One of the most highly-anticipated cinematic events of the year, rivaling Star Wars Episode I in terms of pre-release hype and ready-made fan base, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone has been a constant in the public consciousness for months.We’ve seen trailer after trailer, offering up magical glimpses and tantalizing snippets of the phenomenally popular book made a reality.We’ve seen the turrets of Hogwarts looming over a dark lake, lantern-lit boats sailing towards their destination.We’ve seen a young man, “the boy who lived” discover his true nature.We’ve seen Hagrid, the gentle giant with a heart of gold and a fondness for large and dangerous creatures make a most impressive entrance.We’ve been told “There’s no such thing as magic!” and known it for the falsehood it is, for what is this movie but pure magic? We’ve been saturated with a marketing blitz that’s put the name and image of Harry Potter everywhere we look. Books, posters, stickers, keychains, magnets, stuffed animals, Legos, board games, Christmas ornaments…

And at long last, the movie itself is out. My wife and I caught a 1:00 PM showing on Friday, the second showing of the day.We were lucky; it wasn’t anywhere near as crowded as later shows would be.We had our tickets, our drinks, and our popcorn, and we settled in to see just how well director Chris Columbus would translate J. K. Rowling’s book onto the big screen.What would they keep, what would they change, what would be different, and would the characters on screen resemble the ones in our heads?

Without a doubt, the answer is yes.Yes, yes, and yes. The movie is, I’d say, 99% faithful to the source material. Several minor characters were left out, and one particular plotline condensed into about five minutes. Bits and pieces of dialogue were left out, and occasionally it did feel like someone had put the story into fast-forward.But considering the density and complexity of the book, it was the only way to trim five hours down into two and a half. Looking back, I can see how and why they’d alter what they did, and be assured, it doesn’t hurt the story in the least.

All our favorites are there. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Neville, Hagrid, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Madame Hooch, Nearly Headless Nick, the Dursleys, and of course, Lord Voldemort in all his terrifying, disturbing glory. I have to say that not a character looked wrong or out of place. The casting director deserves major kudoes for putting everyone together with their part so smoothly. Daniel Radcliffe -is- Harry Potter. Awkward, inexperienced, sad in his heart, but constantly rejoicing with wide-eyed wonder at the magic and beauty surrounding him. Emma Watson is the perfect Hermione, all brains and bossiness and hiding her vulnerability behind a know-it-all confidence. Rupert Grint portrays Ron Weasley with a streak of mischievousness that never goes awry. Robbie Coltrane is the living incarnation of Hagrid, larger than life, loud and blunt, but with an amazing range of emotion and subtle, self-depreciating humor that comes out whenever the Hogwarts’ Groundskeeper screws up. Alan Rickman is slimy and nasty and despicable, menacing without crossing into true villainy, as befits Professor Snape. Richard Harris is wise, fatherly, all-knowing, and at the same time someone you can confide in or share a Chocolate Frog with, every inch Professor Dumbledore. And Maggie Smith, who at first didn’t strike me as the right choice for Professor McGonagall, turned out to play the part with absolute perfection. John Cleese cameos as the ghostly Nearly Headless Nick, a role that suits him well. And Tom Felton is as nasty and unctuous as Draco Malfoy ever was. And this says nothing of the many other fine and entirely satisfying performances turned in by the rest of the cast. All I can say is that they’ve all lucked into some spectacular roles, and I hope they stay on board for as many movies as the series produces.

What else can I say? The music is classic John Williams, haunting and lyrical and evocative of the spirit of the books with every note.Whether it’s the unforgettable melodies that mark the beginning, the energetic tones wrapped around the Quidditch match, or the martial tones that accompany a climatic chess game later on, they’re always right on target. The only person who could have come close, or done nearly as well might have been Danny Elfman. But as it is, John Williams shows that he’s as good as ever.

The visual aspects of the movie range from satisfyingly accurate (such as Private Drive) to the impressive (Hogwarts, inside and out) to the spooky (the Dark Forest) to the breath-takingly cool (the Quidditch field). I swear, I saw things in this movie that I never would have been able to imagine on my own, where Hogwarts was concerned, or Gringotts, or Diagon Alley. (I had to nudge my wife when she accused the designers of raiding the set of the Dark Crystal, though…)

I’ll be blunt. See this movie. If you like Harry Potter at all, see this movie. It is, in my opinion, one of the best adapations from book to big screen I’ve ever seen, and probably the best movie I’ve seen all year. Even if you haven’t read the books, this is still a good, fun, thoroughly enjoyable film with a wonderful story, spectacular visuals, and an attention to details that puts Episode I to shame. I’ll pit the Quidditch Match against the Pod Race any day of the week, and put my money down heavily on Harry.

The only flaws I could even begin to mention all revolve around the fact that it wasn’t long enough, and I’m familiar enough with the book to know when they cut something out or altered a subplot. I hope the DVD, when they release it, comes with all of the scenes they filmed and left out.I see mass lynchings in the future if it doesn’t. So my objections aren’t anything to do with what the movie has, but rather, with what it had to leave out for time considerations. (Not that I would have minded a four hour movie…)

Oh, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Fluffy, the three-headed dog of doom, is one of the coolest cinematic creatures to come along in quite some time. If my cats wouldn’t object, I’d get a dog like that.

In the words of Ron Weasley, this was “bloody brilliant.” If anyone needs me, I’ll be standing in line to get tickets to another showing.