Young Sherlock Holmes is one of my favorite movies of all time. It's a wonderful original story written by Christopher Columbus (Goonies, Gremlins)and directed by Barry Levinson (The Natural, Rain Man).

This past Labor Day weekend I hosted family at my house the entire weekend. Everyone wanted to watch nostalgic movies, so it became a weekend of movies like Dragonslayer, Summer School, Twilight Zone The Movie, School Ties, and finally...Young Sherlock Holmes. I hadn't watched YSH in a few years and was eager to experience it again.

However, almost immediately into the movie I began to notice something extraordinary: The Harry Potter movies (and perhaps JK Rowling) ripped off Young Sherlock Holmes.

Essentially, the Harry Potter story is Young Sherlock Holmes set in a magical world. Not only is the story a ripoff, but the first movie in particular, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, absolutely rips off the Young Sherlock Holmes movie. Everything is a rip off: The story, the characters, the setting, the set design, the musical score....almost everything!

I thought to myself, "Maybe there's a connection." Sure enough, a quick google search revealed a startling connection between the two movies: Christopher Columbus.

Christopher Columbus wrote the original story for Young Sherlock Holmes. He was instrumental in that movie's set design and atmosphere. Christopher Columbus also directed Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Therefore, it's not a stretch to believe that Christopher Columbus looked back to 1985's Young Sherlock Holmes as creative inspiration for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

If you don't believe me, just compare images from the two movies:

Three Main Characters

Harry Potter:

Young Sherlock Holmes:

Scarf and Round Glasses

Harry Potter:

Young Sherlock Holmes:

Antagonists

Harry Potter:

Young Sherlock Holmes:

Headmaster of School (who happens to be a close friend to the protagonists)

Harry Potter:

Young Sherlock Holmes:

Female Lead

Harry Potter:

Young Sherlock Holmes

Private School Where Story Takes Place

Harry Potter:

Young Sherlock Holmes:

There's even a few scenes in Young Sherlock Holmes that almost exactly match the Hogwarts mess hall scenes, with exception to the magical floating candles. The only difference? The candles in YSH are sitting on the table. Everything else is the same:

But the similarities between the two movies continue...

In Young Sherlock Holmes there is a fanatical Egyptian cult known as the Rametep that uses blow darts dipped in poison to inflict vivid nightmarish hallucinations upon innocent people which usually result in their suicide. The hallucinations add a Harry Potter-type magical aspect to this film.

Even the character Sherlock Holmes (the Ron Weasley look alike) uses a trick learned in his Chemistry class to turn his school rival's skin white. Therefore, Holmes' character literally uses magic to inflict a spell upon Dudley (the Draco Malfoy look alike).

But perhaps pointing the finger at Christopher Columbus is premature. Perhaps we should assume that JK Rowling was directly influenced by the movie Young Sherlock Holmes when writing her novels.

Sure, sure, we all know what Rowling has said inspired Harry Potter. However, it's not a stretch to believe that other creative works also inspired some of the details of the Harry Potter story specially considering that Rowling was a college student in 1985 when Young Sherlock Holmes debuted at theaters. Most people believe that the college experience is a powerful time of inspiration and creative output.

For example, how odd is it that the three characters in Young Sherlock Holmes almost look identical to the three characters in Harry Potter? Harry Potter and Watson's round eye glasses, scarf, hair, etc. Harry Potter and Watson look like twins. Sherlock Holmes and Ron Weasley look alike, and they both are in love with their female leads, which look exactly alike.

The inside of Hogwarts looks just like the inside of the private school that Watson and Holmes attend. The mess halls are almost exact replicas down to the candlelight. The class rooms, professors, and headmasters all line up. Each story contains a magical fantastical element.

Not to mention that Harry Potter, Ron, and Hermione are essentially Sherlock Holmes and Watson reincarnated. I mean, what do Harry Potter, Ron, and Hermione constantly find themselves doing at Hogwarts?

Answer: They are always trying to solve a mystery.

I suggest all Harry Potter movie fans to watch Young Sherlock Holmes. Not only is it an excellent movie, but you'll have a wonderful time comparing elements of YSH to the Harry Potter movies.

- Killz