Harry Potter And The Philosophers Stone
STARS: DANIEL RADCLIFF, RUPERT GRANT, EMMA WATSON, ROBBIE COLTRANE, RICHARD HARRIS, MAGGIE SMITH, ALAN RICKMAN
Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliff) is your not so average boy who has been raised by his Aunt and Uncle to be your normal everyday boy who is treated like crap and forced to live in a windowless room beneath the staircase.
Harry finds strange things happen to him, particularly during times of stress or fear. It seems that Harry’s parents were a Warlock and Witch, and extremely powerful ones at that. On his 11th Birthday he receives a visit from Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), the groundskeeper (amongst other things) for Hogwarts, the school for the magically inclined. Harry has been accepted to Hogwarts against his Uncle and Aunt’s wishes.
At Hogwarts Harry befriends two other students, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grant) the latest in a line of Weasley’s attending Hogwarts and Hermione Grainger (Emma Watson) who is a bit of a know-it-all. Harry finds that he is a minor celebrity, everyone seems to know the story of Harry whose parents died years ago at the hands of the evil Warlock Voldemort, otherwise known as “He Who Cannot Be Named” while he miraculously survived.
Harry finds his place in life at Hogwarts, friends and people who care about him, while he learns everything there is to be a Warlock himself. However, Harry and his friends begin to suspect that something is wrong and begin to investigate. They believe that one of the teachers, Professor Snape (Alan Rickman) plans to steal the ‘Philosophers Stone’ a magical substance that can turn metal into gold and provide immortality. They also believe he will use the stone to restore Voldemort to his former glory.
While this is clearly a movie that had children foremost on it’s mind, it is enjoyable for everyone. Thankfully, in this move the adult characters are not just bystanders, they provide the humour that will appeal to all ages. The four main adult actors - Richard Harris (as the head of the school), Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman and Robbie Coltrane all bring their considerable talents to this movie and enhance it beyond a childrens film. Robbie Coltrane in particular is wonderful as the menacing yet oafish groundskeeper.
For those who are fans of the series, you probably already know that with the exception of a few minor omissions, the film is remarkably faithful to the novel.
THE EXTRAS
DISC ONE
* Cast and Crew
* Theatrical Trailer
* Teaser Trailer
DISC TWO
* Deleted Scenes : There are 7 deleted scenes located somewhere on this disc but I’m not going to tell you where. I will tell you though that you need to visit Diagon Alley to obtain the elements required to open the secret passage to these scenes. The 7 omitted scenes run for about 20 minutes in total. Some are extensions of scenes already in the film (ie Potions Class) and others have been omitted completely. Well worth tracking down but it can be difficult.
* Diagon Alley: Includes ‘Gringotts Bank’, where you can withdraw money to use at the other shops such as ‘Ollianders Wands’, where you can try out different types of wands or ‘Eeylops Owl Emporium’ where you can learn about the different types of owls
* Tour: Take an interactive tour of Hogwarts using the directional keys on your remote control to dictate your course
* Sorting Hat: Learn about the characteristics of the four house of Hogwarts - Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin
* Interviews: ‘Capturing The Stone: A Conversation With The Filmmakers’ - interviews with the producer, director, screenwriter and production designer. The major theme being their efforts to translate the books to the cinema and yet stay true to the books
* Extra Credit: DVD-ROM Material
* Hogwarts Grounds: Various informative narratives and featurettes on ‘The Golden Snitch’, the game of Quidditch, every flavour beans and Hagrid’s hut, which includes another interactive tour
* Library Five different books which again provide either narrative or featurettes on production sketches, ‘Fluffy’ the three headed guard dog, video backgrounds on some of the major characters, the ghosts of the houses and one just to scare the bejeesus out of you
* Classrooms - Defence against the dark arts: A short feature on Professor Quirrel
* Classrooms - Spells and Charms: A short feature on levitation, some more flavoured beans and a feature to view the same scene in multiple languages
* Classrooms - Potions: Make your own potions using the remote control
* Classrooms - Transfigurations: A short feature on Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagle
* Easter Eggs : There are also a few other little surprises hidden throughout the 2nd DVD which I’m not going to tell you about. Patience will have its rewards though so keep persevering.
While there are quite a lot of features, clearly these were designed with children in mind. Often they require you to refer back to the movie to access them and can become a little frustrating.
CONCLUSION
Despite the fact that the format is full screen and the special features are a little too cute for their own good, this is a big budget movie with fantastic sets and overall production design and first rates visual and sound effects.
An enjoyable ride for all ages and from talking to those who have seen both the film and the books (book, what is book?), faithful to J.K. Rowling.