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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Widescreen Edition) DVD
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Rating: - A MARVELOUS BEGINNING
For a lot of reasons, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is probably a tempting movie to criticize. After all, there is almost nothing a critic hates more than a film that is practically - baring some unforgivable act of gross incompetence - a guaranteed success, despite anything he or she might happen to write about it.

At any rate, while some may quibble with the notion that Sorcerer's Stone is too much like the book that inspired it, the upside for moviegoers is that neither Rowling nor director Christopher Columbus have forgotten the film's primary audience: young readers between the ages of 12 - 16. For those whose parents read the book to them, the age may actually drop a bit below that.

For the most part, as every parent knows, it is an audience frequently patronized with the worst sort of infantile pap imaginable, sometimes inundated with coarse language and gratuitous violence, or simply ignored altogether. Columbus, to his credit, does none of the above. In remaining true to his audience, Columbus has, in fact, delivered a film for all of us.

It is obvious Columbus knows, for instance, that a young audience wants to see on the screen what it read in the book. In pursuit of this goal, Columbus and screenwriter Steve Kloves have fashioned characters and settings true to the letter and the spirit of the novel. The characters, especially, strike just the right chord of familiarity. Certainly, we all know that familiarity can wander over the line into disinterested comfort. Remarkably, the characters in Sorcerer's Stone never do. Robbie Coltrane's Hagrid, for instance, looks just as we expect him to. More important, he radiates a warmth and trust that serves as a secure anchor in those moments when events seem to be spinning out of control. As good as Hagrid is in the book, Coltrane's Hagrid is more vivid on the screen.

Which brings us to the performance of Daniel Radcliffe in the role of Harry Potter. At first glance, Radcliffe seems reticent and withdrawn, hidden behind a gauze curtain, an uncertain hero. Yet we cannot forget that Harry Potter is an eleven year-old orphan whose parents have been murdered. He is a foundling whose caretakers resent his existence and actively disapprove of everything he is and, worse, in their own eyes, everything he will become. He is forced to sleep in a closet under the stairs and absorb a constant stream of verbal and physical abuse from his malevolent aunt and uncle and their overindulged son, Dudley.

Yes, of course Harry is withdrawn. Small wonder. Or, as my daughter would say, "Duh!"

In fact, Radcliffe's performance is entirely consistent with Harry's history and upbringing, and Columbus has wisely ensured that, as the chronicle of films progresses, the character of Harry has somewhere to go. There are, after all, six movies still to come. Columbus has clearly determined that, unlike some other celluloid heroes of recent memory (Indiana Jones springs to mind), the character of Harry Potter should have some room to develop, otherwise both the young wizard and his friends would grow quickly stagnant.

Another notable attribute of the film is that the atmosphere and setting, through the more subtle elements of special effects, are beautifully realized. As the first-years are journeying across the lake, their - and our - first view of Hogwarts Castle is absolutely breathtaking, a spectacular, gothic memory from a medieval dream. Inside the castle are stairways that move, pictures that talk and go about their daily routines, and a splendid dining hall that evokes the grandeur of a cathedral. When the Sorting Hat pronounces "GRIFFINDORE" on this opulent stage, Harry's adventures officially begin.

Yes, the adventure has its obvious, special effects masterpieces. The Quidditch match is a high-flying, fast-paced extravaganza of soccer, polo, and basketball on broomsticks. The chess match is the high point of the film. At the same time, there are special effects so well done that they don't draw attention to themselves. The messenger owls flying gracefully into the dining hall to deliver envelopes and parcels is a brief, finely structured, aerial ballet that is easy to take for granted because we are momentarily suspended in the world of Hogwarts and have willingly cast aside our powers of disbelief. When Hedwig flies above Hogwarts Castle, our spirits and our sense of wonder soar with him. It is an impressive accomplishment.

Because it is true to itself and never panders to its audience, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is both exciting and entertaining, an escape to a world where magical things can still happen. It is, in short, a film for the child in all of us.