Review of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) by James S — 07 Feb 2013

The Harry Potter film series never really slipped below a good quality, though Order of the Phoenix came closest, but it did have it's better movies. Half Blood Prince was a real surprise as a film given that the book felt like it was largely stalling for time. The first entry, The Philosopher's Stone, can proudly count itself amongst the better Potter movies.

Given the brevity of the novel, and the considerable running time of the film, the inaugural HP adventure is the most fully realised. This acts in benefit to the later films as time is well spent on introducing all the players who would remain throughout the run, without having to sacrifice chunks of the story.

For the one person maybe reading this who doesn't know, Philosopher's Stone introduces Harry Potter to the world of witchcraft and wizardry and charts the course of his first eventful year at Hogwarts and begins his battle with the evil Voldamort.

Chris Columbus produced a brilliantly detailed film here. Every nook and cranny has been carefully sculpted to suit the Potter world. Casting is flawless. The three young leads introduce us to the high standard they would consistently deliver, though Daniel Radcliffe's nerves were still evident as Potter himself at this stage.

Alan Rickman added Professor Snape to his rogue's gallery and Tom Felton is impressively despicable as Draco Malfoy.

The film hits all the action beats of J.K. Rowling's debut novel. The Quidditch scene is outstanding. Fast and violent, it's an exhilarating watch. The journey into the forbidden forest is creepy and worthy of some horror movies, while the finale pushes the boundary of what could have been acceptable in a PG rated movie. Though little of him is seen in this movie, Chris Columbus combines all these things to make us believe that Voldamort is very bad news indeed.

Apart from the thriller like Prisoner of Azkaban, when all the cast were really hitting their stride and you had some great additions, Philosopher's Stone is probably the best of the Harry Potter movies on account of its detail and sense of adventure. A cracking way to kick off this beloved series.