Great stuff (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (DVD))

Member Name: jackie27

Product:	Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (DVD)
Date:	15/01/02 (73 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The acting, The story, The special effects

Disadvantages: The troll

"I'm back" she cried as dave27 finally gave way and the jackie27 school of opinion writing once more raised its pretty wee head...

Going against the grain as is the Family 27 wont, I'm going to ignore all this hype and over the top outpouring of admiration for Lord of the Rings, the sycophant's film and get back to the other BIG fantasy film of the winter - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is now virtually ignored as the TolkienMania drives all before it, suckering in the big boys who love all that sword and sorcery tomfoolery.

I for one still have a very soft spot in my heart for the boy wizard and lest we forget, the first Harry Potter film is also a truly amazing piece of cinema.

dave27 is sold in on the more recent film, but I for one like the innocent fun of J K Rowling's school of wizards.


Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a wonderful film, packed with stars in a range of roles, who all give exceptional performances ... the sleazily sexy Alan Rickman as Snape, the outsize Rob the Nob Coltrane as Hagrid, the ancient looking Richard Harris as Dumbledore and Maggie Smith ... these are wonderful actors and there's a real sense of tour de force about what is essentially a children's film but has enough wonder and fun to delight and enthrall even the most hard bitten of adults.

I never thought they'd be able to bring the book to the screen as wonderfully well as they have here, but I have to hand it to them ... Quidditch is every bit as big and wonderful as you imagined, Diagon Alley is a truly wonderous place and the kids here are truly enchanting - they could have been acting for years and perform well, stealing the show for the most part from their elders and betters.

There's a totally enchanting feel about the Hogwarts on screen, with its staircases with minds of their own and portraits which come to life. The real life chess battle tow
ards the end is wonderful stuff and more than makes up for a pretty run of the mill troll. Oh well, can't have everything and this is quite enough until the nest episode arrives.

Oi'll give it noin, and only mark it down because of the troll.

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