It’s a bit green
For those of you who have been living under a rock since the beginning of the decade, the Harry Potter series has seen a progression of sorts. Starting out with the first year, the kids in the first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, were not seasoned in acting. The first film starts off as an origin film of sorts, as you’ll meet Harry Potter (the boy who lived after his parents were brutally murdered by a dark wizard named Voldemort) a young boy who discovers that he has a powerful gift of magic. His gift of magic soon leads him into the Hogwart’s school of witchcraft and wizardry. Along the way he meets up with some permanent friends; a witch named Hermione Granger and a very scruffy looking redhead wizard named Ron Weasley. Together they grow close as friends and band together against Voldemort’s evil minions (and the man himself).
While the acting in the first film is very rough, the film itself is one of the more magical out of the bunch. It’s a true introduction to the world that Harry Potter resides in. You get to know all the good and bad characters from the book and more importantly establish some sort of relationship with the characters and story. For all intents and purposes, it’s like getting to know people on your street when you first move there. For every movie that has a sequel (or multiple films — like a Star Wars or Indiana Jones), the first film is always the origin film. The film doesn’t get good until the end and this is certainly the case with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Once you’re comfortable with everyone, the environment and everything that goes inside of that environment; then it’s time for the story to truly start. I’m a kid from the 80s who demands that sort of attention to introductory characters. I want to see everyone involved have a purpose and the first movie doesn’t disappoint. It certainly isn’t as fast as the ones after it, but it sets up everything so that the next six can work out well.
With all of this said, the first film is the most kid friendly out of the bunch. The leap from the first to the second is pretty dramatic. The first film is light-hearted and not too violent for a younger audience. If my five year old were normal (she has a movie obsessive father, so she’s screwed) then I would certainly start her out on the first film and wait a year or two before showing her the next. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is playful, for the most part. You have moments like Harry eating a ‘boogie’ flavored jellybean. Or other moments where Harry and Ron are battling a troll and one of them gets their wand stuck in the troll’s nose. It’s childish at times, but a little serious here and there. The most serious part is the ending, but it works because you’re leading the audience into the next film, which is a lot darker than the first.
Anyway, this is the film that started it all. It is magical, fun and worth sitting home on a Saturday night with your kids enjoying watching witchcraft and wizardry.
What makes this ‘Ultimate’?
In the past two months, I have praised Warner Brothers for making ‘Ultimate Editions’ of films. They generally go all out in making the consumer feel like whatever ultimate edition they purchased that it is the ‘ultimate edition’. Warner Brothers isn’t dumb and they are a studio that knows that you aren’t dumb either. They are also aware of how big of an audience they’re dealing with when it comes to Harry Potter material. With all of this said, this is truly a very well thought out ultimate edition.
The first thing you’ll notice about this is the packaging. Emulating the big hard-back novel, you’ll get a nice little slip cover that slides off pretty easily (I bring this up because I’ve run into some that damage the packaging) that reveals a beautiful hardbound DVD case. It opens like a book and contains pictures in the inside cover. You have three things to worry about here:
1. The DVD box
2. The hardbound picture book
3. Very thick character cards that are about 6″-7″ big
The DVD box contains four DVDs inside. The first is the original theatrical movie, as you’ve seen before. The second DVD is an extended version of the film. For what it’s worth, most of the parts they put in the extended version actually make it a little bit better. You’re pushing nearly three hours in this version, but the extra time is worth the additional story they’ve added. Having two versions of the film is pretty sweet. The two additional DVDs packed in are really where you’ll have the most fun with. The third DVD is packed with special features and a cool wizard game. The game is like ‘choose your own adventure’ style. Kids will love it, while adults will probably shun it. The last disc is especially made for the filmmakers and older fans, as you’ll get an entire description of the film (from concept to premiere) in an hour-long documentary. They had something similar like this on final release of Blade Runner (nearly four hour documentary) and it was pretty neat to see what went into the film. You’ll also get a great blend of archived interviews with new interviews, which is pretty cool.
As for the hardbound picture book, it’s really nice. I’m not sure what I would do with it other than admire the style of it, but it’s nice. Warner Brothers did this with I Am Legend and 300 and those were pretty cool. For fans of the film or film buffs, you’ll probably get a kick out of the production photos.
As for the thick character cards, this appears to be strictly for kids. They are colorless cards (which make them look really cool) and very thick and durable. Both ultimate editions come with them, so you’ll have a collection before you know it. Useless, but nonetheless cool.
I guess the real question here is why would you want this edition? For kids in the household that have never experienced this series before (I have a few) I think it would be a great Christmas present to present to them. The Ultimate Edition Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone has such good presentation and is packaged so well that you’ll make them feel like they have really obtained the ultimate gift. It’s stylish, it’s durable, it’s packed with two different versions of the movie and it has some great goodies inside of it. For $39.92 (you can find it cheaper elsewhere, that’s just the MSRP) it’s a steal.