Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone [2001]

The first two installments were the most kid-oriented of the series. Naturally, they’re less nuanced and a lot cheesier but visually arresting as ever. Chris Columbus’s lack of attention to detail is evident, though, and the film lags quite a lot around the middle. The cast is a delight, although they hadn’t fully submerged into their roles, occasionally looking forced (except for Alan Rickman; he was born to play Snape). It’s always nice to revisit the first chapter in what would become the most succesful movie franchise of all time.