Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Let The Magic Begin.

Jurassic Mark

SCORE: 4 Stars

I saw Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone at 2:45 on a school day. I arrived five minutes before the start. Since there was almost no line when I purchased my ticket, I expected a small crowd. I walked into the theater and climbed the steps through the semi-darkness, eyeing approximately 400 children and 200 adults. I took my seat next to a young Potter clone. He was about eight-years-old with dark brown hair and the obligatory round rimmed spectacles. His black coat was an adequate substitute for a wizard's robe. I asked him if the seat was free and he solemnly informed me that his parents were sitting in the back. I remember when my friends and I wouldn't be caught dead at a movie with our Mom and Dad. 

Some would question the "parental units" who double-wammied the establishment by skipping out of work, and pulling their kids out of school. I say fuck the establishment. There are many forms of education, and a movie like Harry Potter inspires children to become imaginative scholars. 

I disagree with the critics of the Harry Potter novels. J.K. Rowling's writings inspire children to read. I don't know why. I don't care. An initial passion for reading can create a voracious lifetime love of the written word. Literature immediately increases one's vocabulary. More importantly, the child who loves books learns that the world is rarely a lonely, boring place. 

Oh, and the movie is pretty good too.