Thousands of diehard Harry Potter fans skipped school Friday afternoon and queued up for the premiere of their hero's first film.

Some had permission from their principals and parents, while others simply took the initiative – a bit like the movie's hero, the orphan who discovers he is a wizard.

"I've been waiting for this movie for a year now," said one teenager in Montreal.

Line up to see Harry Potter movie
Line up to see Harry Potter movie

Halloween appeared to have returned to some streets, as youngsters dressed as wizards and witches lined up for what they hoped would be a big treat.

Afterwards, many gushed praise for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which is based on the first of a series of best-selling books by J.K. Rowling.

"I expected the movie to be good, but it was better," said one girl. "It was amazing."

Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe

"Just to see it live, you know, it's like your imagination coming to life in front of you," agreed another fan.

But not everyone was as enthusiastic. "I think they should have had all the characters," complained one boy. "They should have made it longer, that way they could have included more detail."

The movie was a smash when it debuted earlier this month in Britain, where the author lives.

It opened Friday in about 4,000 cinemas across North America. The movie opened on more than 760 screens across Canada; the largest debut in Canadian movie history.

Some reviewers said it was not nearly as charming as the book. But Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert called it "a rip-roaring tale of supernatural adventure."

"I was pretty sure I was watching a classic, one that will be around for a long time, and make many generations of fans," Ebert predicted, giving the movie four stars.

The film, directed by Chris Columbus, stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry. It includes several veteran actors, including Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters and John Cleese.

Based on advance-ticket sales, industry analysts have predicted Harry Potter will set a new box office record. In 1999, Star Wars: Episode 1 made $28.5 million on opening day. The highest three-day total is The Lost World: Jurassic Park, which took in $72.1 million during its first weekend in 1997.

The fifth of what Rowling plans to be a series of seven books is expected to be published next year: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Warner Bros. Pictures, meanwhile, has already begun work on turning her second story, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets into a movie.