There isn't enough about Muse on this site. Are there any fellow Muse fans out there? Make yourselve...
There isn't enough about Muse on this site. Are there any fellow Muse fans out there? Make yourselves known...We'll start some sort of club.
Member since:30.05.2001
Reviews:93
Members who trust:113
Now don’t get me wrong I love the books, I have read all of them many times and I’m very fond 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 hunt as every youngster decided that they were a close enough resemblance to don the famous specs. 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 act or a cast that could act and looked stupid.
There is no denying that Daniel Radcliffe is perfect for the role, but can he act? Hmm…not really, he just stands there pulling faces of either mild anger or joy and grinning like an idiot. His lines were dull and clichéd (writer Steve Kloves fault) and were often wincingly bad. Indeed the script quite frankly sucked, it was either taken from the book and therefore was horribly stilted, or it had been invented.
Even if Radcliffe hadn’t been positively plankish (which he was) his character was still two-dimensional and he hardly added any emotion or warmth to the film. Hermione came across as a bossy cow (which was right) but she lacked any heart as opposed to her book form. Ron Weasley was a nauseatingly saccharine sweet, common (a`wight `arry) sidekick, who was smaller than Harry and looked about five. My sister thought he was cute with his button nose, chubby cheeks and charmingly common foul mouth, but he neither looked nor behaved like Ron does in our minds.
The British celebrity supporting cast were admirably well chosen and a delight to watch with standouts from Richard Harris(Dumbledore), Minerva McGonagall(Maggie Smith) and a wonderfully menacing Snape(Alan Rickman. The rest of the supporting cast were alright on the whole with a few cringingly bad bits of casting, the only real mistake in the casting was Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy who looks years younger than the other kids and is about as menacing as a four foot, chubby, bleached blond with a lisp ought to be.
I won’t bother with a plot summary, you should all have read the books by now, although some have managed to resist so far…but not for much longer. The reason I disliked the film was because the bad parts outweighed the good, the chess was good, the Quidditch was fantastic, as was the finale, but will I ever forget the awfulness of the opening Zoo scene or Norberts five second slot? There were so many bits that made me shudder, whether it was the shoddy CGI or the wooden acting and the rotten script. And lets not forget the fact that this film exists only as a way of prying open our wallets and making off with armfuls of cash, If its purpose were to heighten the magic and the power of it all, then it might not be so heinous, but remember that it was made purely to bleed us dry with the subsequent merchandise before Christmas. Shame on you Warner Bros.
The tone was suitably dark and brooding, and shot through with a sense of foreboding and mystery that heightened the fantasy. There was mild horror, and the story was close to the book with a few minor changes. But in sticking to the story so closely much of the tension and build up was lost as they rushed through the lengthy plot. Every aspect was present but had been squeezed in order to make it fit, therefore it felt hurried and there was no time to sit and enjoy the film as it bounced hyperactively from sub-plot to sub-plot. For this reason a knowledge of the book is essential to enjoying the film. It was ultimately a cheesy film, laden with half baked characterisation and ridiculous cliches. The script was so cheesy and stale and was an embarressment to hear. Overall I would say that they tried the best they could, they certainly spared no expense but failed to capture the books magic due to an inexperienced child cast and a painfully stilted script. But most importantly lets remember that we loved the story because of the freedom it gave our imaginations, we cant expect to love a film as much, as we cant enjoy it in the same way.
Always appreciate comments!
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I still have to get round to seeing this as well as Lord of the Rings. Both sound similar styles. Fionaxx
MRSCANADA 15.04.2002 03:38
I didn't see it..so I have to trust your rating which is different to most other reviews I've read. Nice to see an
oppisite side of anything..LL
Keeway 24.02.2002 22:22
Great op - I was unfortunate enough (or was I?)to see the film first then read the book, so the characters in the film fitted in with the book. Having read the book, am now waiting for the DVD, so I can't watch it 'properly', and see if it matches the book. Teresa
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...
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 fans ... 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...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
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!
Advantages: wonderful, great special effects, impressive cast, Rupert Grint and Robbie Coltrane Disadvantages: Emma Watson, Malfoy is underused, a year's wait for number 2 in the series!
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 Full Screen Edition) [DVD] [2001]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/77988924.jpg "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Two Disc Full Screen Edition) [DVD] [2001]")
![Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone [DVD] [2001]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/88350446.jpg "Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone [DVD] [2001]")
![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 17th, 2001
very helpful by (100%):
![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 [2001] [DVD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78491628.jpg)
