THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
I think in some times, it can be hard to admit there is magic in all of us. And at some point, we have to embrace it to be better than we already are.
PLOT
Based on the titular JK Rowling novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (as named internationally elsewhere) or the Sorcerer's Stone (as named in India, the Philippines and the USA), the film follows the titular 11-year-old orphan who lives with his sole relatives the Dursleys (Uncle Vernon [Richard Griffiths], Aunt Petunia [Fiona Shaw] and Cousin Dudley [Harry Melling]) who are extremely cruel to him. During a trip to the zoo, Harry unknowingly summons magic of his own whereas glass from a snake paddock would briefly disappear. It is after this incident where he would get letters from a rare school called 'Hogwarts'. With his aunt and uncle knowing what kind of school it is, they choose to hide on an island to prevent him from enrolling. That plan is foiled by a half giant named Rubeus Hagrid who left Harry on the doorstep of the Dursleys after his parents died. He shows his kindness towards the boy by giving him his first birthday cake and explains that the recent turn of events come from the fact that he has the genes of a wizard just like his father James and his mother Lily who was a witch. He chooses to go with him when also discovering that Hogwarts is a school for wizardry. By the following morning, Hagrid would take him to the hidden wizarding street of Diagon Alley where he would collect requirements for his new school such as a robe and a wand. He even collects money left behind by his parents. After Hagrid surprises him with his very own a pet, an owl he'd name 'Hedwig', he asks his new friend of the man who killed his parents. Hesitant to speak his name due to the common fear shared by the Wizarding World, Hagrid that a dark wizard known as Voldemort is responsible. By the time Harry was still a baby, the dark wizard was gaining a following and chose to kill his parents. When he tried to kill the young Potter, the death curse rebounded, causing the only thing left behind was a scar on his head and Voldemort has been missing since. The wizarding world has made Potter's name famous due to how he is unexplainably the first to ever survive the death curse. It is after this conversation Hagrid drops him off to Hogwarts Express which is hidden between King's Cross. It is there where he makes new friends of Hermione Granger and Ronald, the youngest son of the Weasley family. After arriving at Hogwarts, the first year students get sorted by a live Sorting Hat to one of four houses named 'Gryffindor'. The other respective houses are Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hubblepuff. Quickly into the semester, Harry doesn't get along with Potions Professor Severus Snape but leaves such a good impression on flying a broomstick that he becomes the youngest in Hogwarts to compete in the sport of Quidditch. Despite being inexperienced and apparently having his broomstick cursed by Snape himself, he would successfully win his first game. Thankfully, Hermione would distract the professor by setting his robe on fire which broke the curse in time. During breakfast, Harry reads the news and becomes extremely curious of a vault from Gringotts bank being broken into because he and Hagrid visiting it prior to the incident. By night, he Ron and Hermione accidentally find themselves in a Forbidden Corridor and on their way out, they find a giant a three headed dog named Fluffy that's guarding something below a trap door. As for Ron and Hermione, the Weasley believes Granger to be difficult which would hurt her feelings. It is during Halloween dinner where the school gets alerted by Dark Arts Defense Professor Quirinus Quirrell of a troll on campus. With Hermione being in the bathroom crying during the alert, Harry & Ron incapacitate the troll to save her, reviving the friendship between them. When found by Quirrell, Snape and Transfiguration Professor Minerva McGonagall, they praise the students for their bravery. Noticing the limp on Snape's leg and recalling what he did during Quidditch, Harry believes the professor to be after what Fluffy is hiding. He shares his theory with Hagrid and he insists him to not worry about it because he believes Snape means well, only for him to namedrop Nicholas Flamel on accident. During winter break Harry gets his Christmas present that an invisibility cloak once belonged to James. He uses it to look over the restricted section of the library in hopes to find information of Flamel. Instead, he finds a scary screaming book. Thankfully, he leaves before being spotted by groundskeeper Argus Filch. On the way back to his bedroom, he does witness a confrontation between Snape & Quirrell. Avoiding them as well, he would then find a magical mirror called the 'Mirror of Erised' which can show the desire of one's heart. In Harry's case, it is seeing his parents. But when he shows it to Ron, he sees himself as Quidditch captain. The next day, he would encounter Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, who insisted for him to stay with his Muggle (human) relatives for his protection. The headmaster does explain how the mirror works but insists to not go looking for it again as it intends to be moved the next day. After winter break passes, Hermione shares her research on Flamel who happens to be the creator of the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone. With the stone, you have the access to drink a liquid that'll make one immortal called the 'Elixir of Life'. At night, she and the boys share their new theory with Hagrid that Snape is after the stone. He steals the wizard by claiming he's protecting it. It is after this where the kids become in awe of a newborn dragon he just purchased. The moment of joy is ruined when they are sneaking out by Slytherin student Draco Malfoy. He reports them to McGonagall, but he still joins them in detention for still breaking the same rule. As their punishment, they join Hagrid in searching for a dead unicorn in the Forbidden Forest. Splitting up, Harry and Malfoy find it first only to see its blood consumed by a hooded figure. Thankfully, Harry is protected by a centaur named Firenze before Hagrid catches up. Knowing that unicorn blood can be used for healing, Harry makes the final theory that Voldemort is weakened and drinking the blood to save himself, having Snape get to the stone. The next day, they warn McGonagall that the stone is in danger but she's assures them it'll remain protected. Not wanting to risk it being taken, the three students sneak past Fluffy in hopes to stop Snape. Before they leave, Hermione decides to briefly freeze their classmate Neville Longbottom who wanted to prevent them getting in more trouble. Once they get past the trap door, they briefly get entangled by the dangerous plant of 'Devil's Snare'. They also pass through a room full of flying keys, taking the right one that would take them to the next room. The last obstacle would be a giant game of wizard's chess. Ron would sacrifice himself and get incapacitated to ensure Harry stops Snape. Instead, he would Quirrell as the true accomplice of Voldemort. He let the troll in and tried to kill him during Quidditch but Snape was protecting him with a counter curse. With Quirrell hoping to achieve the stone from the Mirror of Erised, Harry is able to achieve it thanks to an enchantment by Dumbledore. Quirrell would then remove his turban to reveal Voldemort living on the back of his head. He requests Harry to give the stone in hopes to gain a new body and in exchange, he'll use it to revive his parents. The boy refuses when seeing through his lies. Quirrell tries to kill him but upon making contact, his body turns to dust and dies. With Voldemort having no body of a vessel, his soul would pass through Harry before leaving. Days after this incident, the young Potter would find himself recovering at the hospital. Dumbledore would keep him to date that his friends are safe and the stone will be destroyed, thus ending the immortality of the kind Flamel. He then explained to Harry that he was able to get the stone because only those who find it yet not want to use it would be able to achieve it. He lastly shares that even though Voldemort will find another way to return, he promises Harry he'll be safe due to a love based protection spell based on him thanks to his mother. During the end of school year feast, House Gryffindor would pull an upset by winning the Traditional House Cup, earning last minute points due to the bravery shown by Harry and his friends. The film would end with Harry returning to the Dursleys for the summer, happily knowing he found his home in Hogwarts.
THOUGHTS
There have been many franchises that I have been lucky enough to grow up with in my childhood and it was no exception when I say I include this one. Even though I never read the books immediately at the time of the film's release, it didn't take away the joy I felt every time I've chosen to watch it. Hearing the original score from John Williams is so satisfying to hear as it makes you get uncomfortable with the unordinary. The combination of the well-aged visual effects, distinctive makeup/costume design and well-crafted production, the Wizarding World is brought to life in the best way possible. With each shot we get of Hogwarts, you become so in awe with it that you were part of it. So in one way, Hogwarts makes school cool for the 21st century. And again thanks to the visual effects, each fictional creature is as live-like as ever. I never would've imagined seeing centaurs and three headed dogs onscreen until after seeing this. They looked so real I thought they'd come out of the screen. And I would feel this way with every other creature that would come after. I think the reason this one has held up as well as it has would be the way Director Chris Columbus and Writer Steve Kloves were able to properly express the biggest themes that help make us better people as we get older and it is done so through the iconic lead. The young Daniel Radcliffe has us love Harry from the very beginning due to how he shows the character to be humble no matter what. He lost his parents when he was a baby and got stuck being raised by relatives who didn't care like they should've and despite having moments of disappointment, he kept his head up the whole time because he knew things would get better. He may have not casted a spell in his first year, but he ended up proving to be an exceptional wizard for the sake of bravery he showed. There were many challenges he was never prepared for and he took them all head on with minimal hesitation. Half the time he saw how vulnerable he was, but it didn't matter to him because he knew wasting time to worry does not lead to success. Understanding this makes him a bigger hero than ever as he never let anything bad consume him. And that is exactly why we've adored him from this beginning to the triumphant conclusion. Although Harry may be the star, this movie was filled mixed colorful characters that would make their own impact as the franchise progressed. Rupert Grint had us enjoy the company of Ron for being a humorous kid, but ends up becoming a good friend to Harry because he becomes loyal to him once things got out of hand and by the end of it, he gained his bravery as he was willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good. He chose to be loyal because he appreciated him for not judging his background as he did the same for him. He started out rude towards Hermione because he couldn't understand. So when he chose to save her, it was clear to him that you can't judge something understand. Enter Emma Watson who also stole our hearts for making her intelligently curious. Seeing her embrace the gift of being smart not only shows her true tenacity, but also teaches us the benefit of learning more than you have to. She had the boys' back as they had hers because she saw how pure their hearts were. So seeing this trio band together to save their world as much they would throughout would only become an absolute delight. Neville was never an immediate friend towards Harry, but that never meant he didn't mean well. Despite being noticeably shy and clumsy, Matthew Lewis always showed what a big heart he had the whole time. He was willing to fight his friends just so they could avoid being in trouble. That didn't go as planned, yet you know he had good intentions. Having said that, I always enjoyed noticing him when things progressed. While Ron & Hermione grew to be Harry's best friends, that never meant they were the only ones. Robbie Coltrane makes a national treasure out of Hagrid for being warm all around. That warmth was what Harry needed and the second he told him he's a wizard, we knew our lives we're going to change as much as the boy's. You even relate to his love of wildlife since I can believe it ain't easy to buy a dragon out of thin air. Apart from being loyal to the Ministry of Magic, it mattered the most towards Harry because it proves how much he's been protecting him since he was a baby. The greatest gift people can achieve are mentors because they motivate us to be the best of ourselves and it was no secret when Harry gained one out of Dumbledore. The late Richard Harris was able to set the standard on making a respectable figure of this character for presenting him as one whose wise and calm throughout due to his positive mindset. With what we get to see from him, we know it creates the kind heart he shares to all. It may have not worked for everyone in his youth, but it mattered when it worked for Harry because they were gentle reminders to be ahead of adversity. The greatest example comes from when he insists to not go looking for the Mirror of Erised, knowing it will make him sad the more he thinks of his loss. Maggie Smith was also to make a standout appearance as McGonagall due to being the most stern of teachers. Sometimes that can be annoying for students, but she shows it can motivate them to work harder than before. And much like Dumbledore & Hagrid, being protective towards Harry shines through and through. Alan Rickman makes a big impression for making Snape the most deceptive of characters. Even though he was emotionally distant towards Harry, he knows how innocent he is and did the right thing to protect him from unknown threats. Knowing what Snape did here and what he would do for him as the franchise progressed only proves that allies can come from unexpected places. If you didn't think Snape was deceptive, then I can imagine you're thinking of Quirrell. I don't blame you for thinking that because not even I thought he was on the opposing side. If not Snape, I would've expected Filch since David Bradley made him rheumatic of a character throughout the series. Nevertheless, actor Ian Hart definitely fooled us well in having us believe Quirrell was a timid guy when he was truly a shallow figure. Hart scared us big time when originally voicing the evil mastermind that was Voldemort. Even after hearing the character's past actions, it was the voice that sealed the deal how dangerous he is. Since it was clear he would find other ways to return, it would only embark a rivalry as iconic as DC's Batman & Joker: You know how different they are from each other and you anticipate each encounter they share. Voldemort may be the main threat, but he wasn't the only issue Harry was dealing with. It’s easy to hate the Dursleys for their straightforward cruelty towards him and disowning the Wizarding World, there was something different when it came to Draco. Tom Felton showed him to be cruel due to being hungry for power. Due to his privileged upbringing in comparison to the protagonist, he definitely felt like he deserved it. And the big irony is that he’s visibly a coward unlike Potter who keeps it together no matter how afraid he could be deep down. Having said that, it makes this secondary rivalry more iconic because it’s in the genes for people to compete against one another no matter what the scenario. Last but not least, I have such gigantic satisfaction for John Hurt’s cameo as Ollivander. With only one scene, he proved to be smart enough to know how great things would come once the young Potter entered the Wizarding World. He may have not known what direction he would take, but he knew no one would forget what was gonna happen once he got his own wand. My love for this movie will remain the same it was upon the first time I saw it, but after hundreds of times happily re watching it, I can admit there are moments I find questionable to this day. For example, I understand Snape has to keep his visible distance to prevent showing his connection to Harry, but did he have to embarrass him in class? He just found out of his fame so he should've cut him some slack on the first day at least. You guys know I don't like continuity errors, so you would expect me to be extremely surprised that Ron is briefly mouthing Hermione's words during the Quidditch. It gets more obvious the more you watch it and it's weird because you can't unsee it. The same thing goes when Fluffy's drool disappears after landing on Ron's shirt. I don't mean to be too deep, but I kinda find it pointless for Hagrid to chop down the tree and bring it to the school by hand when any of the teachers could've used magic. And let's be honest, are the kids really punished if they're still hanging out with Hagrid? Yes they find a dead unicorn but if Hagrid is your friend, it doesn't feel like being in trouble exists at this point. They literally could've went to the forest with Filch and it would've been more believable of a punishment. It even is more believable for Filch to split them up instead of Hagrid. Other than that, this remains a great film in general. In conclusion, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone is a fantasy classic for bringing out the magic in all of us. If magic is really what you seek, this is the movie meant for you.
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