, regardless of if the film got bad word of mouth or not, it was destined to be a monster smash hit. To someone like me who to this day has never read any of the Harry Potter books, it was easy for me to view objectively without comparison to the source - I enjoyed it immensely upon theatre release, and I still enjoy it equally as much now. Director Christopher Columbus, I believe has wisely stayed loyal to the source material, and thus pleased the literature masses. Yet not all newcomers to the party were that taken by the magic on show, that's a little baffling to me because the budget explodes from the screen at every turn. Oliver Twist like sets form the marvellous Diagon Alley, dream like smoke cloaks the splendid Hogwarts Express, the school itself is a monolithic delight nestling in among eerie mountains - and what about the exhilarating introduction of Quidditch? Pulsating and frantic with no amount of devilment to keep us intrigued throughout. The characters are all perfectly formed in the first two thirds of the film, here Columbus pulls off a masterstroke by interjecting the character arcs with dashes of wonder so that we the audience never gets bored. The final reel plays out solidly as per the mysterious "who done it" core of the piece, but it's down to the previous work in the film that we actually care come the finale. Some great casting of the adults really helps to make the film triumph, with Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane (one of the best casting jobs of the decade I would say), Richard Harris, Alan Rickman and Zoe Wanamaker all doing excellent work here. The kids are all newcomers that overnight were to become household names, all fresh faced and wet behind the ears, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint & Tom Felton are a delight to watch, and they all help to keep the feeling of charm constantly glowing up on the screen. Owls here, witches there, what's that strange three headed dog doing over there? The Harry Potter franchise begins with a bang and a whip of the wand, and I and gazillions of others personally love it. 8/10

imes. People love the harry potter movies but these movies don't really click with me when it comes to characters, the lore, and the magic and I think the full story of harry potter is to drawn out and I just want the movies to get to the point. For me if the ending of the film is not very satisfying my respect for the movie drops a ton and I don't think the ending of this movie was very satisfying! The villain in this movie is super basic. Now on to the good stuff! I like how most of the scenes build up the characters, show us some magic, and it builds up the mystery! I like the sets and costumes a lot! I like most of the music!

-year-olds. But they get better as the film progresses and the adults in the film are able to bring the average up with their amazing performances. Overall, this movie suffers from being dated with poor effects, CGI, and some rough child acting. Never-the-less, it manages to create an experience like no other and I expect the films to do nothing but improve from the initial entry. **Score:** _77%_ | **Verdict:** _Great_

off on this wonderfully enjoyable fantasy adventure. The supporting cast - Richard Harris, Robbie Coltrane, Julie Walters, Zoë Wanamaker et al all add richness to this as young "Mr. Potter" and is friends begin to realise their magical potential. John Williams works his wonders creating a score almost as recognisable as his "Star Wars" theme and the special effects are gentle, yet sophisticated. It is a bit on the lengthy side, and some of the adaptation sacrifices a little of the humour from the book - but all in all a movie to stand the tests of time.