Rating: 
Summary: Fans of the book will find much to love.
Review: I really wish I could give this four and a half, because the movie is of course not totally perfect. Some things are glossed over a bit (the Weasley twins don't get up to any mischief, Peeves is absent, Hedwig and Mrs. Norris are never named), but in general the film does an amazing job condensing and adapting the book into movie format. The casting is excellent also, especially Alan Rickman, who seems to have been put on this earth to play Professor Snape. I remember seeing him in the trailer for three seconds and gaping because he just oozed Snape-ness. Visually, it's also great - the confrontation with the troll and the Quidditch match being two fine examples. I love seeing movies with great special effects that aren't using them as a crutch! John Williams' score is amazing as always, giving a very magical/haunting feel to every scene, and I especially loved the movie's portrayal of Harry as a lonely orphan longing for the parents he's never met. It was touching without shoving it down our throats. Can't wait for Chamber of Secrets!
Rating: 
Summary: i want to be parvatie patil
Review: I have been anticcipating the movies arrival in theaters for two years now. I waited in line for two hours to see the movie and I was impressed by the special effects and the acting. However, I definetly feel that the director cut out way to many parts. For example, The sorting hat didn't even sing the song! and in the book it was supposed to be Harry,Hermione,neveile,and Malfoy who recieved the detention. Ron was supposed to be up in the hospital wing because he had recived a bite from norbert and it had turned a nasty shade of green.PLus, no one knew about the dragon in the book besides Harry, Hagrid, ron, hermione, and Malfoy. It was Harry and Hermione who were sending Norbert up to the tallest astronomy tower to give norbert to charlie's friends. (...)
Rating: 
Summary: movies are never better than the book....
Review: I actually did not have high expectations for the movie, because I knew it can never be better than the book. Nevertheless, I was right. First, Daniel Radcliffe CANNOT act at all. His acting was far too low-standard to play Harry Potter. I thought Hermione was played the best among the three. Second, all the characters were very weakly portrayed in the movie. Although it's understandable that a movie cannot describe all the details as in the book, people who have never read the book will think the characters are very simple. I wished it had focused more on the characters rather than the "magical" parts. Third, for those who haven't read the book, it was hard to follow the story. Scenes did not have a sense of connection with each other and it felt like chunks of bits and pieces. Fourth, although Columbus stressed that he was "being faithful to the book", there were quite a few changes in the story which I suppose is understandable.
Overall, I enjoyed the special effects, especially the quidditch scene, but the movie did a poor job in reflecting the depth of the characters which plays a significant role in the book. The movie focuses too much on getting people's attention with their Hollywood special effects rather than the story itself. Also, they could have done a much better job in the whole structure of the movie. And lastly, we won't be able to see the real Harry Potter until they get a new actor to play that role.
Rating:
Summary: Lovely to look at, but lacking in substance....
Review: As many of the readers here, I have read and re-read the books with relish and an ever-growing appreciation of the mastery of nuance incorporated into these stories by J.K. Rowling. However, heart and depth of empathy is missing in this film adaptation. We never get inside our characters' motivations. The protagonists are never truly allowed to develop. Columbus, although he had the power to command the option to direct, has never had the talent required to do so. Visually the film is engaging and I enjoyed seeing the castle, although some rough mechanical props marred several special effects. See the film by all means and then return to the written 'world' to remember why you have loved these stories so dearly.
Rating:
Summary: MAGNIFICENT
Review: When I first heard news of the movie I was a bit upset. It was such a good book I didn't want the movie to spoil it. But, when I saw the awesome cast and heard how Columbus made it extremly faithful to the book I decided to go see it. I went to see it the day it opened. (I bought the soundtrack a week before, which I do recommend) The music was amazing (thumbs up for John Williams!) Daniel was just perfect for Potter, mature, sweet, kind, brave. Emma was cute and Rupert made me laugh. Costume was great. Its a really cool movie that I hope a lot of people enjoy. (...)
Rating: 
Summary: FIRE THEM!!!
Review: Off to a good tone, aren't we? But hey, the movie was a little below Average. Chris Columbus obviously cared nothing about what made the books interesting which was the emotional depth each character had. In this movie, the characters are blank walls, and he gives them way too much time to show their blank walls. Wait, why am I using the plural? It was one blank wall in the movie, just one, and unfourtenetly, it was the lead actor. Daniel Radcliffe cannot act worth...well, make up your own word. I didn't care for Harry, litterally. In the books, when something bad happens to Harry, I'm like "Aww, come on, go fight evil." But in the movie I'm like 'Yes! Get Killed!" Daniel had three expressions through the entire movie. He was smiling, gasping, or frowning. When he is told he's a wizard, he just stands there. I believe this is totally different then the book, plus, when Hagrid bursts through the door, he's not afraid. He...spoiler!...gasps. The Quidditch scene looked so incredibly fake that i was dissapointed. This was the scene I wanted to see because of the hype, but nothing lives up to the hype. It was like watching computer graphics that were obivously Computer Graphics. Same with the troll. He looked like Shrek, only blue and bigger. The supporting cast saved the movie from 1 star. If Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, and Richard Harris recieve no Oscar Nomination for thier roles, I will be most displeased. I still think Alan Rickman should win Best Supporting Actor. He's the perfect Snape, and the same goes for Maggie Smith and Richard Harris. They couldn't have gotten better actors. Comlubus pulls a no-no. One of the biggest cliches in Movie History. He pulled a Star Wars. Lets look at the line: Voldemort: Join me, harry, and together we can bring back your parents Okay:
a.) JK Rowling is to original to EVER do that in her book
b.) Voldemort wants Harry dead. He will probably not want to have him join him, regardless Stupid things, too, made this an unejoyably movie for me:
1. Many scenes got cut from the book. But they cut the wrong scenes, and they left the wrong scenes in the movie
2. Where is Peeves?
3. The Sorting Hat Doesn't sing
4. Snapes and Quirrel's challenge are nowhere to be seen, even though Hagrid mentions them. Clearly, ten precious minutes couldn't be added
5. Seamus is the Neville. He constantly messes his spells up. Now, why couldn't Columbus have just kept it that Neville was the person who constantly messed up? I can't give this a thumbs down because of the supporting cast, and I can't give it thumbs up because of Daniel Radcliffe (To whom I say go shove your head in the Books again, buddy boy). Columbus needs to be sacked, and Daniel needs to be tutored by An acting Coach and Rowling herself. And to the parents of the Anti-harry potter group, shut up. These books contain witchcraft, yes, but I can't count the number of times I've gone out in my backyard, picked up a stick and said "Stupefy' And my dog gets stunned. Only stupid kids would truly believe this is real, and as for the violence, it is fantasy violence. It is used with wands, things that cannot hurt anyone BECAUSE THEY DON'T EXIST. You need to go get a life, because these books are not conveying as sense of violence to kids. Maybe you should go check your childs room, because I'm willing to bet that 3/4's of the kids whose parents are Anti-harry potter have read at least one of the books. To keep your children away from such wonderful books is almost blasphmous I will go see the second movie, but if it too ends up like the first, I will stick the books
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Movie
Review: I went to see the new Harry Potter movie, worrying that the media had TOTALLY blown the movie out of proportion...However, that was THE best "book-that-became-a-movie" I have ever seen! I actually found myself clinging to my best bud (sorry heather!) when the "3 musketeers" stumbled upon Fluffy's hidden room. To those who have yet to read the book: don't worry...You can almost follow along. It's so sad Mr. Columbus had to cut the original 4 hour movie down to a mere 2 hours, 40 minutes. Wonderful casting, effects, etc. And to the man (woman) who said the editing totally left "dead-end scenes": it's spelled "Quidditch", not "Quillage".
Rating:
Summary: Can you say "EXCELLENT"?!
Review: WoW! This movie is amazing! It is well thought out, and I do think everyone should see it. However, a lot of parts from the book weren't put into the movie, but it's ok, because it all comes together at the end. And because it would be 24 hours long! Even if you didn't read the book, you could figure out what was the point, and what was going on. For Harry Potter fans, like me, it was...I'm lost in words...it was magnificent, wonderful, excellent, well you get the picture. Go see the movie!
Rating:
Summary: PURE MAGIC!!
Review: This was a fabulous movie. It was very true to the heart of the book, although my daughter and I were able to quickly pick out the differences from the book; they do not take away from the appeal of the film. Perfectly suitable for younger children familiar with the books (althoungh there are a few moments near the end that might be too creepy visually). We loved this movie and can't wait to see the next movie in the series.
Rating:
Summary: very very good
Review: i loved this movie. many of the special effects were awesome (especially the bricks entering diagon alley -- coolest thing i've seen on screen since the matrix). very fun and enjoyable. however, i wish it hadn't been made ultimately, because it's genuinely scarred my visual images for the book. before, i had a weird imagined world of some animated, some live action characters (ron actually switched between those two) that thrived in my mind with perfect consistency as i read. i'm trying to recover that now by re-reading the books for the first time in a year. however, this doesn't factor in to my review, as the review is intended to express my opinion of the quality of the movie. excellent. go with friends. awesome. moments that, somehow, bizarrely, made me remember why i loved the books (possible minor spoilers) : 1. (i know i had a first one, but i forget it)
2. harry discovering that his dad had been a seeker before (it was about two random seconds, and i don't even know if this was explicitly in the book as an event so much as a fact, but in the movie, it somehow made me remember why loved the books.)
3. professor quirrel coming in and shouting that there was a troll in the dungeon. i don't know how it happened, but when i saw these, i thought "wow, i really love these books."
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