Harry Potter turns 11 and discovers that he is a wizard after living a lifetime of neglect with a family of Muggles (non wizards).

Harry gets to study at Hogwarts and discovers he is famous (as a baby, he once almost destroyed evil Voldemort (he who should not be named)).

Movie follows Harry's first year at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"The most evil man in the world having to walk backwards all the while? No wonder he is so fed up!"

"How does the most evil man in the world do a poo? Thank goodness we are never told, it sounds horribly messy."

"Great story, except the child actors are a little too precocious for my liking. Couldn't they have used fully grown actors with very young make up?"

"...Nonsense. The child actors are wonderful, and so cheap. Grown up actors would have demanded considerably more than the pittance we paid the actors in the first movie. Sadly, the next one may not be so cheap however." (Studio Executive)

"It just struck me as a waste of magic, all those flying pumpkins and all. Don't they know there's a wizard recession on?"

"It reminded one of all those school moments. Was the Troll in the toilets a metaphor of times of constipation past? You know, I think it was."

"An invisibility cloak is what I always wanted. It will become invaluable in later episodes me thinks, and such a simple special effect to boot! Bravo! "

Weird and wonderful things are happening at mysterious school for wizards, Hogwarts.

It seems that our hero, Harry, is in danger. While trying to get to the bottom of a mystery he ends up playing a game of violent, oversized Chess.

Then he ends up face to face with Professor Quirrell who reveals that he is carrying Lord Voldemort on the back of his head.

Evil Voldemort is recovering and is soon to be much stronger. But Voldemort hasn't enough strength to murder Harry this time.... Harry lives on after a few sticky moments.

"That's bloody brilliant."

The inevitable Harry Potter chocolate bars, Harry Potter chewy, wobbly, snakes, Harry Potter coconut Owls.

Danny De Vito as Harry, Bruce Willis as Ron, Meryl Streep as Hermione.

Yes. There is not enough long haired rocker types. It's not very druggie either, a missed opportunity.

If your life stinks maybe you are a wizard and all of a sudden you will be pulled away from this horrid reality into a world in which you are a megastar.... It could happen...

The description of Quidditch qualifies - the game itself is very complicated, but everything seems to turn out OK in the end so we suppose it's OK.

The movie is very true to the book.

The fundamental problem with the movie, for us, was that it needed 11 year old actors who, with the best will in the world, are annoying. However, the 11 year old target audience will love this movie with passion, rightly so - it's among the best children's movies of all time.

The name of the movie was changed for the USA market, we are not convinced of the logic of this. The book (and movie) was released as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in the UK (author, Rowling, is British) in the USA they changed Philosopher's to Sorcerer's. Go figure...

May 15 , 2002