Review of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) by Paul D — 16 Jul 2016

I have a strong dislike of Child Acting, especially when the actors are paired with genuine talents. I know genuinely talented child actors are rare, but they exist! Why didn't they find some? While Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith act superbly, we are reminded that this story is about children trying to remember lines, and sometimes adopting surprised expressions when they remember they're acting.

However, seeing how they are adapting a superb story, there can be no real issues with the plot of the film. The characters that aren't eleven years old are also very well done, and the mystery that unfolds around it is an interesting one.

The score is also superb, no surprise it's done by John Williams. All these things allow me to overlook the way Christopher Columbus has an inability to pace anything fast, and the number of plot-holes that come with adapting this story.

Would definitely count this as a strong film, but maybe not such a strong adaptation...