1953

Acting: 4.5; Theme: 4.5; Content: 4.5; Language: 5.0; Overall: 4.5

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) lives with his verbally abusive orphan family, before being invited to attend the Hogwart's school for wizards. He is accepted into this fraternity and learns about his familial history and his magical powers as a wizard. Harry befriends Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) as the adventures begin. Highly recommend.

***March 6, 2023*** ( )

11-year-old Harry Potter is thrust into a world of magic when he discovers he is a wizard and is invited into Hogwarts, an illustrious school for young wizards and witches. Along with newfound friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry must endure his first year at the school and learn terrible secrets about both his past and the wizarding world at large -- all while trying to uncover just who the mysterious Voldemort is.

Finally watching this film and getting to experience the magic for the first time was truly amazing, the wonder of it all comparable to the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings film franchises, and I loved every moment of it. From the acting of all parties involved, both young and old, was more than believable, and the mixture of action, storytelling, comedy, and much more made for an exciting, wondrous adventure, leaving me wanting more. It is definitely a magnificent piece of cinema, and one that I will definitely come back to time and time again. Two sidenotes: first, I watched this after reading the book, and I must say it followed it quite faithfully. And second, John Williams nailed it once again. That's all that needs to be said, quite honestly.

Content Concerns: There's a bit of violence and peril involving humans and fantastical creatures, with a few scenes of death but nothing too emotional nor graphic. Concerning the ongoing debate of the "witchcraft" involved in the franchise, it's truly nothing far beyond the likes of what is seen in other fantasy franchises like Lord of the Rings and Narnia. There are also three uses of vulgarity, one of "h-ll," "a-se," and "d-mn."

(March 3, 2023) ( )

The three children are superbly cast, with great chemistry which develops as they get to know each other better. The message of the book - that love overcomes everything, that integrity and honesty are the most important traits - comes through clearly, and I found myself gripped, almost as if I did not know what was coming.

There are some scary moments towards the end, and a little minor bad language, so the rating for this film is PG in both the US and UK. ( )

One of the best movies for children every made from one of the best books for children ever written. I have been smitten with it all ever since it began. ( )