joshcardinal Maybe a controversial opinion but this is the best movie adaptation in the Harry Potter series! We truly see the world of magic and Hogwarts through Harry's eyes, full of wonder, excitement, and yes, darkness and danger. I don't know why the later films thought they had to be all green light and creepy shadows to get the point across- this movie proves you can do the dramatic parts just through stakes, acting, music and the other traditional movie elements. The kids are adorable, the special effects actually hold up, and Dumbledore, well, he's the true Dumbledore. LOVE THIS MOVIE.

Anish Misra Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a film directed by Chris Columbus. For many years, I hadn't given a damn about the Harry Potter series. But seeing the fanfare surrounded by the series, I decided to give it a try. After watching this one, I can definitely say that I am on the verge of being a fan.Plot: Harry Potter, an orphan living with his uncle and his family is invited to Hogwarts School of Magic to become a wizard.Story and direction: I had watched this part around the time it released but never just kept in touch since I didn't understand a word. Seeing it now as an adult and a movie lover, I just fell in love with this fictional world created. The characters, settings, story, etc.. all just feel seamless. Thanks to J K Rowling, Steve Kloves and Chris Columbus who have done justice to the source material provided to them. I feel the themes are so very relevant in this film. The intricacies of those themes are valid in the current world we do live in. This is what I just exactly want from any story presented to me. Although the film is very long, I never felt bored for a single moment. And to adapt quite a huge novel comes with responsibility and precaution, which the makers completely justified. The sets are huge and awesome. You just feel you are in Hogwarts actually. Also each characters costume is just to marvel at. John Williams once again just proves why he is the composer of the century. But I did feel some flaws to the film. Being a first film, the main plot of the film comes at around the 90th minute of the film. Also the VFX of the film felt very amateur considering some great VFX was done in the years preceding this film.Performances: I would say that the casting of the film is just perfect. Applause for the casting team is deserved. Never do you feel that another actor should play the role. The kids, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Tom Felon just to name a few are fantastic. These 10-11 year old just steal your heart. Also the other cast like Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane make themselves likable.Favorite Scene: There were many favourite scenes in this film for me. But one scene in particular was the troll scene where Harry and Ron decide to save Hermione and after the saving Hermione vouches for the boys. This is the scene where you actually happen to see the bond solidified between the 3 as friends.Verdict: For anyone who just loves fantasy film and worlds with great visuals, this film is just for you. I assure you won't be disappointed. I plan on seeing the entire series now because I am fascinated by this world and want to see what else has it got to offer.I am going with an 8/10.

TheNabOwnzz Much like the film in said title, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone seems to essentially be a nice kind of kiddy escapism flick into the world of magic, but like The Wizard of Oz, it still manages to be surprisingly touchy in a profoundly humanistic kind of way despite its far fetched story. I grew up with these series, and thought they were the greatest thing i have ever seen at the time. Now that i have grown older and judge all cinematic feats objectively, Sorcerer's Stone might have lost some of its figurative magic, but it is still an impressive and genuinely entertaining film. After having recently been through the torture of seeing the entire Twilight saga series, it is nice to see a film series such as Harry Potter that DOES actually have great writing and for the most part good acting, and manages to be believeable in the setting it provides. Dumbledore, who is the most important character in the film, and his dialogue with Harry in front of the mirror shows us that the film manages to still be relevant to actual family values and issues while subtly lying under its gorgeous magical cover. Visually the film is stunning due to the fact that the filmmakers wanted to give it that authentic look, resulting in many on location shots. The outdoor shot of the first time seeing Hogwharts is simply visual delight in what could have easily been an ugly CGI snoozefest. The great hall ( Which was not on location and actually built for the film ) is also fantastic visual beauty, and the high camera angles show us a great overview of the entire room while this is coupled with John Williams's fantastic score, which uses fantastic chords of joy and happiness in the light hearted scenes while still maintaining that ominous mystery feel in the darker scenes, such as the Unicorn search in the dark forest. Williams's score for this film is definitely one of the greatest in the history of film due to the fact that it captures the adventure, joy, mystery & evil of the film like no other. Its three main characters Harry, Ron & Hermione, who were ofcourse still very young child actors at the time, are surprisingly genuinely enthusiastic and natural about the happenings in the film, and while they will never be the true star of it, they definitely do not drag the film down. However, there are indeed fantastic acting performances in the film, especially by Alan Rickman ( Snape ) whose subtle slow way of speaking is intimidating in its own right, and Richard Harris ( Dumbledore ), who captures the wise and friendly aspect of his character as only Harris can, with his calm demeanor and naturally fatherly character, which only makes it sadder he passed away before the making of the Prisoner of Azkaban, as a Dumbledore as good as Richard Harris's will never be seen.The narrative of the film is great, with us slowly beginning to understand more about the plot as it unfolds. It doesn't insult any type of audience with obvious dialogue or flashbacks ( *Cough* Twilight * Cough* ) and instead lets the mystery unfold into logic on its own. All three main characters embody their characters perfectly as each is used to the best of their abilities throughout an event in the story, which will make sure none of them seem irrelevant, and all of them give a clear view of what they are like.It is a grandiose spectacle of visuals and magic, and while obviously lacking in real depth it is also a genuinely human story about an orphan ( Harry ) who finds friendship and courage through a series of brave events.

Pjtaylor-96-138044 'Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone (2001)' is starting to show its age in a few areas - though the majority of special effects still hold up remarkably well - and the young actors have certainly come a long way since this first outing, but this is an entertaining and endearing experience that's as enchanting as it is exciting. It does a great job of setting up the vibrant 'wizarding world' of which we're all now so familiar, it has some fantastically interesting concepts and well executed ideas and it is surprisingly funny at times, too. While it may now be perhaps the 'worst' in the series, aside from 'Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (2016)' (which doesn't really count, of course), it is still a wonderfully charming and enjoyable ride that's better than most of today's blockbusters. 7/10