Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Review

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Release Date: 29th November 2001 - Australia

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures

1492 Pictures

Heyday Films

Distribution
Roadshow Films

Genre: Fantasy/Family

Rating: PG

Runtime: 152 minutes

Budget: $125,000,000

Box Office Gross: $1,026,407,721 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Harry Potter is a young boy who often receives mistreatment by his uncle and aunt because of his magical heritage. On his 11th birthday, he is whisked away from his mundane existence by a giant, Hagrid, who tells him that he is a wizard and accepted by Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

His journey starts in the

wizarding world as a student

at Hogwarts with new

friends like Ron Weasley

and Hermione Granger. But

not everything is quiet at

Hogwarts when Harry and

his friends learn something

valuable is hidden inside

the school while someone

is planning to steal it.

Cast

Daniel Radcliffe - Harry Potter

Emma Watson - Hermione

Granger

Rupert Grint - Ron Weasley

Robbie Coltrane - Rubeus

Hagrid

Richard Harris - Albus
Dumbledore

Maggie Smith - Minerva
McGonagall

Alan Rickman - Severus Snape

Ian Hart - Professor Quirrell/
Lord Voldemort (Voice)

Tom Felton - Draco Malfoy
Richard Griffiths - Vernon

Dursley
Fiona Shaw - Petunia Dursley
Harry Melling - Dudley Dursley
John Hurt - Ollivander
Zoe Wanamaker - Madame Hooch
Warwick Davis - Filius Fitwick/Goblin Bank Teller/

Griphook (Voice)

David Bradley - Argus Filch
Matthew Lewis - Neville Longbottom
John Cleese - Nearly Headless

Nick

Terence Bayler - The Bloody

Baron

Simon Fisher-Becker - Fat Friar

Nina Young - The Grey Lady
Leslie Phillips - The Sorting Hat (Voice)
Julie Walters - Molly Weasley
Bonnie Wright - Ginny Weasley
James & Oliver Phelps - Fred
& George Weasley
Richard Bremmer - Lord
Voldemort

Sean Biggerstaff - Oliver Wood

Devon Murray - Seamus Finnigan

Chris Rankin - Percy Weasley

Jamie Waylett - Vincent Crabbe

Joshua Herdman - Gregory Goyle

Adrian Rawlins - James Potter

Geraldine Somerville - Lily Potter

Saunders Triplets - Baby Harry
Potter

Ray Fearon - Firenze (Voice)

Verne Troyer - Griphook

Luke Youngblood - Lee Jordan

Elizabeth Spriggs - Fat Lady

Danelle Tabor - Angelina Johnson

Leilah Sutherland - Alicia Spinnet

Emily Dale - Katie Bell

David Holmes - Adrian Pucey

Will Theakston - Marcus Flint

Scot Fearn - Terence Higgs

Eleanor Columbus - Susan Bones

Derek Deadman - Bartender in

Leaky Cauldron

Ben Borowiecki - Diagon Alley Boy

Harry Taylor - Station Guard

Jean Southern - Dimped Woman on

Train

Crew

Executive Producer/Director - Chris Columbus

Based on the Book "Harry Potter and

the Philosopher's Stone" - J. K. Rowling

Screenplay - Steve Kloves

Associate Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Todd Arnow
Executive Producers - Michael Barnathan

and Mark Radcliffe
Executive Producer/Additional First Assistant

Director - Duncan Henderson

Producer - David Heyman
Co-Producer - Tanya Seghatchian

Casting Directors - Karen Lindsay-Stewart,

Susie Figgis, Janet Hirshenson and Jane Jenkins

Head Animal Trainers - Larry Madrid,

David Sousa and Julie Tottman

Animal Coordinator - Gary Gero

Production Designer - Stuart Craig

Creature Designers - Rob Bliss and

Paul Catling

Supervising Art Directors - John King and
Neil Lamont

Art Directors - Andrew Ackland-Snow,

Peter Francis, Michael & Simon Lamont,

Steven Lawrence, Lucinda Thomson and

Cliff Robinson (Uncredited)

Scenic Art Director - Steven Sallybanks

Assistant Art Directors - Dominic Masters,

Stephen Morahan and Gary Tomkins
Set Decorator - Stephenie McMillan

Assistant Set Decorators - Jo Graysmark

and Lee Sandales

Property Master - Barry Wilkinson

Assistant Property Master - Jamie Wilkinson

Supervising Modeller - Pierre Bohanna
Costume Designer - Judianna Makovsky

Costume Supervisor - Graham Churchyard

Assistant Costume Designers -

Rosemary Burrows and Colleen Kelsall

Creature & Special Makeup Effects -
Nick Dudman

Makeup Designer - Amanda Knight

Key Prosthetic Makeup Artist - Mark Coulier

Hair Designer - Eithne Fennel
Director of Photography - John Seale

Camera Pilot - Marc Wolff

Unit Production Manager: Second Unit -

R.J. Mino

First Assistant Director - Chris Carreras

First Assistant Directors: Second Unit -

Jamie Christopher and Josh Robertson

Second Assistant Director - Michael Stevenson

Co-Second Assistant Director - Fiona Richards

Location Manager - Keith Hatcher

Second Unit Director - David R. Ellis

Second Unit Director/Visual Effects Supervisor -
Robert Legato

Stunt Coordinator - Greg Powell

Diving Coordinator - Dave Shaw

Special Effects Supervisor - John Richardson

Project Supervisor: Jim Henson's Creature

Shop - Jamie Courtier

Head of Creatures Design: Jim Henson's

Creature Shop - Sharon Smith

Key Animatronic Model Designers - Paul Spateri,

Chris Barton, Gary Pollard and Astrig Akseralian

Motion Base Supervisor: Jim Henson's

Creature Shop - Verner Gresty

Visual Effects Supervisor - Nick Davis
Visual Effects Supervisor: SPI - Jim Berney
Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Roger Guyett

Visual Effects Supervisor: Mill Film - Karl Mooney

Visual Effects Supervisor: Rhythm & Hues -

Richard E. Hollander

Head of Production: MPC - Michael Elson
Associate Visual Effects Supervisor - Michael Kanfer

Digital Visual Effects Supervisor: CFC -

Robert Duncan
Visual Effects Producers - Karen M. Murphy

and Cari Thomas
Visual Effects & Animation Producer: ILM -

Denise Ream

Senior Modellers: Motion Control and Model

Unit - Terry Bridle and Brian Smithies
Animation Supervisor: ILM - David Andrews

Animation Supervisor: SPI - Eric Armstrong

Computer Graphics Supervisor: ILM -

Gerald Gutschmidt

CGI Animation Supervisor: MPC - Chas Jarrett

CG Supervisors: SPI - Mark Lambert,

Seth Maury, David Alexander Smith and

Peter G. Travers

CG Supervisor: Mill Film - David Lomax

Creature Supervisor: ILM - Paul Giacoppo

Lead Technical Director: MPC - Peter Muyzers

CG Sequence Supervisor: ILM - Hilmar Koch

3D Motion Control Previs Supervisor: Motion

Control & Model Unit - Chris Shaw

Compositing Supervisor: Mill Film -

Simon Stanley-Clamp

Digital Paint & Roto Lead: ILM - Beth D'Amato

Film Editor - Richard Francis-Bruce

Supervising Sound Editor - Eddy Joseph

Sound Effects Editor - Martin Cantwell

Sound Mixer - John Midgley

Re-Recording Mixers - Adam &

Graham Daniel and Ray Merrin

Music - John Williams

Supervising Music Editor - Kenneth Wannberg


Awards

2002 Academy Awards
Best Art Direction - Stuart Craig and

Stephenie McMillan (Nominated)
Best Costume Design - Judianna Makovsky (Nominated)
Best Music, Original Score - John Williams (Nominated)

Review
I haven't reviewed any Harry Potter films except for the last two. THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE, known to Americans as The Sorcerer's Stone, was great to start the series of all eight films but not one of the best first instalments. I'm sure it's nostalgic, and it has given a lot of good charm and value to a Muggle who hasn't seen the movies, especially the first two. But there's more to say about the film's ingenious aspects, like Chris Columbus' direction, as he brings joy and innocence to his first two features.

Before they reached maturity and adulthood, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson first played Harry, Ron and Hermione when these actors were very young. At their age, they haven't done anything like this before. And that goes to show that Columbus had perfectly turned these children into future superstars. For the grown actors portraying the Hogwarts staff, Alan Rickman captures his moody essence as Snape. And as for Robbie Coltrane, he is good for just being Hagrid and is already the first actor cast in the ensemble. With the accent and gentle nature of the character, he knows how to capture it perfectly. The best actor in this picture would be the late Richard Harris for his original portrayal of the all-wise and powerful Dumbledore. It was tragic when we learned of Richard's passing, and Michael Gambon would later inherit the character from the late actor in the following six chapters.

THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE introduces the world and characters of the books to the big screen. This classic movie is still worth watching, even to the non-readers of the book series.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

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