Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Widescreen
Edition) (2001)
Rated: 
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe.
Director: Chris Columbus
Edition Details:
Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby
TM & © Warner Bros. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K. Rowling.
7 deleted scenes
360 Degree Self-guided tour of Hogwarts
New interviews with director Chris Columbus and producer David Heyman
Learn how to play Quidditch
Meet the ghosts of Hogwarts
Cast a spell over a scene in 8 languages
Mix potions, perform transfigurations, sneak past Fluffy, explore Diagon
Alley, have a wand choose you, catch a snitch and much, much more
Theatrical trailers
DVD-ROM PC Features: Collect Wizard trading cards, Be Sorted by the
Sorting Hat, Download screensaver and Remembrall, Receive owl e-mails, Link to
the web
Widescreen anamorphic format
Number of discs: 2
Editorial
Reviews
Here's an event movie that
holds up to being an event. This filmed version of Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone, adapted from the wildly popular book by J.K. Rowling,
stunningly brings to life Harry Potter's world of Hogwarts, the school for
young witches and wizards. The greatest strength of the film comes from its
faithfulness to the novel, and this new cinematic world is filled with all the
details of Rowling's imagination, thanks to exuberant sets, elaborate costumes,
clever makeup and visual effects, and a crθme de la crθme cast, including
Maggie Smith, Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, and more. Especially fine is the
interplay between Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his schoolmates Ron (Rupert
Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), as well as his protector, the looming Hagrid
(Robbie Coltrane). The second-half adventure--involving the titular sorcerer's
stone--doesn't translate perfectly from page to screen, ultimately because of
the film's fidelity to the novel; this is a case of making a movie for the
book's fans, as opposed to a transcending film. Writer Steve Kloves and
director Chris Columbus keep the spooks in check, making this a true family
film, and with its resourceful hero wide-eyed and ready, one can't wait for
Harry's return. Ages 8 and up. --Doug Thomas