Wednesday 9 April 2014
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
Directed by: Chris Columbus
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s stone [also released as Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stone worldwide except India, Srilanka, Pakistan and USA] was an absolutely brilliant adventure film.
The book was a huge success and the people behind the film worked upon every little detail to make the film successful as well. Very often, we come across movies adapted from popular books and feel that the kind of atmosphere and setup you imagined while reading the book was very different than the kind of images you are given to watch. This is something which was perfected in the Sorcerer’s stone, we imagined a similar Dursley’s place and a similarly dark Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; the set decoration was so well crafted.
This is not a film which adults usually wave off; instead this was a fully fledged adventure film for people of all age group. JK Rowling’s book was muscular and vibrant and director Chris Columbus made sure that the movie version does not end up being a cute film about kids for the kids.
It can be very well compared to Star Wars and Indiana Jones, though I am not sure about the latter one. What Star wars must have been for someone born in the late 60s and early 70s, Harry Potter is something like that for those born in the late 80s and early 90s. The supernatural stuff like a three headed dog never looked out of the place and as a viewer I was glued to the screen while thrilled if the trio will be successful in their little endeavors.
Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint were only 11, 12 and 13 respectively at the time Sorcerer’s stone was released. Daniel as Harry Potter was almost like every one of us has imagined him to be. Hogwarts looked dark and comical, which is something I love about Harry Potter films, because computers could make it look real but the director chose to maintain the atmosphere JK Rowling created in her books.
Apart from the three prime characters, the castings for the adult’s role were done fantastically. Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Richard Harris and Robbie Coltrane as Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, Headmaster Dumbledore and Hagrid respectively were the most appropriate choices to make for the persona of the characters Rowling created.
Here is an interesting part from Roger Ebert’s review of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s stone, which he wrote 12 years ago, just after the film was released. Read more about Roger Ebert Here.
“Computers are used, exuberantly, to create a plausible look in the gravity-defying action scenes. Readers of the book will wonder how the movie visualizes the crucial game of Quidditch. The game, like so much else in the movie, is more or less as I visualized it, and I was reminded of Stephen King's theory that writers practice a form of telepathy, placing ideas and images in the heads of their readers. The reason some movies don't look like their books may be that some producers don't read them.”
Harry Potter is a classic which stays with you for life; you will make your kids watch it. It is that kind of film. Harry Potter can very well be put with E.T, Jurassic Park, Star Wars and Indiana Jones. It is the film you grew up with, how can you not love it?
"They say the first part is always the best part, they don't lie."
"They say the first part is always the best part, they don't lie."
Note: I have not discussed the plot of the film but other details assuming all of you have already watched Harry Potter films.
Movie Geek's Rating: ★★★★
[This post is a part of the A to Z Challenge in April 2014. Let's celebrate blogging.]
Hi, I am not a big fan of Harry Potter, but I ENJOY HIS MOVIES :)
ReplyDeleteyeah they are interesting for sure and its perfectly alright to not be a HP fan :)
DeleteHuge Harry Potter fan, I adored Emma Watson! She was so cute with beautiful curly hair and geeky attitude. Can never get enough of this series. Thanks for the lovely review again. Awesome!
ReplyDeleteShalzzz|Loving Life
Check out my latest at Tale of Two Tomatoes
glad you like it Shalini :)
DeleteI must have watched three movie gazillion tomes and read the book twice. The way quidditch was shown was brilliant.
ReplyDeleteHP was a brilliantly written book, and the movie didnt disappoint either :)
DeleteI read your post but I was never a fan of Harry Potter; read none of the books and saw none of the movies. Didn't interest me at all and still doesn't LOL However, your review was great.
ReplyDeletethanks Carol... its alright to not like Harry Potter :)
DeleteI couldn't get myself to read the book, and I found the movie boring too.
ReplyDeletei know it has become a cult, but never been a big harry potter fan
I understand... HP was something people either love or just dont like it :)
DeleteI loved the movies! Every single one of them. Watched them with my kids, and now my fiance's kids. I didn't read any of the books, though.
ReplyDeleteCarrie~Anne at That Dizzy Chick
just one part, I couldn't stand and that was GOBLET OF FIRE, apart from that HP had been a adventurous journey :)
Deleteharry potter harry potter i was screaming with happiness as i saw this post!!!!!! Wowie!!!!!! I am a big potterhead!! although I felt that movies did injustice to the books, still I loved it for the excellent cast
ReplyDelete~S(t)ri
Participant|AtoZ Challenge 2014
Smile, it makes (y)our day!
good to know that seeing my review made you happy :)
DeleteIt's Harry Potter all around today :)
ReplyDeleteRandom Thoughts Naba
Haha... yes yes it is :)
DeleteI love Harry Potter and I have done a post about my favorite characters in the series today. :)
ReplyDeletegood to hear that.. will check out :)
DeleteNice review. I liked the books more than the movies...
ReplyDeleteYeah Jayantha, books were better, thanks for stopping by :)
DeleteLoved both the books and the movies :)
ReplyDeleteIshithaa
thanks for stopping by Ishithaa :)
DeleteI have read Harry Potter books twice and the movies ... well I have lost count of that, coz these are my son's fav movies and they show it so very frequently on TV!
ReplyDeletethat's exactly how it should be... passing on to the next generation, I think it deserves that Shilpa :)
DeleteI have seen all movies from Harry potter Series!!! That too in Hindi and English both (that means one movie twice) After first one's release- broom got famous in our home :P :P
ReplyDeleteI loved the game of Quidditch that you have mentioned here :)) and different spells. though first one is not my fav amongst all! But it was an amazing start...
watching it in Hindi was a pleasure of its own, or say funny :)
DeleteWow. It's crazy to think this was released twelve years ago. Also crazy to think about how young the child actors were when they filmed it.
ReplyDelete... twelve years? Ugh. How is that even possible? LOL
Yeah its intriguing... thanks for stopping by Rhonda
DeleteLoved your review. I'm a HUGE Potter fan and JKR will be on my blog soon!!! Loved each of the films. I had been pretty curious how they'd bring out all the magical stuff and they did pretty well.
ReplyDeleteJKR deserves to be on your blog, I know I am late but I am moving to your blog now :)
DeleteI am an all time BIG fan of Harry Potter series and this was certainly "The Best of all"
ReplyDeleteYes Indeed, the first part is the best part :)
DeleteI cannot tell you how MUCH I wish Hogwarts was real and everything about Harry Potter is real. As a kid, I was always curious about magic and everything about magic and wizadry. We had scooby doo cartoons in which in one of the episodes, a witch goes around in a broom stick and I remember taking the mop and tried flying saying, "Up", "fly" but alas! It never worked: D This movie is a totally different world, it makes you indulge, involve and you finally become one of the characters. I cried and cried when Dumbledore died in the deathly hallows 1 and when I saw Harry die and Hogwarts being destroyed my heart ached and when Harry died I was like, "Damn! That Voldemort!" Finally, when Harry came alive I was screaming in Joy! :D Everything about this movie is so beautiful, so awesome and these kids look edibly cute in the sorceror's stone! Harry Potter, teaches us few good things too!! :) He teaches you to love, selflessly. :) And have you seen the order of the phoenix? I really yearned to have a HUGE screen when there was a fight between Voldemort and sirius black and the group. Jaw dropping!! I am like, whoa dude! What on earth.. I frigging need a bigger screen! And using the spells on friends who don’t know anything about harry Potter and when we have an argument we start saying “Avada Kadabra”, “Wingardium Laviosa” and when I am too lazy I think I should say “Accio book” and the book will come to my hand instead of me going to the book. Totally cool! TOTALLY!
ReplyDeleteYou know my comments are always long, but I might actually end writing a review for pages on how wonderful this movie is!! So here, right here! I shut up and hardly refrain myself from writing more!! :D Good review! loved it as usual :)
Great yaar... you really love Harry Potter.... hai na... you even remember the spells... awesome :)
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