Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) Review

 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

The Sorcerer’s Stone follows Harry Potter, who is summoned from his life as an unwanted child to become a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he will uncover the truth behind his parents mysterious death and unlock his own magical potential. 

To be faced with the challenge of adapting Harry Potter for the big screen sounds like a nightmare for even the most seasoned of filmmakers. Because Harry Potter isn’t just one book, or even two, but seven. Everything that could possibly follow, hinges on this one movie and it’s ability to adapt the first in a long line of books. And they fucking pulled it off, brilliantly I might add. Theoretically, this shouldn’t have worked either, as it packs SO much into such a short frame, not only introducing us to a myriad of characters, concepts, and backstory, but also building a world and story that is comprehensive as it spans through multiple seasons and several encounters that make the world of Harry Potter feel so lived in and yes, magical. 

The film mindfully then uses Harry’s ignorance to it’s advantage, introducing him, and the viewer in the process, to the world of magic without it feeling overbearing on the senses. We are discovering this world, same as him, consciously showing without telling us in a way that makes the experience feeling absorbing and engaging to a serious degree.

All of this however, almost pales in comparison to the piece of the puzzle that will instantly bring me back to this series time and time again, and that’s the score. As John Williams's perfect theme (one of so many) played its first notes as Dumbledore walked down Privet Drive, a tone and atmosphere is set that only John Williams is capable of, that instantly transports you into the world of Harry Potter. 

They hit lightening in a bottle with this cast too, starring Ian Hart, Maggie Smith, Tom Felton, Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and Daniel Radcliffe. Radcliffe delivers such a sincerity and childlike amazement (that is shared by fans and newcomers alike), that you believe wholeheartedly that this is the boy who lived, who will go on to change the wizarding world forever. Several other performances from Coltrone, Harris, and Rickman really allow small, secondary performances to also shine brightly. 

Based on the book by J.K. Rowling, The Sorcerer’s Stone, directed by Chris Columbus, accomplishes the monumental task of kickstarting a series that has now spanned 8 movies (and 2 spinoffs), all while blending the beautiful magic and sharp darkness that makes Harry Potter such a relatable young man as he traverses this new world full of evil, hope, and friendship. 

8.5/10