Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Sometimes, after all the craziness of something like Star Wars, it's kind of nice to just enjoy a film that is all about how amazing magic is. This film definitely nails that, and it is a lot lighter in tone than Star Wars.

The story concerns a young orphan named Harry Potter, played by Daniel Radcliffe, who lives with his abusive relatives. But on his 11th birthday, he learns that he is a wizard and that he has been accepted to the wizarding school known as Hogwarts. Once there, he makes friends with two other aspiring wizards and witches, Ron Weasley, played by Rupert Grint, and Hermione Granger, played by Emma Watson. Not all is good, with Harry learning the dark truth about his parents' deaths, and the dark wizard who caused them, supposedly dead, still inspires fear to the point where people refuse to speak his name.

This film, while definitely having a story, albeit a fairly simple one, is more concerned with showing how wonderful and amazing the world of magic is, and it does so amazingly. Although the visual effects are definitely iffy, the beautiful cinematography and whimsical music by the legendary composer John Williams more than makes up for this fact, with every scene showing the viewer just how cool it would be to have magic and live in the Wizarding World.

The acting is definitely fantastic as well, with the standouts being our three leads, of course. I also give special props to Alan Rickman as the potions teacher, Severus Snape, who is just fantastic as a thoroughly unlikable yet sarcastic character, and to Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore, the wise headmaster of the school, who feels like both a mentor and a friend to Harry.

Overall, while this film doesn't have much in the way of story, I feel it makes up for that in spectacle. Most of it is very childlike and whimsical, which gives the film a lighter tone, although I will admit that there are a couple of dark moments that also work quite well in the story, not feeling out of place, despite seeming like they would. If you're looking for a fluffy and magical story, then I suggest taking a look at this film. It is quite enjoyable.

Next time, a mild mannered Hobbit named Frodo Baggins comes into the possession of a mysterious ring, and with that comes the beginning of a great journey that will test him and his future companions and friends in one of the greatest fantasy epics to ever grace the silver screen. Keep an eye out for when I review The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

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