REVIEW: ‘Potter’ is a magical journey
I hope if I ever make a movie it will be rejected by the religious right as being too controversial for ‘decent folks’ and too blasphemous for those of proper moral character. I’ll make millions.
History has proven time and time again that religious controversy is a goldmine in free press.
When it came to this film, there were two groups of people – those who had read the books and those who had not. Fans of the series were likely to see it. Everyone else might, but only if something pushed them off the fence. I’m convinced that many, after hearing the constant whining and kvetching of the right, decided to go – just to see what all the hype was about.
It certainly did the trick for me.
But what sets this movie apart is not the controversy surrounding it – it’s the story. As much as I like to resist all things popular and mainstream, I have to give both the book’s author and the filmmakers credit. It only took about 10 minutes before this story had my inner child completely transfixed. Any desire to be skeptical or objective was whisked away by a sense of nostalgia – a feeling that I had dreamed this adventure a thousand times in my youth.
Perhaps this is what makes the books so popular. It’s clear that Rowling understands the minds and hearts of children, but what makes her books so special is that she seems to understand how to write for the child in us all.
That said, it’s also important to note the contribution of producer/director Chris Columbus. Sure, in the past he’s been responsible for disasters like Monkeybone, but everybody makes mistakes. I’m certain when Columbus began this project, he knew he was making a classic.
Evidence of this is everywhere in the film. Potter is filled with the kind of detail that could only be a labor of love on the part of the creators. The train that takes the children to Hogwart’s is gilded and shiny, but also made to look like an antique with wooden doors and accents taken from the best parts of a bygone era. The school has a worn, but well-maintained look complete with chipped marble, polished brass and worn steps.
Warner Brothers has said they plan to make a new Harry Potter movie every year until they finish the series. The question is, will they all be as good as the first? According to fans of the books, if they stick to the story like they did in the first film, they will be. But I wonder if they will have the lavishness and attention to detail I so enjoyed in the first one, or if the creators will succumb to the temptation to cut corners. One thing is for certain, this film has given them a lot to live up to in the future.
Grade: A