Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone
01/06/2002 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
Video: Warner Bros: S022658. Time: 146 minutes plus about 10 minutes of alternative scenes. Price: £10.99 - it varies so shop around. Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grant and Emma Watson, not to mention a troop of some of great British thespians. check out websites: www.warnerbros.com
and www.harrypotter.com
I’d be the first person to
admit I haven’t got around to reading JK Rowling’s books.
So many books, only one lifetime and you’re seeing
about 80% of my current reading here in the review roadtests. With
all the hype around about this film and it falling under our remit,
watching the video seemed inevitable.
 In
many ways, this is a very stylish film cross-blending an imaginary
UK with an even more imaginary school for trainee witches.
Orphaned baby Harry Potter is left with his relatives
until he is the right age to be enrolled at the school. By then,
his relatives have been treating him rather cruelly - where’s child
welfare when you need them? - and try to avoid the continuous invitation
letters that bombard their house.
All this is forgotten when Harry finally gets to the
school and makes new friends and enemies and has his first adventure
protecting the philosopher’s stone. Into this mix is the witches
equivalent of the Buckingham ‘Jennings’ boarding school stories.
This is not demeaning the film. I was a great fan
of ‘Jennings’ when I was young and I’m sure that it’s hitting a
similar chord in today’s youngsters. Kids who feel isolated feel
a bond with such characters.
The massive sales amongst today’s kids probably indicates
that isolation is increasing rather than the opposite. If nothing
else, it looks like Rowling’s material is getting kids reading and
talking again which is no mean feat.
The more adult cast tend to be more cameo than big
scene. When the credits rolled, I was surprised to see John Cleese
mentioned cos I didn’t spot him playing one of the ghosts. As the
other adults roles are going to expand over the following films,
no doubt we’ll see more of their talents beside Robbie Coltrane,
Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman and Richard Harris.
With Industrial Light and Magic providing the effects,
it is a credit to director Chris Columbus that he’s got a film that
will have lasting appeal and likely to be on the Christmas TV film
circuit for a long time to come.
Another not demeaning comment as it means we could
be spared having the ‘Wizard Of Oz’ out every year for a change.
Even my Mother likes the film and wants to see it again to spot
things she missed the first time. Can’t get a better accolade than
that, can you?
GF Willmetts
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