As for the family. Petunia and Dudley are a bit too cartoonish combined, but the late Richard Griffiths is wonderful as uncle Vernon. Just the right blend of believable bastard and caring family-man.
When it comes to the actors, they are all British (a demand made by J.K. Rowling), but thankfully the Brits always did have enough actors. Special mentions in that regard to John Hurt, the stoic and warm Harris, and of course the deeply underestimated and thoroughly brilliant Rickman.
Radcliffe is a bit hit and miss at times, but then again he has an exorbitant number of scene for a kid his age. So he has a few scenes, that doesn't really work out. The best of the litter are Watson (perfectly snarky and over-confident) and Felton.
What this flick does best is perhaps the myriads of little details and the build-up of Radcliffe's powers and reputation. Columbus takes his time in this respect, adding to the 182 minutes running-time, thought it never seems prolonged unnecessary.
As it's a film mainly for kids, the humour is light and simple, with plenty of righteous comeuppance. Though there are small nods to the older viewers. Professor Quirrell as a villain is only for the kids though, and director Columbus makes a very smart choice not to expose him before he can simultaneously launch a second, and much better villain.
John Williams delivers a very capable score, and the main theme particularly is outstanding.
For the kids, this is about as perfect as it gets. There's a familiar and flowing story, a relatable character for most, discovery of new friends, some nice morals, tons of large and small events to marvel at, and just the right dash of mystery. For adults, it's some of the most enjoyable you'll ever take your kids to see. Though at times the "look of wonder" does become a bit too frequent and they take quite a few very kid-friendly shortcuts. And, shockingly, the CGI is straight out awful at times. The final scene at Hogwarts should be avoided by adults, though.
8/10
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