Critic Reviews

In three years, Rowling went from welfare mother to one of the richest women in Great Britain, with 400 million books in print. If you've ever been a single mom and couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel, this is the perfect movie for you.

Poppy Montgomery (Without a Trace) is appealingly vulnerable as a young Jo Rowling, struggling to overcome poverty and pursue a long-shot writing career. It's only when the script tries to nail down her inspirations that Magic becomes silly.

As her professional relationship with Little develops, he clearly becomes the kind father she's been missing. And then there's that fiance at the premiere, never mentioned by name or appearing at any other point in the film, as if to suggest that with a proper male partner, Rowling's success is really complete.

It's dull. Dull beyond words. Dull beyond magic. Dull beyond the power of even a mammoth opening weekend for the final "Harry Potter" film to render interesting.