One of the most important things about making a great fantasy/sci-fi film is the creation of the world. That's why HARRY POTTER is so great. The world is rich and borrows a lot from various Greek myths and wizard and witch tales, but finds a way to make it feel refreshingly original.
The story begins with young Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) living under the stairs of his mean aunt and uncle's house. On a visit to the zoo, we learn that Harry has strange abilities that he does not understand. Then the owls arrive, carrying letters inviting Harry to come study at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However, his uncle Vernon (Richard Griffiths, WITHNAIL & I) wants nothing to do with all this embarrassing witches and wizards hoopla. So the family runs to the countryside, but they can't hide from magic — arriving for Harry is the kind giant Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane, FROM HELL), who takes Harry into a marvelous world that exists in the shadows of the human world.
On the train to school, Harry meets Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), a redheaded wizard who comes from a poor, but kind family, and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), a prim and proper know-it-all, whose great knowledge of the wizarding world will help Harry navigate this fantastic realm. Unknown to himself, Harry is famous in the wizard world for surviving an attack on him by the dark lord Voldemort, who lurks in an inhuman form in the Dark Forest behind the school. Harry quickly gets on the bad side of snobby bully Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) and gets into a broomstick duel with him, which leads Harry to be taken away by stern teacher and head of his house Prof. McGonagall (Maggie Smith, THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE). But when strange and dangerous events start occurring at the school, the kids begin suspecting the motivations of the unfair disciplinarian Prof. Snape (Alan Rickman, DIE HARD).
Considering that I hear the film is very true to the book then I'd have to say that the success of the film comes from that source material, as well as Steve Kloves' (THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS) adaptation. The characters are rich and not cliché, which is the most surprising thing about the film. J.K. Rowling knows kids and developed all of them with different strokes. The best thing I liked about the characters is that Harry isn't the best. We are told of his potential, but he learns that with talent also comes a need for practice if you eventually want to become great. He needs his friends and they each serve a different purpose for the story.
I could spend pages writing about the wonder of various scenes, but the wizards' game called Quidditch was the freshest and most smile-inducing scene in the entire film. It's two and a half hours, but not once did I feel that the film was dragging. I can't wait to re-visit this world and these characters in subsequent adventures.
- My opinion has changed on this one, check out my new thoughts in the Upon Further Review item.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
