Harry Potter has lived under the stairs at his aunt and uncle's house his whole life. But on his 11th birthday, he learns he's a powerful wizard—with a place waiting for him at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As he learns to harness his newfound powers with the help of the school's kindly headmaster, Harry uncovers the truth about his parents' deaths—and about the villain who's to blame.… Expand
Ahh, the magic begins.
Harry Potter is an Orphan who on his eleventh birthday discovers he's a wizard and is called to term at Hogwarts School. But Harry is soon to find out that his past, and his destiny, is a truly remarkable, magical, and terrifying thing.
Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone arrived in a blaze of publicity, one of the most hyped and talked about motion pictures of the decade had finally arrived. The box office was guaranteed to bulge based on fandom book base alone, 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… Expand
0%
Venti_Pro
Created:8/9/2021
Updated:8/10/2021
Alright first lets start with my problems with this movie.
Some of the effects do not hold up and that can take away from the magic or suspense.
The child actors are not very good at acting in this movie.
It is way to easy to nitpick this movie and all the nitpicks can be very distracting.
I think the main theme was used way to much in the beginning and that kind of took the magic out of the main theme for me.
I personally did not get sucked into this world which made me kind of bored at times.
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!… Expand
80%
Nathan
TitanGusang
Created:11/25/2022
Updated:11/25/2022
_Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone_ is a masterclass is world building. This movie's world breathes and slowly discovering every inch of it is a joy, from Diagon Alley to Hogwarts Castle.
I would not say the story is overly brilliant, but that is just a catalyst for the world in this first film. Despite its minor drawbacks, it does enough to intrigue the viewer and kept me engaged.
The performances are a little off, which is expected as this film is primarily carried by three twelve-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_… Expand
70%
CinemaSerf
Geronimo1967
Created:9/2/2023
Updated:9/2/2023
It is impossible to imagine a world now, in 2020, that does not include these characters from the fantastically creative imagination of JK Rowling. That she worked closely with Chris Columbus in the creation of this adaptation of her introductory story featuring the boy-wizard means it stays broadly faithful to the book but allows the imagery to replace, rather than duplicate, the narrative. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson validate the best in the casting director's art as we set 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.… Expand
Videos
Troll in the Dungeon! | Full Scene | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
10/5/2025Clip
Official Trailer
9/24/2023Trailer
Harry “Catches” the Golden Snitch
12/27/2021Clip
Magical Movie Mode - Hogwarts Letters
11/16/2021Clip
Magical Movie Mode - Wingardium Leviosa
11/15/2021Clip
Magical Movie Mode - Potions Class
11/13/2021Clip
Full Movie Preview
4/26/2020Clip
Harry Sneaks into the Restricted Section
8/7/2019Clip
Harry, Ron and Hermione Play Wizard Chess
6/12/2019Clip
Draco Malfoy Introduces Himself To Harry
6/5/2019Clip
Neville Stands Up to His Classmates
5/29/2019Clip
Platform 9¾
9/1/2018Clip
Happy Christmas, Harry and Ron
12/19/2017Clip
Christmas Preparations at Hogwarts
12/18/2017Clip
Harry and the Snake
11/13/2017Clip
Nearly Headless Nick
10/27/2017Clip
"Yer a wizard, Harry"
8/4/2017Clip
Harry Catches the Snitch
7/13/2017Clip
A First Encounter
7/7/2017Clip
A Lesson In Quidditch
7/4/2017Clip
The Sorting Ceremony
6/27/2017Clip
Harry's First Flying Lesson
6/22/2017Clip
Harry, Ron & Hermione Run Scared of Fluffy
8/5/2016Clip
Harry's First Quidditch Match Against Slytherin
8/5/2016Clip
Harry & Professor Snape's First Argument
8/5/2016Clip
"Oculus Reparo" Hermione Fixes Harry's Glasses
8/5/2016Clip
Harry's Jinxed Broom
2/19/2014Clip
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) Official Trailer - Daniel Radcliffe Movie HD
Warner Bros. PicturesUnited States of America
Heyday FilmsUnited Kingdom
1492 PicturesUnited States of America
