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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer''s Stone

Movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer''s Stone Director Chris Columbus Producer David Heyman Cast Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint

By Ad-Lib Rating: *** Cute as a button is the best way to describe Harry Potter and the Sorcerer````s Stone. Unlike its nemesis The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter has a definite story and is more “kiddie-friendly”. As a matter of fact, you just feel like a child yourself when you watch it. Characters are lovable and even the monsters have a certain charm to them. Be warned though, this is one long movie clocking two and a half hours in total. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) lives in the cupboard, under the stairs in the home of his extremely cruel uncle, aunt and cousin. Told that his parents died in a car crash, he possesses certain powers that are beyond his comprehension. One fine day, he is informed by Rubeus Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) that he is a wizard and that it is time for him to attend Hogwarts to polish his skills. Rubeus and he stock up on the supplies that he will need like an owl, a wand and wizard attire. Somehow everyone seems to know him and this puzzles him. Rubeus then reveals that an evil wizard Voldemort had killed his parents but he mysteriously escaped and this catapulted him to fame in this strange world of magic. They then go to the train station, where he boards the Hogwarts Express from platform nine and three-quarters. On the journey he meets Ron Weasly (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), his future companions. Upon reaching Hogwarts, the trio are separated from the other lot including Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) into groups of houses. Now the training starts and the group are taught about potions, levitation, broomstick flying and magic by the likes of Professor Dumblemore (Richard Harris), McGonagall (Maggie Smith) and Snape (Alan Rickman). They learn about a stone, a sorcerer````s stone that is the elixir of life and gives the owner immortality. They go about searching for the stone and go into the very bowels of Hogwarts where they play a real life game of chess, avoid a three headed dog and experience other adventures till Harry comes face to face with Voldemort````s incarnation in the form of his Professor Quirrell (Ian Hart). He defeats Voldemort in a brief showdown and at the end of the year at Hogwarts, he graduates. All his companions are going home but not Harry, he is going somewhere else. To be continued.... A very nice story indeed. These are three of the cutest children I have ever seen with their very polite, very British accents. Special effects are adequate to be fair and not overdone. Direction is classic Chris Columbus (Mrs. Doubtfire), a real children````s movie director. Performances of the children stand out along with Robbie Coltrane, unfairly everyone else````s talents are shown sparingly. The ultimate movie for the family. The only bad part of the movie is the very end and climax when the Stone suddenly appears in Potter````s hands but overall a must see.