Daniel Radcliffe in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."

MOVIE INFORMATION

With 10 as a must-see, Jack gives this film a: Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Maggie Smith and Richard Harris Director: Chris Columbus Rated: PG, with mild language and dark moments that may be too intense for preschoolers Length: 153 minutes Link: Viewer reactions & glossary

ROCHESTERCRITIQUE

Having seen this film, how would you rate it? 10 5 9 4 8 3 7 2 6 1

By Jack Garner
Democrat and Chronicle

(November 16, 2001) -- There's magic galore in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone -- even a Muggle like me can see it. The most eagerly anticipated movie adaptation of a novel since Gone With the Wind is a rousing success.

This film about an abused English orphan who discovers he's a wizard has it all:

• Fine performances by the actors, young and old alike.
• A beautifully realized Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as well as other settings.
• Elaborate special effects that bring life to moving staircases, a giant three-headed dog, life-and-death chess games and, most wonderfully, a midair match of the flying game Quidditch.

More important, the filmmakers maintain the Potter spirit: the tricky combination of childhood innocence, fantasy wish-fulfillment, whimsical humor and ominous dread. They maintain that spirit over two and a half hours -- an extraordinary length for a film designed in large part for younger viewers.

Newcomer Daniel Radcliffe stars as the quiet, sweet but resourceful Harry Potter. After the death of his parents, he's raised by his uncle and aunt, the cruel and stupid Dursleys, who keep him in a tiny closet under the stairs.

Though the Dursleys have routinely ignored the boy's birthday, Harry's 11th becomes something special: He gets an invitation to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

It seems he's a wizard -- the sole survivor of a magical family destroyed by the most evil of all wizards, He Who Must Not Be Named. Harry will learn wizardry, because he will one day have to confront the evil one.

At Hogwarts, Harry makes the first great friends of his life -- the enthusiastic Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), a girl whose loyalty and good sense help counter her tendency to be a know-it-all.

All three child actors are well cast. Daniel has a gentle sweetness that helps us feel Harry's pain, wonder and joy. Emma is a lovely, effervescent child with just the right degree of spunk; and Rupert brings comic relief as the eager but not-quite-as-bright Ron.

Helping guide Harry through his first year at Hogwarts are adults played by the cream of English actors. They include the wise headmaster, Albus Dumbledore (Richard Harris), the no-nonsense Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith), the haughty and frightening potions professor, Snape (Alan Rickman at his spookiest), and the stuttering Professor Quirrell (Ian Hart).

Harry's favorite, though, is the bearded giant Hagrid, who functions as the school's combination handyman and security guard. Though a bit dim, he has a grand heart and is fiercely loyal to Hogwarts and to Harry. As Hagrid, Robbie Coltrane contributes the funniest, most memorable and endearing performance among the first-class adult actors in the cast.

Over the course of the school year, Harry learns about casting spells, making potions, flying on his Nimbus 2000 broom and playing Quidditch, a combination of soccer, basketball and keep-away played by youngsters zooming along on brooms.

But looming over Harry -- as surely as the scar on his forehead -- is the shadow of He Who Must Not Be Named, the evil wizard who killed his parents.

Working with a screenplay by Steve Kloves that's incredibly loyal to J.K. Rowling's novel, director Chris Columbus makes the magic happen.

All told, the film propels the filmmaker into rarefied Spielberg and Lucas territory. The Sorcerer's Stone is the first of what will almost certainly be the most popular series of fantasy films since Star Wars.