Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (2001) Review 

So Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is set to hit cinemas next month and I thought this would be the time to go back and watch the films in The Harry Potter franchise, starting with the Philosophers Stone. So I watched it today and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a young child find out he is a wizard and he is enrolled in a school for magic where he tries to learn more about himself. 

Main Character

A young Daniel Radcliffe plays Harry Potter and he does about as well as a child actor would do in the role. You care about Harry and there is that innocence about him that makes him easy to root for and support in his journey. But there is no denying that his acting ability isn't great, some of the delivery of his lines is cringe and I think this would have always been the case and at least with this film the youth of the character was a hinderance in terms of performance quality. 

Supporting Characters

The same could be said for Rupert Grint and Emma Watson's first performances as Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. They have clear characters and they do the best they can, Ron is quite funny and Hermione is smart but sometimes it can't be conveyed well enough because of the inexperience of the performers. The seasoned actors all do great jobs, Maggie Smith is really fun as Professor McGonagall and I like how she is as the teacher and her dynamic with the three kids is handled and Smith seems to be having plenty of fun. Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid is also really entertaining to watch, he is such a jolly character and he is kind of a mentor to Harry, which is one of my favourite parts of the film. The late Alan Rickman plays Severus Snape and he is just brilliant in the role, he has become iconic and this is the start of his run as the character. Richard Harris plays Dumbledore and honestly he doesn't have lots of screen time but when he does, he is a presence and I really like how they treat him as this ultimate wizard despite having a smaller presence in this film. 

Story 

The story does a really effective job of introducing us to the Wizarding world and getting us to instantly care about our main character and this new world that was created. I really enjoyed seeing the different lessons of Hogwarts and things like Quidditch. But this film does feel a little bit unbalanced, the last act has a reveal that doesn't quite work and I think it just meanders a bit in its storytelling. It has so much to tell us that it sometimes feels like exposition dumps even if it is entertaining. 

Script

The script is good, there are some pretty funny moments in the film and as I have said a few times I did care about the characters and when they were actually in peril. Don't get me wrong it isn't perfect but I think it does an effective enough job of introducing us to this franchise and the story that will not only be told in this film but plenty of sequels. 

Style 

For a film that came out over 20 years ago the effects are still pretty good and seeing the wizarding on screen is always fun. Also, despite the story being a bit passive, I actually thought it was paced quite well and something interesting was happening on screen. 

Overall

Overall, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone is a good start to the franchise that does the job well of starting this franchise and getting the young actors off to a start. 

Rating - 7/10