Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

The first installment in the wizardly series has everything one could hope for -- sumptuous production design, faithfulness to the source material, a star-packed cast, talented people behind the camera... everything, it seems, except a pulse. At no time does it feel like anything beyond a really expensive tie-in product to the best-selling novel. Surely the hiring of hack extraordinaire Chris Columbus didn't help this transcend its literary roots, but then neither does both the lacksadasical plotting and the obvious inexperience of its central cast members. The opening half hour is insufferable -- it plays like bad Roald Dahl. Things do get better from there, but not enough to warrant interest; best taken as a very long prelude and nothing else.

Grade: C