cinema and we were offered the chance to see the film at a special preview! so when I got a call Friday night (before my Ciao days of course) I jumped at the chance “What’s that, a free film…meet you there" and in 5 mins I was off.
Knowing that I would never pay to see the film (I’m more of a Woo fan myself) and curious enough to know that sometimes you have to give in to popular demand, I threw on my combats and headed for the cinema.
Nobody told me the film was like 2 ½ hours long….
Saying that, I did quite well and only dozed off for the last few minutes at the end (I think)…so here’s my verdict.
***********Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone******************
I
can quite honestly say that you don’t have to read the J.K Rowling book to understand and enjoy this film. You don’t have to be a kid either.
This is a film for everyone who likes magic and adventure with some spectacular special effects thrown on top…I finally understand the Coke advert!
Synopsis:
In short, Harry is a wizard by birth who is neglectfully looked after by his aunt & uncle (after the sad loss of his parents as a young child). At the age of 12, and after many owls dropping by with a touch of Hagrid AKA The Big Bearded one (AKA Robbie Coltrane) on top, Harry makes his way to Hogwarts (a school for wizards). There he makes new friends, unravels a dark and sinister plot and…I can’t tell you anymore.
But I can say that each scene contains magical special effects from floating candles to moving staircases and newspapers with real moving pictures. The attention to detail is incredible. As for the larger special effects, the chess game scene is actually quite scary, the broom stick riding in the game of ‘quidditch’ on all levels must qualify as an extreme sport and the mythical creatures will do for this generation what ‘Sinbad The Sailor’ did when it first came out (which incidentally is still a classic, scary skeletons).
The Actors:
The main actor who plays Harry Potter is Daniel Radcliffe and can I just say what a wonderful performance he delivers. This is a kid who takes on the role in a very unassuming way without increasing the size of his head…which makes him very easily likeable.
The character Hermione Granger, I am told by learned Potters, is a swat who is always trying hard to be liked. Sorry luv, nil points on this one. I found the actress who plays her, Emma Watson, very one dimensional and a bit too ‘stage school’…but “we mustn’t hate children, they are only kids” I kept telling myself as I secretly wished her to get bitten by a three-headed giant dog and clubbed by a rather large troll. On reflection, it did annoy me (out of all the thousands upon thousands of actresses, they could have got someone who could act) but I’m sure that she’ll do a lot better in the next one.
Harry’s other side kick Ron Weasley (played by Rupert Grint) was a bit “cor blimey” but up to scratch plus a cast of, what can only be described as Britain’s finest, where superb (Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, John Cleese, Julie Walters, and was that Alan Rickman with a goth bob?, the soppy bloke from ‘The Vicar of Dibley’ (I think) and that mum from the sitcom ‘My Family’ who funnily enough has the same hair do).
********************Is It A Pop Corn Moment**********************
Definitely, yes.
This is not really a film for the under 5's, as it can be a bit dark and scary in places and is as likely to leave 8 year olds spending a lot of time in cupboards as it will 5 year olds seeing things under their beds.
But apart from that, it’s a film that can cut right across the age board. So if your taking your kids, bring a partner or friend along, sit in the row behind the kids, and enjoy the film for yourself. And if your not taking kids, try a late performance with friends. There’s no skimping on the special effects with this one and the 2 ½ hour performance is money well spent.
One of the greatest achievements of this film and the author J.K Rowling, is that it has actually made reading an acceptable and even cool thing again.
Quick Tip: You can catch the film nationwide soon and if you’re able to do a weekday before 5pm performance, check and see if your local cinema does cheap rates and concessions.
PS…Muggle is a term used for a non-magic person (for all use non-Potters out there).
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i totally agree with you on this review it was a really good film lets hope the next one is just as good
eyebrowfetish 22.05.2003 01:36
Great op! I loved this film, though I thought that the book was better!
stephen_logan 20.01.2002 22:15
Great review of a very poor product. I do have to shamefully admit that i am one of those fools who gains no pleasure from this film as my poor attempt at a review will testify. Sorry but nevermind the review was excellent.
steve
To try and please all the fans of JK Rowling's novel was a challenge that the makers ... more
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...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
As the first Harry Potter film of the celebrated series, this is a must for ardent fansand ... more
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 ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
To try and please all the fans of JK Rowling's novel was a challenge that the makers ... more
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...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Superb Plot, Good Acting, Good Effects, Enjoyable for all sorts of people. Disadvantages: Can a film adaptation ever be as good as the book? (non-rhetorical question- your thoughts?)
Advantages: Not a lot really, No American Actors Disadvantages: Poor editing, no soundtrack to speak of, poor special effects, generally poor adaptation
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.
![Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Two Disc Widescreen Edition) [DVD] [2001]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78534968.jpg "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Two Disc Widescreen Edition) [DVD] [2001]")
![Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone [2001] [DVD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78491628.jpg "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone [2001] [DVD]")
![Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone [HD DVD] [2001]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/77973745.jpg "Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone [HD DVD] [2001]")
Nov 13th, 2001
(Nov 14th, 2001)
very helpful by (99%):
helpful by (1%):
![Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone [DVD] [2001]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/88350446.jpg)
![Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone [DVD] [2001] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/84126628.jpg)
