NEW Radcliffe/grint/watson/coltran - Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's (Blu-ray)

This was a near impossible task with a very decent result. Translating the epic story and themes and feel of Harry Potter into the celluloid world and not angering the devoted fanbase is not something any wizard would attempt. But thankfully, with much control and input from J.K., so much of what we love about Harry survives Hollywood and even thrives.

As a note, I usually do not partake in a dvd review unless I have seen all the extras, commentaries, easter eggs, and assorted other goodies available. Call it my anal-retentive crazy side, but I like to immerse myself fully in something I like this much. But not all the dvd's in this series that I have come with these specials. Much crying now ensues. And the extras will be consumed by me soon enough, which shall be fun.

Mush of my liking of the movie Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is how much is harvested from the delightful source material. From characters matching what you expect in your mind's eye to Hogwart's moving and creaking just like it should to Hagrid being the most amazing Hagrid. Let me be clear on this one point, Hagrid Rocks! Slightly mushed cake and all.

With all the absolutely essential parts in place, the movie presents a necessarily streamlined version of the story. This works for what they have to do here, compressing everything into two hours and a half. Very early on in my viewing, my mind switched the Harry Potter movie cannon into a parallel universe. It is the only way to enjoy the films for what they present and not drive your senses crazy because a favourite scene or character vanishes or is given short shift. Everytime a little something you consider essential does not make the cut, a little piece of you dies. Sounds dramatic, but to a Potterhead it is very serious.

I can't help but feel that Harry Potter should have been into a television series, 12 episodes a year, seven years in total. This way the story gets to expand and breathe like J.K. and the fans rightly deserve. Maybe possibly in ten years time or so this might become a reality.

But back to what we have and not to what we want. Despite the limitations of the format, there is so much to love and cheer on about with this movie. Daniel Radcliffe is Harry Potter, and seeing him living in those baggy ugly hand me down clothes from that dastardly Dudley brings the written word to life. Radcliffe is amazing, for such a young age, with conveying so much. His first encounter with wizard folk feels just as astonishing as the book. And with the magic slowly dripping back into Harry's life, we viewers know what Harry feels as Radcliffe makes us believe.

I always found Ron whiny in the book, and the movie keeps that annoying trait going as well. Hermione on the printed page is marvelous, but in the film can be bothersome with her haughtiness. Maybe it is simply seeing her on screen. Also I found Richard Harris as Dumbledore rather dull and miscast. That will guarantee some hate mail, but I really do not see his appeal. One obvious deletion which I sorely missed was Peeves, my favourite Hogwart's ghost. Kept waiting for him to pop up, cause mischief, and scoot along.

One thread through all eight movies which pleased me immensely was the theme music. Every moment of that melody just caused giddy tingles, priming my senses for what would come next. And what came next was always joyful and entertaining.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a worthy first effort to set the stage and tell the beginners tale. Everything is in place whatever comes next, and we cannot wait.

Scoopriches

The Harry Potter franchise recently ended after the seven books were transformed into eight movies. Sorcerer's Stone (also known as Philosopher's Stone) was the first entry. It did well at the box office, grossing $975 million worldwide, and was the most successful entry until the final installment in the series beat it in 2011. The eight films grossed $7.7 billion worldwide, so they are enormously popular.

Due to the popularity of the franchise, I'm going to assume that you have read J. K. Rowling's books, seen the movies, or both, so this review will contain spoilers. If you have never entered the world of Harry Potter, stop reading now.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was directed by Chris Columbus, who was responsible for Mrs. Doubtfire and the first two Home Alone movies. The tone of this first Harry Potter movie is quite similar to those three, relying on whimsy and comedy rather than drama. That matches the tone of the book, so it is not a criticism. If you had read the first book, like me, you were probably looking forward to seeing the world of Harry Potter portrayed on the big screen. The adapted screenplay by Steve Kloves didn't disappoint.

There's a lot to like about Sorcerer's Stone; the sets are vast, the important story elements are present, and the majority of the young actors do a good job. It's a tricky business casting children who have to develop over the course of a decade, but I don't find myself disliking any of the choices. It's great to see Hogwarts, the Hogwarts Express, Gringotts, Diagon Alley, and Quidditch brought to life.

Sorcerer's Stone starts slowly and might seem overly long, but it's necessary to introduce the characters and the worlds they inhabit. I could imagine some people viewing this first installment and giving up on the franchise, but that would be a mistake. This is a vast story which starts off as a charming fantasy before quickly becoming much darker in tone. In a way, it mirrors childhood. We are initially fascinated with the world until we mature and realize that it does have plenty of problems. As the series progresses, the films grow more serious as the threat of evil increases.

Some of the best moments include Harry first learning about the existence of Hogwarts, his initial flying lesson, and seeing the teachers demonstrate some of the spells that the children will learn. The main characters are fully realized and know a lot about them by the end of the movie.

Sorcerer's Stone is a good blend of fantasy and action, with the final part of the film containing the most dramatic sequences as our three heroes try to recover the Philosopher's Stone. The music used in the movie is excellent, and the main theme itself suggests a magical setting. There are a lot of important themes in the series and I think it's generally a good example for children. The importance of friendship is one of the major messages and it all begins with the relationships between Harry, Ron and Hermione.

The Harry Potter franchise isn't just for children. I'm 50 and I have worked my way through the books and the eight movies several times. The adults in the story are played by some of the finest British character actors. Can you imagine anyone other than Alan Rickman as Snape? Dumbledore was played by Richard Harris in this movie and the sequel, and I think I prefer his version to Michael Gambon's portrayal, although Gambon's version did work for the more serious tone present in the other movies.

There's a whole generation of people who grew up loving Star Wars, but here's a franchise for the next generation. Sorcerer's Stone is funny and lighthearted compared to later entries in the franchise, but don't let that deter you from watching all eight movies. The adequate acting improves considerably as the children age throughout the series.

The picture quality improves as the series progresses, but the Blu-ray presentation is good enough. The Sound quality is excellent and adds something to the action scenes.

This was such a great deal. I got the normal Movie with a special features disk. The Disk Includes many wonderful things not included in the book like a guide through Hogwarts and through Hagrids hut. It also goes down to explain much more then the movies do! The movie is fun for the whole family to watch and has a lot of laughs!