Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Released 16th November 2001, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone follows a young boy who receives a letter to go to Hogwarts - a school for witchcraft and wizardry. As one of the most iconic fantasy franchises, the narrative utilises the fantastical concepts from J.K. Rowling’s books and engrosses the film in them hence establishing the Wizarding World which continues to expand 20 years later as I am writing this review. Even besides its genre conventions however, the film also manages to entice it’s audience with the themes of family / belonging, adventure and power amongst it’s characters and the activities they find themselves in. Starting with Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe gives a solid performance which acts as the foundation of his characterisation through the rest of the franchise.

That said, as a child actor, he has moments of weakness with his performance: this comment is applicable to Rupert Grint as Harry’s best friend Ron Weasley, Tom Felton as Harry’s rival Draco Malfoy and most of the other youthful actors. The only notable exception with the younger cast is Emma Watson as the boastful yet intuitive Hermione Granger with Watson seemingly never skipping a performance beat. Besides Felton’s Malfoy, there are several other antagonists who give decent performances as obstacles to Harry. Alan Rickman and David Bradley do fairly well as Hogwarts staff Severus Snape and Argus Filch whereas Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw and Harry Melling operate as Harry’s spiteful (and hyperbolic) family. The true standouts of the film are Robbie Coltrane and Richard Harris as Hagrid the Giant and Albus Dumbledore as Harry’s father figures in Hogwarts; both actors apply a gentle tone to their vocalisation and physicalisation which makes them wholesome and likeable.

Similarly, Maggie Smith gives a memorable performance as Minerva McGonagall who can be as gentle as Hagrid and Dumbledore, however, she also implements a harsh demeanour where necessary which provides some naturally comical moments. As for the technical elements, the CGI effects are significantly dated by today’s standards as the product of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace’s VFX revolution and the sudden quantity of computer effects in films. Unfortunately, the same can also be said for the practical effects which are extremely noticeable and subsequently distracting from the narrative. However, I would be doing a disservice if I did not attract attention to John Williams’ whimsical, intimate and (in a word) magical score which elevates the film beyond the soaring Quidditch sticks and consolidates it as a classic. And at the end of the day, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a classic as a staple of fantasy and family-fun adventure which is has arguably not been achieved by any franchise since.