Harry Potter - The Sorcerer‘s Stone

Harry Potter - The Sorcerer‘s Stone
152 Minutes
Rated PG
2001
Warner Bros. Pictures

Harry Potter - The Sorcerer‘s Stone begins 11 years ago when Harry Potter is just an infant. Prof. Dumbledore, Prof. McGonagall, and Rubeus Hagrid take little Potter and leave him in the doorway of Mr. & Mrs. Dursley with a letter, the only family he has left. Now fast forward 10 years or so to the present. Mrs. Dursley is Harry’s Aunt. The Dursley’s treat Harry very unkindly and he is forced to sleep in a crawlspace under the stairs of the house. The first day of Harry's’ older life happens to be his cousin Dudly’s 11th birthday. Spoiled rotten brat if you ask me, before they leave to the London Zoo Uncle Vernon threatens Harry. “No funny business, do you understand? If anything happens you will not eat for a week.”

At the zoo Dudley is a brat and bangs on the glass window of a snake and leaves to another exhibit, meanwhile Harry apologizes to the snake for Dudley, and the snake answers. Dudley notices that the snake is awake and shoves Harry on the floor and begins getting rude. All of the sudden the glass to the snake exhibit disappears and Dudley goes flying inside, the snake thanks Harry and leaves. The glass reappears and Dudley is now trapped inside. At home Harry is blamed for it all. The next morning mail for the Dursley’s arrive and inside is a letter for Harry from Hogwarts. Uncle Vernon keeps it from Harry and all incoming letters for the week as well. On Sunday there is no post but hundreds of owls outside are delivering invitations to Harry. Uncle Vernon takes the family far away, to where they will not be found.

However Hagrid finds them, Hagrid offers Harry a birthday cake for his 11th birthday. Harry has been kept in the dark about his real identity and Hagrid fills him in a bit. Aunt Petunia is very vile about Harry’s mom, her sister. The perfect sister, she got an invitation from Hogwarts’ and the parents were so proud. They decided to stop all this rubbish when they took Harry in, hah ha. Destiny is destiny. While all this arguing is going on Dudley steals Harry’s birthday cake and eats it up, and angry Hagrid adds a piggy tail on Dudley’s behind. Harry leaves with Hagrid to leave for Hogwart’s. In London (wizard world London) everyone knows Harry Potter, he is famous, he just does not know why. They head to the back, get Harry’s money and obtain the school supplies he will need for school. Once at school he now has two new friends, Ron and Hermione. They all get picked by the sorting hat to go to the Griffendorth house. (Hogwart is divided into 4 houses)

To me all this above is just the introduction to this movie. However well needed to understand the rest. I will just give you a bit of run down. There is 152 minutes of movie and I do not want to spoil it one little bit for you.

Each of the Prof. at this school teach different aspects of magic. Potions, defense of black arts, transformation, broom flying, all that you need to be a great wizard. Prof. Dumbledore is the head master and between him, Prof. McGonagall and Hagrid the three have a very soft spot for Harry. Harry goes about his lessons and learns the beginnings of wizardry. During flying lessons Prof. McGonagall realizes Harry is a natural “seeker”. Seeker’s are needed for the game of Criddige, the seekers job is to find the snitch to win the game outright and gain 150 points for the house cup. Quidditch is a lot like basketball but the ball is flown from one side to the other via brooms well above ground. All 4 houses compete for points. The points are added up and the winner with the most points gains the house cup. Harry is a natural at broom flying and easily finds the snitch and the game is won.

Evil begins to show up here and there; Harry, Hermione, and Ron are smack in the middle of the mystery concerning the Sorcerer’s Stone. The Prof. try to keep the three distracted however it has the opposite effect. The three become good friends with Hagrid, and consult with im often. One night, against cerfew, they sneak over to his house to discuss some happenings. They get to witness the birth of a baby dragon that Hagrid hopes to raise himself. They are caught by Drako (from the Slitherin house) and he runs and tattles to Prof. McGonagall, the punishment for the three is 50 points each taken from the house points. All four are given detention in the Forbidden Forest, along with Hagrid. The five then run into danger and a dead unicorn. The unicorn is above sacred and to kill it is beyond evil. The evil one who killed it is found by Drako and Harry. Drako runs for his life leaving Harry behind. Harry seems to be paralyzed from the scar on his forehead. (He got that scar as an infant by the evil wizard that killed his parents, it burns/hurts when evil is around) Centaur saves Harry from the evil one in a black cloak that WAS drinking the dead unicorns blood. The three have a ton of mini adventures before the last big finale.

Cast & Crew:

Directors- Chris Columbus
Producers- David Heyman
Exec. Producers- C. Columbus, M. Radcliffe, M. Barnathan
Music- John Williams
Based on Novel by- J.K. Rowling
Editor- Richard Francis-Bruce
Screenplay- Steve Kloves

Daniel Radcliffe--Harry Potter
Rupert Grint--Ron Weasley
Emma Watson--Hermione Granger
John Cleese--Nearly Headless Nick
Robbie Coltrane--Rubeus Hagrid
Warwick Davis--Prof. Flitwick
Richard Griffiths--Uncle Vernon Dursley
Richard Harris--Prof. Dumbledore
Ian Hart--Prof. Quirrell
John Hurt--Mr. Ollivander
Alan Rickman--Prof. Snape
Fiona Shaw--Aunt Petunia Dursley
Maggie Smith--Prof. McGonagall
Julie Waters--Mrs. Weasley

My Final Two-Cents:

I have been dead set against Harry Potter - The Sorcerer‘s Stone since it first came out, well until someone pointed out that there was not much difference between Harry Potter and Star Wars. So in the interest of fairness my husband and I rented it and watched it alone. We agreed there wasn’t much of a difference and since all three of our children have survived being exposed (they love it to bitsies) to Star Wars we agreed to let them watch this movie. Our children are 10, 5 and 4 and all three were glued to the movie, all 152 minutes. They have seen it over and over since and still sit through the movie’s entirety. I have, of course, have changed my mind. Special effects are beyond amazing and I can not wait for The Chamber of Secrets to arrive. I will say suitability
for children is 5 and older unless they have not been exposed to similar movies, then I would say 10 and older.

Now with that said the producers and directors made sure every detail was taken care of. I didn't see one little flaw in the special effects. I have never read the "Harry Potter" books, and with the great detail taken I feel like I didn't miss anything. The movie is captivating and and near the end of the movie you will be on the edge of your seat. Now I wouldn't say it is so suspensful that it rates a 5 (do not watch alone) but it easily rates the 4 (keeps you on the edge of your seat). The introduction as I called it was long but well needed for those of us who have not read the book. After the introduction,Harry Potter - The Sorcerer‘s Stone wastes no time getting you into the main part of the movie, Harry as a wizard in training. This movie is so well worth watching, I can not recommend it any more than I have, I think I have talked everyone I know into watching it. Please take the time to see for yourself, and just in time since Harry Potter - The Chamber of Secrets is due in theaters this month.

Other Recommended Movies:

* Atlantis
* Hook
* Star Wars
* Spy Kids

DVD Specials:

On the main disc:

* movie
* special features
* languages
* scene selection

The second disc:

* never seen footage
* self-guided tour of Hogwarts
* mix potions, perform transfiguration, explore Dragon Alley and much more
* theatrical trailers

Special DVD-ROM PC features:

* collect wizard trading cards
* be sorted by the sorting hat
* download screensaver and Rememberall
* receive owl e-mails
* link to the web