HP is a Wonderful Cinematic Experience
By Yahoo! Shopping User Oct 6, 2006
Pros: Follows the book closely
Cons: It's the movie, not the book!
Harry Potter is an abused child who suddenly finds he is heir to a wondrous fortune - not in money, but in his invitation to escape his misery by attending the most famous magic school in the world. Hogwarts School is a great relief for Harry. He mak...es friends of adults and peers, learns the ethics of using his incredible talent, and learns that among persons of magic he is famous and respected, even at the tender age of eleven. Fame and respect come at an enormous cost, though: the lives of his parents and the permanent scar on Harry's forehead. Enemies lurk all around Harry. Snape, the potions teacher, appears to be the living manifestation of nastiness. Draco Malfoy, snob, rich kid, is Harry's enemy from their first meeting. Harry's nemesis, though, is He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Voldemort is the great evil wizard who killed Harry's parents, and who was nearly destroyed by baby Harry in the process. His reappearance in the wizarding world coincides with Harry's matriculation at Hogwarts. Voldemort is an invisible enemy who is always present. He is terrifying, vindictive, and apparently single-minded in his efforts to destroy Harry completely. Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione make it their goal to prevent any harm to anyone by Voldemort and his minions, while dodging the immediate threat of Malfoy and his minions. Their efforts result in a number of broken school rules, use of their newly-acquired magical abilities in creative ways, and, of course, a battle for the school title against Malfoy's dorm and a battle to the death against Voldemort. Bad guys do nasty magic in this movie. Before the Religious Right gets bent out of shape about it, they should know that more important are the good guys who use that magical talent for only good things: to heal injuries, to right wrongs, to defend their friends. Children are not meant to believe HP is a true story. It is a made-up story full of make-believe people with make-believe abilities. Don't worry: Nobody really gets hurt in the movies. Sometimes they get really big ouchies, though. HP is full of suspense, excitement, thrills, and adventure. But never fear! The school nurse can painlessly cure anything from multiple broken bones to major head injuries in practically no time at all. The movie hit most of the highlights of the book and the story line was very cohesive. The only thing missing is the development of Harry & Ron's friend Neville. There is a little at the beginning of the Hogwarts segment about him and his pet frog, but the interplay that causes him to try to stop the three main heroes from going after the Sorcerer's Stone is sadly missing. Those who haven't read the book just don't get why Neville bothers to take it upon himself to try to stop Harry and his two best friends from their last effort to protect the Sorcerer's stone from Voldemort. The actors chosen to play each of the parts were perfect. Snape is truly wicked and makes a fabulous villan. The Defense Against Dark Arts teacher, Quirrell, is deceptively silly and nice, and brutally evil. Dumbledore is wonderfully wise and his eyes sparkle just as they should. Hagrid is exactly the way he should be - fun, protective, fascinating, kind, gruff, innocent yet knowledgeable about so many things. I cried during Harry's performance before the Mirror of Frised. (No, fellas, this is NOT a "chick flick.") I do not recommend this DVD for children under seven. The suspense may be too much for them, and some of the scary characters may be too frightening. Everyone else including teenagers and adults, will find the movie spellbinding. Read more Less
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