Nearly ten years has gone by since this journey began, and when people think back based on merely memory, this may be one of the worst films of the series. I'd definitely contest that the worst of this series is still better by far than most films out there. As the series has expanded, the world of the first film seems so much more interesting and fun. Early on in the film, just after Hagrid and Harry leave the Dursleys, there is a shot that encompasses London, and in the distance, we can see the millennium bridge, just five years before it is demolished by death eaters. It's something that Christopher Columbus could've never predicted at the time, and it appears by pure happenstance. In a way, it's a small miracle tucked inside a larger one.Now, what made this first film such a success wasn't the quality of the work the cast and crew did. After all, the film was made by Christopher Columbus, who has gone on to make such films as I Love You Beth Cooper and Percy Jackson and the etc.. More than anything, what made this film a hit was the source material. The book itself is such an amazing thing adored by so many children, myself included. As Rowling herself said, "If it gets published, it will sell", and she was 100% correct in that account. When the film came out, there was such a huge following that people just ate it up. These days it's hard to forget how many people are in love with this series, and we can attribute that to the absurdity of the Twilight phenomenon. Whenever I hear about some annoying teenage girl who dislikes Harry Potter but loves The Twilight Saga, I feel the impulse to smack them in the face. Not with my hand, but with a hammer.
Sorcerer's Stone may not be the ultimate introduction to the series, but it isn't all that bad. There are definitely things I dislike about the film, first of all being the young actors. Nobody's a credible actor at that point in their life (except maybe Chloe Moretz), and the three that show that point off in your face are Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) and Rupert Grint (Ron). Just look at how far they've come. They've all come from humble beginnings to becoming more mature as the films go on. To their credit, the ten years in between then and now have made them a incredibly more tolerable. I mean, what kid isn't that annoying at that age. They're eleven. Cut them some slack.
As for the story, which you should know already by now, young Harry Potter finds out he's a wizard and escapes his abusive A.U.C. (Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin) to go learn magic at the greatest wizarding school there is: Hogwarts. Daniel Radcliffe does a pretty credible job of portraying Harry's wonder, not only at this fantastic new world, but at the fact that he's famous. It's a fame that came at a terrible price, that being the loss of his parents when he was just an infant. When you really get to thinking about it, this is already one of the saddest stories ever told. If he could turn back time, and choose from the two lives before him, he would definitely have chosen to grow up with his parents, and never become famous. That's just not the path that was given to him. It helps the story along to have the cream of British talent filling up the supporting cast. Such actors as Robbie Coltrane, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, and the delightful Alan Rickman bring something special to the table. As for the technical aspects, they are pretty unimpressive. The cinematography lacks the smooth texture of the rest of the franchise, opting for something that makes the film feel ripped out of the late 1980s. There's no doubt that John Williams is a magnificent composer, but this is still one of his worst scores to date. We all know and love the main theme, but it's used way too much in this film, and everything else lacks the same sort of charm. Voldemort's theme works the first time around, but after that, it fails to reach the same impact. As a matter of fact, it hasn't really been used much since.
As for the visual effects, they're mostly just brought down by the quality of the cinematography. When ranking the films, this one is undoubtedly in the bottom half of the list, just because they have gotten so much better since then. However, like I said before, it's not a bad movie. There are plenty of enjoyable bits in this movie, and I forgot how funny and geeky Hermione was in her first year. For me one of the funniest moments in the entire series remains when Harry first takes off on his broomstick, despite Hermione protesting that he doesn't know how to fly, and then her remarking in that pitch-perfect know-it-all manner, "What an idiot!" It was somewhat juvenile back then, but looking back now, I just can't help bursting into laughter. Just seeing the origins of these characters is enough to garner a smile. If this is among the worst of the series, then what does that tell you about where we're headed?
B
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