The Harry Potter Collection is a set of Years 1-3,
including each of the three 2-disc sets of Harry Potter 1, Harry Potter 2,
Harry Potter 3. The 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 School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry. 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 crème de la crème 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. First sequels are the true test of an enduring
movie franchise, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets passes with
flying colors. Harry's second year at Hogwarts involves a darker, more
malevolent tale (parents with younger children beware), beginning with the
petrified bodies of several Hogwarts students and magical clues leading Harry,
Ron, and Hermione to a 50-year-old mystery in the monster-laden Chamber of
Secrets. House elves, squealing mandrakes, giant spiders, and venomous
serpents populate this loyal adaptation (by director Chris Columbus and
screenwriter Steve Kloves), and Kenneth Branagh delightfully tops the supreme
supporting cast as the vainglorious charlatan Gilderoy Lockhart. At 161
minutes, the film suffers from lack of depth and uneven pacing, and John
Williams's score mostly reprises established themes. The young, fast-growing
cast offers ample compensation, however, as does the late Richard Harris in
his final screen appearance as Professor Albus Dumbledore. Brimming with
cleverness, wonderment, and big-budget splendor, Chamber honors the legacy of
J.K. Rowling's novels. Some movie-loving wizards must have cast a magic spell
on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, because it's another grand slam
for the Harry Potter franchise. Demonstrating remarkable versatility after the
arthouse success of Y Tu Mamá También, director Alfonso Cuarón proves a
perfect choice to guide Harry, Hermione, and Ron into treacherous puberty as
the now 13-year-old students at Hogwarts face a new and daunting challenge:
Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from Azkaban prison, and for reasons
yet unknown (unless, of course, you've read J.K. Rowling's book, considered by
many to be the best in the series), he's after Harry in a bid for revenge.
This dark and dangerous mystery drives the action while Harry and his third-
year classmates discover the flying hippogriff Buckbeak (a marvelous CGI
creature), the benevolent but enigmatic Professor Lupin (David Thewlis),
horrifying black-robed Dementors, sneaky Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall), and
the wonderful advantage of having a Time-Turner just when you need one. The
familiar Hogwarts staff returns in fine form (including the delightful Michael
Gambon, replacing the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore, and Emma Thompson as
the goggle-eyed Sybil Trelawney), and even Julie Christie joins this
prestigious production for a brief but welcome cameo. Technically dazzling,
fast-paced, and chock-full of Rowling's boundless imagination, The Prisoner of
Azkaban is a Potter-movie classic. (Ages 8 and older)