Reviewed by: Joe

Directed by: Chris Columbus

Produced by: David Heyman & Chris Columbus

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Kenneth Branagh, John Cleese, Rupert Grint, & David Bradley

Released: November 15, 2002

2 hrs. 41 min. The follow-up to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone finds young wizard Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) facing new challenges during their second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as they try to discover a dark force that is terrorizing the school.

Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets is one of the best movies of the year and goes beyond the expectations of a normal sequel. The magical world of Harry Potter is brought back to life better then ever before. Though the film is much darker then the original, that does seem to affect the overall effect of the series. The darker moments actually make the film feel more exciting and make the audience feel more connected to the characters and what happens to them. The film definitely matures with the audience the Harry Potter series seems to connect to but doesn’t do so in such a dramatic way that some fans are alienated by rapid change. Though the film is near perfection, there are flaws to it.

The running time of the picture, which stands at an amazing two hours and forty minutes, seems too long for a film intended for children though it did help tell the story better then if it had been edited down to a shorter time length. There were many amazing CG special effect sequences but not all the CGI was greatly appreciated. The character of Dobby the house elf is sure to be added to the most annoying CG character list for this year. He seemed fine for the plot of the film but for the most part, he was too annoying and distracting for the purpose of the story. Other then those problems, Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets definitely raises the bar not only for children films but for sequels as well. This film is a delightful film for all ages, though some precaution may be needed for the younger fans of Harry Potter as the film has several frightening moments. One of the few films out there that truly lives up to all the hype of the original and even goes beyond expectations.