IMDb Review Scraper

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

7.7

   /10

885K

An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241527/?ref_=tt_urv

2001

2h 32m

Chris Columbus

J.K. RowlingSteve Kloves

Daniel RadcliffeRupert GrintEmma Watson

8

   /10

2,046 reviews

Keyan-the-Eagle144

2018/03/23

The major start of all the magic!

https://www.imdb.com/review/rw4101904/?ref_=tturv_perm_1

Having read the first few Harry Potter books before 2001 and hearing
 about the hype for the first movie, I was excited. I heard there was going to
 be an all-British cast (which makes sense, right?) and we'd get to see a live
 version of one of the defining novels of our generation. From what I remember
 I went with my family and a family friend to see the movie the day after
 Christmas and was pleasantly amazed. After the movie was over, I watched the
 credits and discovered some familiar names (the late Alan Rickman, Sister
 Act's Maggie Smith, James Bond 007's Robbie Coltrane, and Star Wars' Warwick
 Davis); others not so familiar (the kids, some of whom had their debut). But
 it was a good movie and was a party of colors and sights for all to see. This
 is easily my favorite of all the Harry Potter films. The catalyst of the
 movie series!

83

13

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

7.7

   /10

885K

An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241527/?ref_=tt_urv

2001

2h 32m

Chris Columbus

J.K. RowlingSteve Kloves

Daniel RadcliffeRupert GrintEmma Watson

7

   /10

2,046 reviews

kylopod

2001/11/20

Wonderful adaptation, but missing the satire of the book

https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0716941/?ref_=tturv_perm_2

I enjoyed this movie immensely. But, like "The Phantom Menace,"
 I've had a very hard time viewing it objectively. There was so much
 anticipation leading up to its release, I simply enjoyed the experience of
 being there. Having read all four books in the series a few times each, I am
 overly familiar with the events in the story. As I watched the movie, my
 continuing thought was "How well will the next part of the story be
 translated to the screen?" rather than "How entertaining is this
 film overall?" I have trouble answering the latter question because I
 was already entertained by watching a wonderful story dramatized, so I'll
 never know how I'd have reacted had I seen this movie without having read the
 books.


   Critics talk about how incredibly faithful the movie is to the book, and
 perhaps I'd have had an easier time detaching the two in my mind had the
 movie set off on its own course. Indeed, many classic children's movies, like
 "The Wizard of Oz" and "Mary Poppins," are so successful
 partly because they're so different from the books that inspired them. But
 these are exceptions; in my experience, most children's movies reveal their
 weaknesses in how they diverge from the books upon which they're based. And
 much of what makes the Harry Potter phenomenon unique is that it is the first
 time in ages that a children's book, without a movie accompanying it, has
 generated this much popularity. According to an article I read a year ago,
 the universe of Harry Potter has become as real in the minds of youngsters
 and adults as that of a popular movie series like Star Wars. Therefore, it
 will be very hard for any film based upon it to compete with it. In the minds
 of die-hard fans, any changes made to the story will be seen as desecrating
 the fantasy world that Rowling created. That's why it's easy to understand
 why the filmmakers were so reluctant to change anything.


   As a faithful rendering of the book squeezed into a two-and-a-half hour
 period, the movie is beautifully done. I don't have a single complaint about
 any of the actors, who successfully bring to life, with the aid of costume
 design and special effects, the many colorful characters from the book. My
 favorite character, the giant Hagrid, is played by Robbie Coltrane, and I say
 with no exaggeration that he is exactly how I imagined him while reading the
 book. It's as if they took the image in my mind and transferred it to the
 screen. While I had my own personal image of Snape (for some reason, I always
 imagined him as the head villain from another Chris Columbus film,
 "Adventures in Babysitting"), Alan Rickman is perfect in the role.
 I usually expect to have words of criticism for some performances, but I just
 don't. The remaining adult actors, including Maggie Smith as Professor
 McGonagall and Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore, are as good as they
 possibly could be, and the kids do an excellent job of holding their own
 against these veterans. Some have criticized Daniel Radcliffe for appearing
 too subdued in the title role, but that's exactly how the character is
 portrayed in the book: modest, unassuming, and laid-back. The kids who play
 Harry's two best friends are flawless.


   I had a lot of worries about the fact that it was being directed by Chris
 Columbus, whose entire directorial career so far has consisted of
 over-the-top slapstick films. I was pleasantly surprised that he did not
 direct the Harry Potter film in this way. Except for brief moments like the
 children's delayed reaction to a giant three-headed dog they encounter and
 Harry's swallowing the quaffle ball, there is nothing here to remind us that
 this film is directed by the same person who gave us films like "Home
 Alone" and "Mrs. Doubtfire." Indeed, I think Columbus may have
 gone just a tad bit too far in trying not to make the film seem cartoony. I
 would have liked to see a little more emotion on the actors' faces at certain
 times. Overall, however, his restraint works nicely in giving the film the
 kind of believability the book possesses.


   But much is left out. Harry's caretaker Uncle Vernon, a prominent character
 in the book, is given less attention in the movie than some of the bit
 characters. The gently satirical aspects of Hogwarts School aren't in the
 movie at all. We never see the ghostly history teacher who died several years
 back but kept on teaching. Lines like the following--"Professor
 McGonagall watched [her students] turn a mouse into a snuffbox--points were
 given for how pretty the snuffbox was, but taken away if it had
 whiskers"--find no equivalent in the movie. The movie does include
 platform nine-and-three-quarters, though the way the kids disappear into the
 wall isn't as mysterious as I had visualized, and the sorting hat is there,
 minus the great poem explaining the differences between the four
 schools.


   Not that I'm blaming the movie for omitting some details. Some things from
 the book would not have translated easily to the screen, and it would have
 been very difficult to stick everything in. Had Columbus done so and allowed
 the film to be as long as necessary (eight hours, maybe?), like a BBC
 miniseries, the film might have been a masterpiece, but few kids would ever
 have had the patience or attention span to sit through it.


   The problem is that the amusing details are much of what make Harry Potter
 such a special story. A whole universe is created in Rowling's series, in
 which a magical society exists within our own ordinary "muggle"
 world and is kept secret by a bureaucracy with its own rules, history and
 politics. The way magic is treated in her books, not as something medieval
 but as very similar to the way our own contemporary world works, is a large
 part of their charm. Take away these details, and you're left with a fairly
 conventional tale of a young wizard fighting an evil sorcerer.


   Although the audience I was with broke into applause as soon as the movie
 ended (something I've never seen happen before, though I don't go to the
 theater that often), some people have complained about the movie dragging at
 certain points. I didn't have that problem, but, as I said, I wasn't really
 trying to get involved in the movie's story. After thinking about it, it does
 seem like parts of the movie fail to convey a sense of urgency. Why should
 this be? I never felt that way when reading the books, and this is without a
 doubt the very same story.


   The answer, I think, is that the books portray much of Harry's anxiety in
 trying to succeed in school (for if he's kicked out, he'll go straight back
 to his horrible uncle) and fit in with the kids there. The movie doesn't tap
 into these anxieties enough, so why should we care whether he wins the
 Quidditch match (other than that he survives in one piece) and gets through
 the school year? The only real suspense in the movie after he arrives at
 Hogwarts comes from the story of Lord Voldemort returning, which in the book
 is almost secondary. Harry's adventures getting along in the school are fun
 and interesting, but as they are presented to us in the film, there isn't
 enough tying them all together.


   What we have here is a serviceable dramatization of a wonderful children's
 series, but it doesn't entirely succeed in standing on its own. Perhaps it
 should have diverged from the book just a little, to compensate for the
 difficulties in translating some of the book's delights to the screen. In its
 current form, it's almost like a preview of the book. Its lack of fullness,
 and its dependence on the book, might actually increase the popularity and
 endurance of Rowling's series by making those who see the film yearn for
 more, which they can get from the real thing.

250

78

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

7.7

   /10

885K

An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241527/?ref_=tt_urv

2001

2h 32m

Chris Columbus

J.K. RowlingSteve Kloves

Daniel RadcliffeRupert GrintEmma Watson

8

   /10

2,046 reviews

Hollywood_Yoda

2016/08/14

Better Than Anticipated

https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3525024/?ref_=tturv_perm_3

Like a lot of others, I refused to watch this film when it was originally
 released, thinking it was going to be another movie for kids, loosely taken
 from the source. Was I ever wrong?


   J.K. Rowling's novel was brilliantly taken from book to screen. The acting,
 directing and especially the special effects were tremendously awesome.
 Director Chris Columbus did a superb job with the direction, I was surprised
 he didn't get an Academy Award nomination. The acting was too, excellent,
 especially from the experienced actors like Alan Rickman playing Severus
 Snape. Truly one of his best performances.


   A great adaptation of a very popular book, a fine example of cinema.

40

8

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

7.7

   /10

885K

An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241527/?ref_=tt_urv

2001

2h 32m

Chris Columbus

J.K. RowlingSteve Kloves

Daniel RadcliffeRupert GrintEmma Watson

10

   /10

2,046 reviews

HotToastyRag

2019/06/17

There's nothing like the first

https://www.imdb.com/review/rw4941621/?ref_=tturv_perm_4

There's nothing like the first in a series, is there? The introduction to
 the characters, the immersion into the fictional world, the first time you
 laugh, cry, care, and fear for someone's safety can never be repeated. No
 matter how many Harry Potter movies they crank out, or if they ever remake
 them in the future, none will come close to the wonderful first film, Harry
 Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.


   I'm sure everyone has their own childhood memories of reading the Harry
 Potter books that they'll tell their grandkids about, but I'll never forget
 going to see the first movie in the theaters. The lights dimmed, John
 Williams's perfect theme played its first notes as Richard Harris walked down
 Privet Drive, and everyone in the theater was transported to another world.
 John Williams's numerous themes, all wonderful and a personification of the
 wizarding world, took the early movies to another level. As other composers
 tried their hands at the later films, that quality was missing. There's
 something truly special about going to see this movie on the big screen, and
 while the "magical" qualities might not all be credited to the
 music, it's certainly one of them.


   Welcome to the world of Harry Potter, where if you're a ten-year-old kid
 who doesn't fit in, you might get a letter delivered by an owl telling you
 you have magical powers and should go to a special school to hone them.
 Believe it or not, there are people who watch this movie without reading the
 books, so a bit of description is necessary. Obviously the stars of the show
 are the children, who were selected out of millions of other kids to be able
 to memorize lines, not look in the camera, endear themselves to worldwide
 audiences, and hopefully act. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint,
 and Tom Felton are so cute and tiny in this first movie, you'll undoubtedly
 find yourself re-watching it as the years pass just to see them as kids
 again. I always marvel that child actors train themselves not to look in the
 camera, so even if their performances aren't perfect, I cut them slack,
 knowing firsthand how hard it is. And these kids had to dress in funny
 costumes, recite incantations without laughing, and pretend they're looking
 at things that were added in post production!


   Usually, in kids' movies, there's a grown-up or two who add to the cast and
 make the adult audience members feel less silly that they're watching it. In
 the Harry Potter movies, everyone wanted to be in them! Throughout the series
 you'll see a host of familiar faces as "guest stars" but the
 regulars will make special places in your heart. Richard Harris, Maggie
 Smith, Alan Rickman, and Robbie Coltrane are household names for little kids,
 because they're so convincing as the kindhearted Dumbledore, the wizened but
 sentimental McGonagall, the endlessly mimicable Snape, and the jolly Hagrid,
 kids today can't imagine they've had any other career prior to these movies!
 Is there any kid who doesn't immediately attribute the word
 "earwax" to Richard Harris, point out striped cats as "Maggie
 Smith cats", mumble "Shouldn't have said that," when they make
 a mistake, or practice putting pauses in their sentences like Alan Rickman?


   First movies are so special, since they introduce audiences to a world that
 will hopefully capture their attention for however many more movies will be
 made. In J.K. Rowling's fantasy world, there's so much to fall in love with;
 and in the film adaptation you can really believe it exists. Seeing the
 Hogwarts structure for the first time creates a special feeling in your heart
 that can only be recaptured by watching the movie again or going to see the
 next in the series. The Great Hall, Quidditch, the Sorting Hat, talking
 portraits, flying lessons, selecting the perfect wand-all these Harry Potter
 moments are perfectly recreated in the first of a series that saw an entire
 generation grow up buying toy wands and trying Bertie Bott's Every Flavor
 Beans.


   Each installment has its special moments, and this first one has quite a
 few, even outside of the exposition. If a three-headed dog doesn't
 immediately conjure the name "Fluffy," chess pieces have never come
 to life in your imagination, you don't laugh at the idea of counting your
 birthday presents, and you don't know what Richard Harris wants most in the
 world, you're missing out on one of the great joys in life. If somehow 2001
 passed you by without a trip to the movie theaters Thanksgiving weekend, go
 find yourself a copy of this iconic, lovely movie.

123

14

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

7.7

   /10

885K

An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241527/?ref_=tt_urv

2001

2h 32m

Chris Columbus

J.K. RowlingSteve Kloves

Daniel RadcliffeRupert GrintEmma Watson

10

   /10

2,046 reviews

jhclues

2001/11/21

The Magic Comes To Life!

https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0716954/?ref_=tturv_perm_5

Once upon a time (and not that long ago), in the vivid, fertile
 imagination of author J.K. Rowling, a character was born:  A boy.  A young boy named Harry, who was destined to become one of the most
 beloved characters to emerge from a work of fiction in a long, long time, and
 was quickly embraced by young and old alike in all corners of the world.  And now, thanks to the magic of the cinema,
 Harry and his companions fairly leap from the pages of the novel to the
 silver screen in the phenomenal motion picture, `Harry Potter and the
 Sorcerer's Stone,' directed by Chris Columbus and written for the screen by
 Steve Kloves.  Indeed, Harry Potter is
 a boy, but not just any boy; because Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) just happens to
 be a wizard.  But, orphaned as a baby,
 Harry has been raised by his Aunt Petunia (Fiona Shaw) and Uncle Vernon
 Dursley (Richard Griffiths), who never let him in on the fact that he was,
 well-- what he was.  It seems that
 Petunia didn't approve of her own sister-- Harry's mother-- because she was a
 witch; nor of Harry's father because he, too, was a wizard.  When Harry turns eleven, however, the
 secret is out of the bag when-- after some strange goings-on-- a giant of a
 man named Rubeus Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) shows up at the Dursley's door to
 collect Harry and take him off to `Hogwarts,' a school for wizards and
 witches and all who would perfect the gift with which they were born:  The gift of magic!  And from the moment Harry boards the train
 (from station platform nine-and-three-quarters) that will take him to his
 destiny, the magic is alive-- for Harry, and for the audience, as well; and
 it's a journey you will never forget. What a monumental undertaking to even
 think of attempting-- translating and transferring this passionately beloved
 work from novel to the screen. Because to millions of people, Harry and his
 companions are so much more than merely characters in a book; these are
 characters for whom people have made a special place in their hearts, which
 puts a great burden of trust upon the man who would attempt to bring them to
 life.  And Chris Columbus, it turns out,
 was the right man for the job.  More
 than rising to the occasion and with some magic of his own-- and a lot of
 help from an extraordinarily talented cast and crew-- Columbus has delivered
 a film that is not only true to the story, but true to the very spirit that
 makes Harry Potter so special.  The
 special effects are absolutely beyond astounding, and Columbus, with a keen
 eye for detail and without missing a beat, keeps it all on track and moving
 right along at a pace and with a sense of timing that makes this an
 absorbing, thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable experience from beginning to
 end.  From the opening frame you get
 the feeling that you're about to have a singular experience; and you're
 right. Because you've just entered the world of Harry Potter.  And it's magic. Even having the best
 special effects do not a great movie make, however, and this film is no
 exception; what catapults this one to the top are the performances, beginning
 with Radcliffe, whom you quickly forget is an actor playing a part.  And that about sums up what kind of a job
 this young man does here.  Without
 question, he IS Harry Potter, physically and emotionally, and when he waves
 his wand and does what he does, you believe it.  A wonderful performance by a gifted actor
 who has a great career ahead of him; without question the perfect choice for
 the role of Harry. Also turning in excellent performances are Rupert Grint as
 Ron Weasley, and Emma Watson as Hermione.  As with Radcliffe, the casting here could not have been more
 perfect.  Grint is `Everyboy,' with
 that special glint in his eye and a manner that makes him especially
 endearing.  And the spunky Watson adds
 some real sparkle to the film as Hermione, the one with the sense of urgency
 and the wherewithal to get things done; a real role model for young girls
 everywhere. It's obvious that a lot of care went into the casting of this
 film, and it's a big part of why it is so successful.  Richard Harris, as Headmaster Albus
 Dumbledore; Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall; John Hurt as Mr.
 Ollivander; Ian Hart as Professor Quirrell.  Exceptional performances from one and all, with two that stand out as
 especially memorable:  Robbie Coltrane,
 who readily conveys the fact that Hagrid's heart is of a size that matches
 that of the man; and Alan Rickman, as Professor Severus Snape, deliciously
 droll while demonstrating menace through the fine art of articulation.   The additional supporting cast includes
 John Cleese (Nearly Headless Nick), Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick), Julie
 Walters (Mrs. Weasley), Zoe Wanamaker (Madame Hooch), Tom Felton (Draco
 Malfoy), Harry Melling (Dudley) and David Bradley (Filch).  From Rowling's imagination to the written
 page to real life (albeit via the movie screen), `Harry Potter and the
 Sorcerer's Stone' is a triumph many times over; a unique film of truly
 universal appeal, the likes of which is as rare as, well-- a sorcerer's
 stone.  A film in which adults and
 children alike will rejoice, because it speaks to the heart in a universal
 language of life, love, experience and imagination; a film that states
 unequivocally that magic exists-- as long as there's a single child with a
 single dream somewhere in the world, and real wizards like J.K. Rowling,
 Chris Columbus, Steve Kloves and every member of this wonderful cast and crew
 around to bring it to life as they have here.  An instant classic in every sense of the word, this is truly a film
 for the ages.  A remarkable
 achievement, this IS the magic of the movies.  I rate this one 10/10.

97

16

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

7.7

   /10

885K

An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241527/?ref_=tt_urv

2001

2h 32m

Chris Columbus

J.K. RowlingSteve Kloves

Daniel RadcliffeRupert GrintEmma Watson

2,046 reviews

nicholas_clarke

2001/11/10

As good an adaption as could ever be expected

https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0716813/?ref_=tturv_perm_6

To be faced with the challenge of adapting Harry Potter for the Silver
 screen must have been any director's nightmare- the chance of directing
 possibly the biggest film of this decade, but also the hardest audience-the
 millions of fans of the book who know every line and will pick up on every
 mistake. Being one of the above, I can only say that Christopher Columbus and
 all of the team working on HP did marvelously. The cast was brilliant
 (particularly notable are Alan Rickman as Snape, Maggie Smith as McGonagall,
 and the eerily creepy David Bradley as Argus Filch), the directing wonderful,
 and the scenery perfect. The only qualm is that it does not track perfectly
 with the book, but squeezed into 2.5 hours, this can only be expected. Well
 done all involved!

78

17

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

7.7

   /10

885K

An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241527/?ref_=tt_urv

2001

2h 32m

Chris Columbus

J.K. RowlingSteve Kloves

Daniel RadcliffeRupert GrintEmma Watson

7

   /10

2,046 reviews

undeaddt

2019/08/30

Nice beginning to an amazing saga

https://www.imdb.com/review/rw5088803/?ref_=tturv_perm_7

The right way to start a saga like this one, introducing the characters
 in a very positive and unique way, telling and showcasing all the riches that
 the wizard's world is a home of. In only one movie, we've seen amazing
 creatures, friendly and foes, teachers that are heroes and villains, we've
 witnessed the wisdom of the legendary professor Dumbldor, the movie made us
 guess who will be who and on who's side in the chapters to come and above
 all, we had fun. I will never forget the part where Harry buys all the things
 he needs to start his wizard journey, the authentic look of the streets, the
 shops and the bank will be part of the Harry Potter legacy forever.

5

0

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

7.7

   /10

885K

An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the
 truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical
 world.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241527/?ref_=tt_urv

2001

2h 32m

Chris Columbus

J.K. RowlingSteve Kloves

Daniel RadcliffeRupert GrintEmma Watson

8

   /10

2,046 reviews

stormhawk2021

2017/05/25

Epic film

https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3716277/?ref_=tturv_perm_8

Ah, the first film adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter series. Harry
 Potter is an 11-year-old boy who comes to find out that he is a wizard. He
 lives with his uncaring Muggle (non magic) aunt, uncle, and cousin since his
 parents died when he was a baby. They were murdered by a dark and powerful
 evil wizard named Lord Voldemort. Harry would be dead too, but was
 miraculously saved, making him something of a legend. Upon learning of his
 guarded magic roots, Harry gets enrolled in Hogwarts- a British school for
 witches and wizards. While there he learns to come into his own, meet people
 that are actually good to him, and learn more of his dark past. Looking back,
 I don't know if it was a good idea to have Chris Columbus direct this, as he
 does have a reputation for being something of a hack, albeit a decent one. I
 think his direction is okay here. Yeah, retrospectively it could have been
 better, but it could also have been much worse. At least with him at the helm
 we get a good amount of whimsy to go along with a bit of menace, and that's a
 good thing, as the book was likewise not too heavy on the darker stuff
 (though that sure changed as time went on). Many liberties are taken, which
 is weird since the book is quite short, and the film is two and a half hours.
 It does get the point across decently enough though, and also works as a
 piece for those unfamiliar with the source material. John Williams provides
 great music, there's wonderful art direction and set design, and there's some
 nifty set pieces too. Featuring an all-British cast, this film is impeccably
 cast, and the performances are good too. Finding decent child actors is hard,
 but they really scored here. My enjoyment of this movie has waned over time,
 but it's still not a terrible piece of work by any means, so check it out.

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