Synopsis: Whilst in his first year as a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Harry Potter begins to notice that something strange and dangerous is going on, his investigations lead both him and his best friends Ron and Hermione into terrible danger and face to face with the evil wizard who murdered Harry’s parents.

Description: Harry James Potter, a young orphaned boy, has always been an outcast both at home and at school; upon turning eleven however he discovers he has magical powers and is in fact a famous and heroic person in the secret world of witches and wizards.

Review: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the first feature film adaptation of the original book in the series written by British writer J.K Rowling. Its cast is made up largely of unknown child actors, although those playing the adult roles include some of the crème de la crème of current British talent.

It is a fantastically imaginative and innovative movie that attempts to stick as closely to the original text as possible. Upon its initial release many fans expected very little from the movie, yet it has only fuelled the fantastical fire that surrounds the series.The adult cast is exceptional, notably the roles of Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape and Rubius Hagrid, whilst the talents of the children are quite raw and their performances are, at times, annoyingly grating. The strength of the story is, however, still very strong, and the movie follows closely to the original text; most notably in it’s portrayal of the key characters and their personal relationships.

The script is excellent, as it was taken largely from the book, and is at times highly emotive, extremely comical and surprisingly dramatic. The story strikes a perfect balance for younger audiences, hinting at darker undertones and upsetting events without delving too deeply into them, as such some older viewers may find the piece a little slow moving but the action and the depiction of the wonderful but secret magical world help to take the edge of. Overall the film is an impressive stand alone piece; the narrative and performances being strong enough that viewers loose little of the charm of the books, however those who love the books will struggle not to compare them.