Review: Harry Potter and the Philosopher/Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

'The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter.'

★★★★

Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in "Harry Potter and the Philosopher/Sorcerer's Stone (2001)"

The early 2000s were a magical, fun, and exciting time. We got so many classics such as the X-Men trilogy, Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, the Star Wars prequels, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the Harry Potter films. In 2001, we got two big films: Harry Potter and the Philosopher/Sorcerer's Stone and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The two biggest fantasy novels were finally being adapted for the big screen. Warner Brothers had gotten the rights to the Harry Potter books from author J.K. Rowling, who was originally hesitant about adapting the books. Shortly after, Chris Columbus, the director of Home Alone and Mrs. Doubtfire, was selected to direct the film. Prior to taking the position, Columbus was a big fan of the books; his kids introduced the Boy Who Lived to him, and he loved it. When he heard that WB would be adapting the books into movies, he wanted the job. Before his meeting with WB, he sat down, read the book, and wrote his own screenplay with notes on how he wanted to adapt each scene. WB saw how much Chris loved the book, so he was hired. Rowling, on the other hand, was initially not too keen on having Columbus on board, but when he promised her that he would cast all British actors, she became comfortable trusting him with her creation.

The story follows Harry Potter, a young boy who discovers on his 11th birthday that he is a wizard. He is invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At Hogwarts, Harry makes friends with Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). They uncover the mystery of the Philosopher's Stone, a magical artifact that grants immortality. Along the way, they face various challenges, including a three-headed dog, magical chess, and ultimately a confrontation with Professor Quirrell (Ian Hart), who is possessed by the dark wizard Voldemort (Richard Bremmer). The film ends with Harry preventing Voldemort from obtaining the Stone, which is then destroyed to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.

The film follows the book closely, despite some cut scenes. The opening scene, for example, is the perfect introduction to the film. Instead of showing us the perspective of Mr. Vernon Dursley (Richard Griffiths), it cuts to the night Albus Dumbledore (Richard Harris) places Harry on the Dursleys' doorstep after his parents were murdered. The scene is beautifully made and introduces us to what kind of movie we're getting into. Even if you haven't read the books or know nothing about them or the overall story, it provides a lot of information in a short amount of time. Another thing this movie excels in is the casting. Chris Columbus did an excellent job casting the kids and the adults, making it hard to imagine anyone else playing the characters.

When comparing this to "The Fellowship of the Ring," people often prefer the action, excitement, and adventure in that film. Here, not a lot of people liked Chris Columbus' approach to this film. They weren't big fans of the storytelling and how it focused less on action. This and "Chamber of Secrets" are underrated in that aspect. This may or may not sound like a hot take, but the first two Harry Potter films are better adaptations than the "Lord of the Rings" films. Whether you agree or disagree is completely up to you. I prefer my adaptations to be almost exact to the book.

But I digress, this film is an absolute classic and one of the best films I've ever seen; a complete triumph. For the first entry in the series, this film does a remarkable job. Watching it felt like a magical roller-coaster ride. Chris Columbus does an outstanding job bringing the Harry Potter books to life. In fact, the first three adapted the books perfectly, especially the first two directed by Chris Columbus. According to producer David Hayman, Chris Columbus always had the book with him. He wanted to make sure to adapt everything as much as he could. That's the kind of director you need to adapt a book series. Plus, this movie also had direct input from J.K. Rowling, which also helped.