Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

• As the first movie in the Harry Potter franchise, it starts them off extremely strong. In fact, it’s one of the best Harry Potter movies in my mind. As a huge Potterhead, I was over the moon to be able to watch this for the first time, having read the book series seven times. It perfectly encapsulates the magical world of Harry Potter. I’d say it’s probably the best movie out of all of them in terms of presenting the community and magic of Harry Potter. It provides plenty of serious moments, although still being for kids. It can be enjoyed by everyone of all ages. I remember after seeing this, I was very convinced that I was gonna get my Hogwarts letter. I mean, I’m nearly 20, and I’m still waiting for it. The movie does a great job of capturing many details from the first book, although of course, if you fit in everything, it would be an 8 hour movie (which I wouldn’t object to). Like I said, it perfectly captures the magic of the entire Harry Potter franchise. All the characters are super fun to watch, even the ones you may dislike. The casting is literally perfect. Daniel Radcliffe will always be Harry, just like Rupert Grint will always be Ron, and Emma Watson will always be Hermione. No one will ever replace them. And of course, you get other British acting legends like Alan Rickman and Dame Maggie Smith. One itty bitty concern about the movie is the CGI. For the most part, it’s really good. However, there are definitely some parts where it’s evident this movie was made in 2001. John Williams also came forward and wrote one of the greatest scores for any fantasy movie ever. Overall, this movie is close to perfect, and I enjoy it more and more each time. Even if you’ve never read the books, I’d highly recommend this one to all magic/fantasy fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go check it out now!