Sorcerer’s Stone
Rupert Grint’s Rave Reviews for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s/Philosopher’s Stone (2001)
“Ron and Hermione, on the other hand, are wonderful, with Rupert Grint so good that at times you might find yourself wondering why they didn’t call the film ‘The Adventures of Ron Weasley and His Friend Harry Potter’.”
“Rupert Grint outdoes them both as well-meaning Ron Weasley, combining the expressive face of a 12-year-old Tom Courtenay with the comic skills of a Monty Python member in the making.”
“The one who takes the film, though, is red-haired Rupert Grint (Ron) as Harry’s sidekick. His facial expressions never cease to be howls of laughter from the audience. If this child actor were in vaudeville, he’d have top billing.”
“Of the three leads, newcomer Rupert Grint as Harry’s pal Ron Weasley, is the most natural and delightful.”
“But Robbie Coltrane was fantastic as Hagrid, and it’s almost as he and young Grint carry the entire film.”
“The most instantly likeable of the kids is Rupert Grint as Harry’s best friend, Ron Weasley. Vulnerable, spirited and funny, he brings vivid energy to the proceedings.”
“I really liked Rupert Grint-RUPERT GRINT!-as Ron Weasley. Rupert Grint – exactly the name a kid playing Ron Weasley should have! Rupert has some great facial expressions and is such a charmer. It’s exactly who Ron was to me in the book. He’s funny looking, awkward, but really a good kid. Good job, Rupert. Great going, Grint! etc.etc.etc.
“Among the veterans, Alan Rickman is better than ever as the sinister Mr. Snape, and among the kids Rupert Grint steals Harry’s show as his friend Ron.”
“Special credit has to go to Rupert as his performance is superb, he literally steals every scene he is in.”
Coltrane singles out Rupert Grint, the 13-year-old who plays Harry’s best friend Ron Weasley, to praise his acting craft.
“Rupert, I would say, is the most natural performer. He has the most beautiful comedy timing I think I’ve seen in a child,” he says.
“Grint has an innocent, funny likeability to him that is truly fetching.”
“…and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), all pluck, luck and untamed talents.”
“Of the three, the one who stole the show for me was Rupert Grint. His portrayal of Ron Weasley (who has always been my favourite character) was spot-on, and the kid is a bloody genius, plain and simple. Just look at his facial expressions throughout the movie; they are priceless—my favourite being the look he shoots Harry when Hermione first walks-into their train car, the first time they meet on the Hogwarts Express—and they’re sure to bring-out a laugh or two (or fifty).”
“As his unprepossessing sidekick Ron, Rupert Grint steals nearly all their scenes together, despite being made virtually the same height as Harry, presumably not to upstage him (in the book, Ron is taller). But then Ron’s role is meatier, since he gets to react a lot more while Harry keeps things inside.”
“Rupert Grint who plays Ronald Weasley is a toe-haired charmer who would have fit right in with an Our Gang 1930s comic short.”
“The most underrated Potter portrayal comes from Grint, who perfectly embodies Harry’s best friend with his earnest and genial performance; a better Weasley simply could not be found.
“Redhead Rupert Grint has a smirky charm of his own as the wisecracking Ron Weasley…”
“Rupert Grint is the sidekick who gets all the funny lines.”
“Daniel Radcliffe may look the part, but he has a dull, pinched presence. (Rust-haired Rupert Grint, on the other hand, is marvelously expressive.)”
“Grint (from the upcoming Thunderpants) may be hard to understand in some scenes because of his thick accent, but his Weasley comes across as quite endearing.”
“Near-perfect casting ensures character colour from the adult actors and allows the central trio of kids (Radcliffe, Grint and Watson) to prove that three heads are better than one (unless your name is Fluffy).
Coltrane as cuddly giant Hagrid and Grint as Harry’s cheeky chum, Ron, steal some scenes…”
“… Rupert Grint had all the best lines as best friend Ron.”
“All the characters are as well-acted and portrayed as they should be: [...] Ron (Rupert Grint), red-headed, loyal, and lovable.”
“Rupert Grint’s Ron acts and sounds almost exactly like I imagined.”
“At times he [Radcliffe] does seem a tad wooden, but the co-stars make up for it. Rupert Grint is brilliant as Ron (he should be in Grange Hill), and the adults are uniformly excellent.”
Edinburgh University Film Society
“Rupert Grint — how English can you get? — is a red-haired go-getter and the third corner of this triangle of schoolmates.”
“And Rupert Grint as Ron has enough individuality to stand apart from Harry as well.”
“All three child actors are well cast. [...] Rupert brings comic relief as the eager but not-quite-as-bright Ron.”
“Rupert Grint does some show stealing as Harry’s classmate Ron, a young man from a poor family.”
“The casting of Daniel Radcliffe as Harry is pretty on the nose but even more so was Rupert Grint who plays Ron Weasley, Harry’s sidekick at Hogwarts. One of the few offers of humor in an otherwise dreary screenplay Rupert brings a lot of charm and wit to his role.”
“Radcliffe’s mature self-possession, his soft handsomeness and unfussy sweetness as Harry play off the Our Gang gung-ho spirit of ginger-headed Rupert Grint as classmate Ron Weasley.”
“Newcomers Daniel Radcliffe (Harry) Rupert Grint (Ron) and Emma Watson (Hermione) are a joy to see together. All of these young actors nail their respective roles [...]
Grint gets the best lines in the film as Ron, and his timing is right on.”
“The young actors give fine performances too: Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint (as Harry and his instant chum Ron Weasley) make a fine pair of meddling kids.”
“As boy-sidekick Ron, redheaded Rupert Grint (great REAL name) is thoroughly charming, too, though girl-sidekick Emma Watson is a rather too arch and bitchy Hermione for my taste.”
“In particular, Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid, Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, and Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore struck me as ideal to represent their characters.”
“Grint makes the perfect wonky sidekick…”
“… Rupert Grint plays Ron to perfection.”
“Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, and Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, are convincing and completely natural on camera.”
“Watson and Grint are scene-stealers. In fact, they sometimes overshadow Harry himself.”
“It’s his friends, beautifully played by Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, who end up as the heart, soul and humour of the piece. Perhaps next time around, master Radcliffe will have grown and we ll see some much needed depth of character.”
“His immediate best friends are Ron, played by red-headed gem, Rupert Grint, and Hermione, played with crisp smartiness by Emma Watson.”
“Though you wouldn’t guess it (director Columbus’ experience with child actors is probably a factor here), neither Emma Watson as the smarty-pants Hermione Granger or Rupert Grint as the loyal Ron Weasley had acted outside school plays before.”
“The real spotlight is on Grint and Watson, as Radcliffe is kind of stuck with playing the wide-eyed new Harry–I’m sure in the next film we’ll get a chance to see him stretch a bit more, once the character is used to being who he is. Grint is the perfect sidekick, spitting out bits of humor wherever needed–and a scene involving a chess game later in the film has some great moments for him.”
“The kids are fine–though curiously Grint and Watson come across as more personable than Radcliffe (it’s not really the latter’s fault, though: Harry is, after all, rather a Dickensian stick)–but the olders don’t enjoy equal success.”
“The young lead actors were better than I imagined they could be and the casting director should win an award for finding Rupert Grint and Emma Watson.
I suspect that in real life they are exactly like Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger – and wish their respective parents the best of luck!”
“His two friends, Rupert (a fantastically faced Ron Weasley) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) are far more engaging.”
“Rupert Grint as Ron and Emma Watson as Hermione were also right on the money.”
“The children are terrific, especially Rupert Grint and Emma Watson…”
eFilm Critic (Erik Childress)
“This was found in Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. They both respectively play Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and are astonishing as two of Harry’s partners in unraveling a great mystery locked away at Hogwarth’s.”
“But the cast compensates in spades, particularly the adorably effusive Watson as the bright and inquisitive Hermione, and Grint, whose Ron Weasley develops nicely from a second banana into a valuable warrior for good.”
“Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Harry’s friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, actually come off with a degree more charm than Radcliffe. They are properly innocent, precocious, and mischievous at the same time.”
“It has been said that Daniel Radcliffe is rather lifeless as the title character. It’s true. Radcliffe pretty much walks through the film, neither touching nor being touched by the events around him. [...]In contrast, Rupert Grint as Ron and Emma Watson as Hermione play their parts with humor and energy. The contrast between dull Harry and his energetic friends makes the film that much more interesting to watch.”
IMDb Reviews (Ronald O. Christian)
“We are introduced to Harry’s two friends, Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), who end up as perpetual scene-stealers throughout the film.”
“His companions have been chosen well too, Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger. They and Harry make a delightful threesome.”
“As for the kids… well, two out of three ain’t bad. Watson seemed appropriately precocious and snippy as Hermione, but she never became unlikable; the young actress nicely walked the line and kept the character appropriately believable. As Ron, Grint came across as a likeable nebbish who fit neatly into the best friend mold. Both of these children managed to bring their characters to life in suitable ways. Unfortunately, I felt less wild about Radcliffe as Harry. He sure looked the part, but he showed almost no personality.”
“Newcomers Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are terrific as Harry’s best friends, mischievous Ron Weasley (whose reaction shots are responsible for most of the film’s laughs) and bossy spell wonk Hermione Granger.”
“Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are even more enchanting as Harry’s new best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, both of whom supply the film with freshness and humor.”
“Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, as Harry’s sidekicks Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, have nice comic timing for all their inexperience.”
“Grint and Watson are pitch-perfect as his two sidekicks, although the latter is far cuter than Rowling’s Hermione, who was a bespectacled bookworm saddled with typically awful English dentistry.”
“Grint and Watson also are particularly well-chosen, and the trio has terrific onscreen chemistry.”
“And unfortunately, Radcliffe, as our hero, doesn’t seem too enthused by much of the wild goings-on. His school cronies, on the other hand, are just great — Grint, as Ronald, is wide-eyed and sympathetic, and Watson, as the precocious Hermione, is smart and energetic, taking a bigger bite out of this movie than any other actor.”
“Newcomer Daniel Radcliffe is quite good as our bespectacled hero, but his young co-stars make more of an impression. Grint is quite amusing as Ron and Emma Watson is terrific as the take-charge Hermione.”
“While he certainly holds his own and conveys the charm, strength, and curiosity that the role calls for, he is eventually upstaged by Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, who play fellow wizards-in-training Hermione and Ron, respectively. Watson is witty, wise, and irresistible to watch, while Grint plays the comic relief to the many edge-of-your-seat situations that the kids find themselves in.”
“As his sidekicks, Grint and Watson are likable, with the former being the hapless underdog and the latter being the typical know-it-all with just a touch of arrogance.”
“Watson is charming as supercilious Hermione, and Grint is clearly having a lot of fun as Ron.”
IMDb Reviews (Shannon Patrick Sullivan)
“Playing the titular hero is Daniel Radcliffe, with Rupert Grint as Ron and Emma Watson as Hermione. All three give appealing, natural performances. Radcliffe has a few too many reaction shots of wonder, but that’s the director’s fault, not his. Grint is perfect as Ron, and Watson is cute as a button.”
“Daniel Radcliffe plays the title character and does a fine job of portraying the young wizard, but the supporting characters throughout the film are much more enjoyable, headlined by Robbie Coltrane (as the intimidating but lovable Hagrid), Alan Rickman (as the devious Professor Snape) and, playing Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry’s two best friends at school, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson.”
“The three pint-sized leads – Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson – are all unknowns. Radcliffe, who appeared in The Tailor of Panama, is the only one with previous experience. The decision to cast unfamiliar faces is a good one, since none of the actors bring baggage with them. What they lack in polish, they make up for in earnestness.”
“The casting was incredible. Daniel Radcliffe IS Harry Potter. Rupert Grint IS Ron Weasley. Emma Watson IS Hermione. These young actors had a lot of pressure going into this film, and their performances were spot on. They really carried the film. Considering the hype of this movie, that’s a lot of weight to put on the shoulders of these kids, but they pulled it off.”
“It has been written in nearly every article about Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone that Daniel Radcliff (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), and Emma Watson (Hermione) have no acting experience. In most cases, that’d be a kiss of death, especially with child actors. Not here, though; all three kids are superb, with their spontaneity and natural voices bringing a freshness to what could have been dreadfully mannered performances with less-talented children.”
“In addition to the movie magic and all we learn about this new and wonderful place, the child actors were tremendous. The fact that there is one child or another on screen almost the entire movie is likely some director’s nightmare. Somehow here they pull it off magnificently.”
“The three young leads – Radcliffe, Grint, and especially Watson – deliver likable, natural performances…”
“All three young actors do wonderful jobs in conveying the specific nuances of their characters.”
“… the real soul of Harry Potter is its three charming stars, two of whom (Watson and Grint) have never acted in a feature film. It is to Columbus’ credit that he has elicited perfectly natural, yet focused, performances from the three child actors.”
“The trio of youths (Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, Rupert Grint as Ron and Emma Watson as Hermione) is fantastic, avoiding the ‘cutesy’ style of child acting so prevalent these days.”
eFilm Critic (Scott Weinberg)
“The actors who play Harry, Ron and Hermione — Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson — are charming kids and reasonably good actors.”
“But it is the child actors who make the film, especially Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley. He fits his role perfectly, and gels well with Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson.”
“Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his pals Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) look word-picture perfect.”
“And of course, Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) pull their roles off like pros.”
“There were two other characters who I did appreciate a little more, Ron, played humorously and believably by Rupert Grint, as one of Potter’s nerdy friends at school, and Draco, the blonde, slick-haired “Reggie Mantle” of the academy, a boy who could easily pass for a young Zorin (Christopher Walken’s character from A VIEW TO A KILL).”
“The kids (Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson) acquit themselves well, and should be able to carry the Potter franchise forward…”
“Thus, the weight of the acting chores falls upon the main trio of young actors, Daniel Radcliffe (Tailor of Panama), Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. In a resounding tribute to the casting gurus of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, all of these young actors come up golden in their first major film.”
“Young actors Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are perfect as the heroes of the story, Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione.”
“Radcliffe did have some acting experience; Watson and Grint did not, but they also acquit themselves extremely well. Watson has just the right degree of brainy smugness, while Grint plays the clown to perfection.”
“Rupert Grint plays his best friend, Ron Weasley, and Emma Watson is Hermione Granger, their grounding influence. The three main kids in the movie are both gorgeous and talented, and, as with all the child actors in “Philosopher’s Stone”, they have animation of movement and insistence of speech that would seem like childish overacting in another movie, but here, as in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”, is just the right injection of theatrical energy.”
“Radcliffe, with his round eyeglasses and schoolboy simplicity seems tailor made for the role, and this extends to his two sidekicks, the studious snippet Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and red-headed rascal Ronald “Ron” Weasley (Rupert Grint).”
“In the leading roles of Harry, his pal Ron and female friend Hermione young Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson look the part. Radcliffe is perhaps a bit too wide-eyed for his own good though, as if overwhelmed by the fact that he is Harry Potter as much as Harry is meant to be overwhelmed by his newfound fame and heritage. Grint fares rather better as the more down-to-earth sidekick, with Watson hitting the right note of frustrating arrogance as Hermione.”
“Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, Emma Watson as Hermione, and Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley — were famously difficult to cast, but all the young actors do a tremendous job. All three look the part, for one thing, and they are all engaging and cute and bright. Watson is easily the most skilled; her Hermione practically leaps off the screen, but Grint is easily able to upstage her at times.”
“The performances from newcomers Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are uniformly solid, and the all-star British cast provides a formidable background of support.”
“Daniel Radcliffe is perfect as Harry, as is Emma Watson as the bossy but brilliant Hermione and Rupert Grint as the wry, irreverent Ron; this trio is unbeatable.”
IMDb Reviews (Susan Granger)
“Even the tiniest parts are cast perfectly and all actors give their best. Especially Robbie Coltrane, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson need to be mentioned. Robbie Coltrane is the best Hagrid you could wish for, and Rupert Grint and Emma Watson put up an excellent show.”
Planet Confusion (in German – transl. by Karo)
“In the centre of the story are, of course, Harry and his two best friends Ron and Hermione. One can only congratulate Chris Columbus to this triple stroke of luck, despite having to admit that Daniel Radcliffe is the least convincing of the three. One does believe him to be Harry, but he does not exactly put up masterly acting. Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, however, were way more enchanting and lovely.”
Movie Maze (in German – transl. by Karo)
“The young actors are well-cast and even better put into light, they pull the audience through the film so that the row of star actors like Julie Walters, John Hurt and John Cleese in smaller parts, as well as Maggie Smith, Richard Harris, Robbie Coltrane and Alan Rickman as sinister Professor Snape in more meaningful parts, stand back behind the trio.”
Film Rezension (in German – transl. by Karo)
“That it is still worth to wait in the long lines in front of the cinemas because of the wonderful actors: The kids, especially Emma Watson as witty Hermione and Rupert Grint as good-natured, carry the film on their shoulders – surrounded by a Who is Who of the British screen and stage elite…”
Focus (in German – transl. by Karo)
“Rupert Grint, with his rubbery face, is irresistible as the red haired loyal Ron.”
BT (in Danish – transl. by Malene)
“… it remains to be seen if Radcliffe can really act, for he’s quite handily upstaged by the livelier Grint and Watson, who admittedly have the flashier roles.”
“Rupert Grint brings the right wisecracking Everyboy flavor to Harry’s pal Ron…”
“Grint, with his rubbery face, displays great comic timing as Ron, who makes up in spell casting what he believes he lacks in social status.”
“Ultimately, though, the movie rests on the shoulders of the child actors, especially Harry and his two best friends, red-headed Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and bookish, slightly priggish Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). Grint and Granger* are naturals, embodying their supporting characters perfectly.”
* this is a typo — they meant Watson!
“Unfortunately, Radclliffe brings nothing spectacular to a role that requires it. You don’t like him or dislike him; he’s a bland Harry who simply reacts (without the sheer amazement you expect from an 11-year-old boy) to the wild and crazy situations he’s suddenly immersed in. By contrast, Watson carries off her officious Hermione with aplomb and personality, as does Grint (who looks startlingly like a young Hayley Mills) as Harry’s bumbling, loyal buddy.”
“As Harry’s friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson show promise in their feature film debuts.”
“With newcomers Grint and Watson at his side, these three make an entertaining trio as they go about their adventures and try to keep the Sorcerer’s Stone out of the wrong hands. Their bond is one of the movie’s best assets, certainly the soul of the story, and it’s to Columbus’ great credit that their friendship doesn’t seem manufactured for the screen.”
“Grint is perfect and so is Watson. Radcliffe is a bit wooden, but then so is Harry in the first book.”
“Faring much better are newcomers Rupert Grint and Emma Watson who deliver delightfully fun and entertaining takes on the protagonist’s best friends and fellow wizards in training.”
“Watson and Grint play up their characters’ foibles without becoming smarmy or annoying.”
“Most importantly, Radcliffe, Watson and Grint are up to the task of bringing life to their much-loved child characters.”
“First, and arguably foremost, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” is a triumph of casting. You can tell that a lot of care went into matching the perfect actor with Rowling’s evocative descriptions. [...] Harry’s enchanted classmates include Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), and a particularly snotty kid named Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton).”
“The three youths—Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson (smashingly Tory names, aren’t they?)—are picture-perfect and can act to boot.”
“It can be risky casting unknowns, but Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson all turn in very natural performances, and the bigger names in the cast aren’t just phoning it in, either.”
“Rupert Grint rounds out the trio as Ron. Some of his writing is a bit sloppy, but I can’t fault his performance. He has the character down pat, a trait he continues to exhibit in the ongoing film series. While it took Radcliffe a little while longer to figure out his character, and while Watson never got her stuff together, Grint knew what he was doing from the beginning.”
“Rupert Grint is the seasoned veteran of the group, actually having a few acting credits. He is also the cutest kid in the world who is not related to me. His face is as emotive as Robin Williams, and much more endearing. He wears his emotions pinned down by his button nose.”
“Mr. Grint has a surprising everyman quality ”
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