Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Jason Isaacs, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Richard Harris, Tom Felton
Directed By Chris Columbus. Written By Steve Kloves.
Based On The Novel By J.K. Rowling.
Running Time: 161, Year: 2002
Reading more than one volume in J.K. Rowling's popular Harry Potter series is in some respects like revisiting an old friend. In others, it's like spending another vacation in a town less endlessly interesting than you'd hoped at first.
Ditto for viewing "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," the second movie in the Potter film franchise.
It's fun to see the regular gang on hand for new adventures, joined by fresh characters who add touches of novelty and spice.
But the secrets in this chamber aren't all that amazing once you get a glimpse of them, and if you're older than the teens Rowling wrote for, you might start muttering magic spells to make the show seem shorter than the whopping 160 minutes it takes to unfold.
Hewing as close to its source novel as last year's "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," the new picture starts with Harry's daring escape from his foster family so he can start his second year at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where specially endowed youngsters refine the supernatural skills they were born with.
No sooner does he arrive than a frightening crisis looms: Someone is walloping students with a spell that turns them into stone, and the menace may hail from a hidden chamber that poured forth evil the last time it was opened a half-century ago.
Things get worse when Harry's best friends are threatened by the peril, and worse yet when he comes under suspicion of being the culprit.
Like most self-respecting sequels, "Chamber of Secrets" introduces a few new faces.
The best are Gilderoy Lockhart, an egotistical enchanter with a taste for shameless self-promotion, and Moaning Myrtle, a whiney ghost who haunts a Hogwarts restroom. The worst new character is Dobby, a masochistic elf who comes off as a Yoda-like puppet without a shred of sense or cuteness.
Rowling's novel is a tad more sophisticated than its predecessor in the series, dipping an exploratory toe into the waters of adolescent romance.
It also uses some plot elements - including Dobby's status as a "house elf" and the prejudice some magic folks feel toward ordinary humans - to speak out against bigotry and class snobbery.
Chris Columbus's movie doesn't so much ignore these aspects as drown them in the sheer exhibitionism of its settings, costumes, and visual effects.
These are impressive in an ostentatious way. But they convey a spirit quite different from that of Rowling's easygoing prose, lumbering across the screen with a ponderousness worthy of Aragog, the giant spider who threatens Harry with extinction at one of the story's climactic moments.
"Chamber of Secrets" will find millions of eager fans. But if the essence of magic is its make-believe promise of life that soars above the material realm, this is the opposite of a truly magical movie.
The first movie was the setup, and this one is the payoff. "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" leaves all of the explanations of wizardry behind and plunges quickly into an adventure that's darker and scarier than anything in the first Harry Potter movie. It's also richer: The second in a planned series of seven Potter films is brimming with invention and new ideas, and its Hogwarts School seems to expand and deepen before our very eyes into a world large enough to conceal unguessable secrets.
What's developing here, it's clear, is one of the most important franchises in movie history, a series of films that consolidate all of the advances in computer-aided animation, linked to the extraordinary creative work of J.K. Rowling, who has created a mythological world as grand as "Star Wars," but filled with more wit and humanity. Although the young wizard Harry Potter is nominally the hero, the film remembers the golden age of moviemaking, when vivid supporting characters crowded the canvas. The story is about personalities, personal histories and eccentricity, not about a superstar superman crushing the narrative with his egotistical weight.
In the new movie, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe, a little taller and deeper-voiced) returns with his friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson, in the early stages of babehood). They sometimes seem to stand alone amid the alarming mysteries of Hogwarts, where even the teachers, even the august headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Richard Harris), even the learned professors Snape (Alan Rickman) and McGonagall (Maggie Smith), even the stalwart Hagrid the Giant (Robbie Coltrane) seem mystified and a little frightened by the school's dread secrets.
Is there indeed a Chamber of Secrets hidden somewhere in the vast pile of Hogwarts? Can it only be opened by a descendent of Salazar Slytherin, the more sinister of the school's co-founders? Does it contain a monster? Has the monster already escaped, and is it responsible for paralyzing some of the students, whose petrified bodies are found in the corridors, and whose bodies are carried to the infirmary still frozen in a moment of time? Do the answers to these questions originate in events many years ago, when even the ancient Dumbledore was (marginally) younger? And does a diary by a former student named Tom Marvolo Riddle--a book with nothing written in it, but whose pages answer questions in a ghostly handwriting--provide the clues that Harry and his friends need? (Answer to all of the above: Probably.) This puzzle could be solved in a drab and routine movie with characters wandering down old stone corridors, but one of the pleasures of Chris Columbus' direction of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" is how visually alive it is. This is a movie that answers any objection to computer animation with glorious or creepy sights that blend convincingly with the action. Hogwarts itself seems to have grown since the first movie, from a largish sort of country house into a thing of spires and turrets, vast rooms and endlessly convoluted passageways, lecture halls and science labs, with as much hidden below the ground as visible above it. Even the Quiddich game is held in a larger stadium (maybe rich alumni were generous?). There are times, indeed, when the scope of Hogwarts seems to approach that of Gormenghast, the limitless edifice in the trilogy by Mervyn Peake that was perhaps one of Rowling's inspirations.
The production designer is Stuart Craig, returning from "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." He has created (there is no other way to put it) a world here, a fully realized world with all the details crowded in, so that even the corners of the screen are intriguing. This is one of the rare recent movies you could happily watch with the sound turned off, just for the joy of his sets, the costumes by Judianna Makovsky and Lindy Hemming, and the visual effects (the Quiddich match seems even more three-dimensional, the characters swooping across the vast field, as Harry finds himself seriously threatened by the odious Malfoy).
There are three new characters this time, one delightful, one conceited, one malevolent. Professor Sprout (Miriam Margolyes) is on the biology faculty, and teaches a class on the peculiar properties of the mandrake plant, made all the most amusing by students of John Donne who are familiar with the additional symbolism of the mandrake only hinted at in class. The more you know about mandrakes, the funnier Sprout's class is.
She is the delightful addition. The conceited new faculty member, deliciously cast, is Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh), author of the autobiography Magical Me, who thinks of himself as a consummate magician but whose spell to heal Harry's broken arm has unfortunate results. And then there is Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs), father of the supercilious Draco, who skulks about as if he should be hated just on general principles.
These characters and plot elements draw together in late action sequences of genuine power, which may be too intense for younger viewers. There is a most alarming confrontation with spiders and a scary late duel with a dragon, and these are handled not as jolly family movie episodes, but with the excitement of a mainstream thriller. While I am usually in despair when a movie abandons its plot for a third act given over entirely to action, I have no problem with the way "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" ends, because it has been pointing toward this ending, hinting about it, preparing us for it, all the way through. What a glorious movie.
So you wish to know if Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is as good as the first Harry Potter movie. Is it as
charming, visually gratifying, faithful to filthy rich author J.K. Rowling's inescapable books? Well, that'd be yep times
four, as it's definitely an enchanting spectacular for Potter fans anxious to ride the Hogwarts Express toward a new year
of magic and mischief.
Let us also note that the project, though successful, bears some minor handicaps. At 161 protracted minutes, it is a bit
unwieldy for a children's film, and with its peculiar dearth of wit -- the most amusing line is mewled by a ghost
(awesome Shirley Henderson, of Topsy-Turvy fame) offering Harry the use of her toilet -- it probably won't keep
discerning adults hooked throughout. Once again, people's director Chris Columbus (Home Alone) and somewhat
klunkier-this-time-around screenwriter Steve Kloves (Wonder Boys) cleave very tightly to Rowling's narrative, cutting
loose only to compress her character-rich exposition or gussy up her trim little action scenes, but that's not the glitch.
The problematic issue -- magnified by unshakable d�ja vu -- is that in this now-familiar setting the author's wonder boys
and girls engage us largely in spite of their cinematic handlers' perfunctory treatment, not because of it.
That said, from the soaring opening notes of John Williams' truly magnificent score (reprised from Harry Potter and the
Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone, adapted here by William Ross, and more deft and spellbinding than Howard Shore's
award-winning Lord of the Rings music), the magic is back. We descend upon a ghastly prefab subdivision (a la Time
Bandits) to find Dickensian orphan and fledgling wizard Harry (Daniel Radcliffe, into it) held hostage by his grotesque,
Roald Dahl-esque foster family (Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw and Harry Melling). Like many a second-year student, all
he wants to do is return to his true home, in this case the Chocolate Factory that is Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and
Wizardry. Enter Dobby (voiced by Toby Jones, CG-animated as this film's Jar Jar Binks or Gollum), a grody little house
elf who appears very inconveniently in Harry's spartan bedroom to warn him that he mustn't return to Hogwarts or he'll
be doomed (as if). Imagine Martin Short incessantly referring to himself in the third person, informing you that he's
purloined all the letters sent to you by your friends so as to ensure your loneliness and detachment from your alma mater.
You'd beat the crap out of him, right? Well, Harry's not the belligerent sort, and besides, Dobby illustrates a perverse
predilection for self-abuse, so the message is the point: Grave -- if logistically confounding -- danger is afoot.
After narrowly escaping with earnest friend Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint, great fun again) in Ron's dad's flying, turquoise
Ford Anglia, Harry's adventure begins. As with any series, neophytes may find themselves grasping desperately for
handles as characters and concepts whiz past, but brief stops at the funky, magical Weasley abode the Burrow (well
inhabited by Billy Elliot's Julie Walters, 101 Dalmations' Mark Williams and -- in a limited but pivotal role -- young
Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley) plus the creepy, gothed-out Knockturn Alley keep both Harry and us on our toes.
Immediately thereafter, at the magical market Diagon Alley, many key players light up the screen, including Hogwarts'
coarse, lovable groundskeeper, Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane, fab), Harry's slightly decreasingly presumptuous cohort
Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and the wildly narcissistic author and professor Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth
Branagh, who'd gleefully upstage God). Nasty folk also ring in the new school year, including little Draco Malfoy (Tom
Felton) and his malevolent dad, Lucius (Jason Isaacs), who may have summoned the unspeakable evil of Dobby's
warning.
Once at Hogwarts, that grand edifice of dreams and nightmares (way to go, production designer Stuart Craig!), the plot
becomes both more convoluted and more episodic. Said evil stalks the halls and communicates in snake-language with
Harry -- seems the boy is, you know, a Parselmouth -- but whimsical lessons continue under the tutelage of professors
McGonagall (Maggie Smith), Snape (Alan Rickman) and Sprout (Miriam Margolyes) as well as headmaster Albus
Dumbledore (good night, Richard Harris, genius actor). The pacing is club-footed but the visuals -- from zooming aerial
Quidditch to loads of weird bogeys and transformations -- are utterly sensational.
The legacy of Harry Potter in popular culture remains to be seen -- those who'd burn the books as "demonic" or (I love it
when they pronounce it this way) "Say-tonic" are encouraged to get library cards pronto, and use them -- but at present,
despite its sophomoric awkwardness, the film of Chamber of Secrets is a welcome delivery of childlike wonder for a
planet of ever-increasing ugliness. We've accidentally allowed a retarded monkey to rule America, but otherwise it's not
such a whimsical place. Perhaps works like this can help set that to rights.
So far, the most serious problem with the "Harry Potter" movies is that they appear to lack the magic that would convert the majority of non-fans into ultra-faithful Potterphiles.
True, both the first film and the new sequel, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," are competently made fantasy films. And they're definitely faithful enough to the source material � sometimes too faithful � which ensures that millions of existing Potterphiles will be pleased. But for the rest of us, both movies are just sort of so-so entertainment.
Then there's the bloated running time; the sequel clocks in even closer to the three-hour mark than the first film, which is just deadly for family-friendly entertainment. And the tone for "Chamber of Secrets" is much, much darker and scarier than its predecessor.
So parents of very young or impressionable moviegoers should perhaps think twice about letting them see it � or at the very least, parents should preview it first.
This adaptation of J.K. Rowling's best-seller picks up the story at the start of Harry Potter's second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is having a hard time even getting back to Hogwarts � it seems his cruel uncle and aunt are trying to suppress his magical tendencies.
Worse, a mischievous house-elf named Dobby (the voice of British comedian Toby Jones) has been warning of dire things to come, and has also been impeding Harry's journey. And when Harry finally does arrives at Hogwarts � thanks to the Herculean efforts of his best pal, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) � he finds that Dobby's fears may justified.
Evidently, one of the students or faculty members has opened the Chamber of Secrets, which is home to a horrible monster. And should that person discover the chamber's secrets, it may have dire repercussions for all Muggles ("normal" folks).
So Harry has to figure out who that person is, with prime suspects being Harry's arch-nemesis Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) and the new vainglorious professor Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh).
One disappointment here is the film's special effects, which don't look as special as you might expect (in particular, the film's beasts). Ditto for the new CGI character of Dobby, who could end up becoming the Jar-Jar Binks of this movie series.
To the credit of director Chris Columbus, his pacing is better here than with the first film. After a slow start to re-acquaint audiences with the characters, he moves at breakneck speed in the second half.
And the maturing cast members are more confident in their performances, especially Radcliffe, who proves capable of carrying his own film. Not that the experienced supporting cast lets him do all the work. The late Richard Harris is solid as the school headmaster, while Branagh puts in a serious bid to steal the film as a boastful wizard who has his own "groupies."
Now this is more like it. After struggling interminably to bring the first of the obscenely popular Harry Potter novels to the screen, director Chris Columbus finally cracks the code with his second effort. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the latest in what promises to be a long line of Potter films, is thrilling where its predecessor was dull, fun where the initial film was leaden. It reunites the title fledgling wizard (Daniel Radcliffe) with his chums and colleagues at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, this time with all the restraints removed. This is the film his fans have been waiting for.
Of course, it helps that the first movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, laid so much groundwork for the franchise, taking on the burdensome duties of explaining Harry's past, the nature of Hogwarts, and the various bells and whistles of author J.K. Rowling's fantasy universe. Its timidity resulted in a lot of necessary exposition but little real magic. The Chamber of Secrets takes advantage of that thankless work; secure with the whos and whats of Harry's world, it dives straight into its wonderful story without looking back -- a feat that wouldn't be possible if The Sorcerer's Stone hadn't taken it on the chin. After being detained by his beastly relatives, Harry is sprung by his good friend Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), transporting him in a flying car back to Hogwarts for the new semester. There, a dark mystery awaits him: students begin turning up paralyzed, along with cryptic messages written in blood and rumors of a monster lurking in the school's bowels. Signs point to the sinister Slytherin house -- home to Harry's hated rival Malfoy (Tom Felton) -- and worse, that Harry himself may have somehow triggered the monster's attacks.
Rowling clearly has a complex story arc planned for the seven books in the series, and The Chamber of Secrets bears the fruit of that complexity. The story here holds subtle nuances, building upon earlier facts to bring depth and meaning to the proceedings. While Columbus can't avoid a fair amount of bloat (the film's two hours and 40 minutes start to drag towards the end), he keeps things moving surprisingly well and infuses the action with a lot of wit and humanity. The Chamber of Secrets feels effortless in its development, guiding us through this world without making us aware of the burgeoning iconic empire behind it all. The special effects conjure all manner of monsters and settings with the expected polish, and though they never truly blow our socks off, they do convey the totality of Rowling's vision. Unlike The Sorcerer's Stone, The Chamber of Secrets makes us believe in something more than the marketing. A sense of constant fun permeates the entire proceedings, and while some elements carry dark overtones (including a group of very scary giant spiders), they serve to thrill and excite rather than truly frighten. Credit Columbus for striking the right notes, and for making this a true movie rather than a recycled form of the book.
As with the first film, character plays a large role in the proceedings, and the lead performances quietly improve over their earlier incarnations. Grint's Weasley has much more to do in The Chamber of Secrets, and he handles the extra load with uncanny aplomb. Emma Watson, playing Hogwart's resident Queen of the Know-It-Alls Hermione Granger, is less pivotal in this entry, but still radiates winning charisma. The supporting cast (mostly adults) is uniformly excellent as well, though the glut of talent on display becomes all the more striking when you realize how little most of them have to do. The likes of Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, and even the late Richard Harris serve little purpose beyond plot exposition and a few nice one-liners. Rickman's Professor Snape in particular, seems ill at ease, waiting perhaps for a meatier part in a later film. They fill out Hogwarts marvelously, but you wonder sometimes if they can't be put to better use.
The new additions to the cast do much better. Jason Isaacs picks up Rickman's slack as Malfoy's odious father, ensuring that the Evil Englishman Contingent is well-represented. An even better turn comes from Kenneth Branagh, fearlessly self-effacing as the school's new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart. Lockhart is a celebrity fop, excellent at charming the yokels but dreadful at actual magic. Branagh plays him strictly for laughs, yet his efforts never detract from the rest of the film; he steals the show without overshadowing it, a trick worthy of the greatest magician.
As marvelous as these performances are, however, The Chamber of Secrets ultimately lives and dies with its title character. Here, as much as anywhere, the film is in good hands. Not only does Radcliffe show better acting chops than he did in the first film, but the story allows Harry to escape his "child of destiny" mantle and shine on his own merits. He isn't handed anything because of his special heritage here. The plot doesn't grant him unique benefits, or give him a free ride on reputation as The Sorcerer's Stone did. He triumphs because he's smart and clever and brave, succeeding on his abilities rather than the convenient insertion of fate which proved so irritating in The Sorcerer's Stone. Radcliffe makes him a truly winning character, and Columbus guides his young star with a very assured hand. Harry's newfound sense of heroism carries The Chamber of Secrets on its shoulders, confirming why so many people love this series so much. The second time, it seems, is the charm.
Welcome to Year Two. Harry (Radcliffe) has been imprisoned yet again at the home of his only living relatives, the Dursleys (whom we don't see a lot of, but are perfectly horrid--Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, Harry Melling). He's not allowed to practice magic outside of school (Hogwarts' rules) and not allowed to do much of anything else either (the Dursleys' rules). He's also bummed because he hasn't heard a peep out of either of his best friends from school, Hermione or Ron (Watson and Grint, respectively). However, when a house elf (voiced by Toby Jones) shows up unexpectedly in his room and warns Harry that he must not, under any circumstances, go back to Hogwarts this year...Harry understands that he's in for trouble--but he has no idea that size of said trouble.
It's no secret that of the three books of the series I've read, the second wasn't exactly a letdown--but simply a weak book. So many things had already been done, so many things took too long, and so many things didn't make sense. I bring this up because it's rare that an adaptation of a book actually improves on its source material, but here it's true: Kloves manages to distill the good story out of the book and leave the weaker parts behind. Granted, Hermione and Ron take an extreme backseat to most of the story (Hermione especially), but this is all right because it's Harry's story first and foremost.
New cast members Kenneth Branagh (the most dead-on casting of the year) and Jason Isaacs (who seems to be channeling Julian Sands) are perfect. The action sequences are appropriately intense for what is still a young teenager's film and the humor is handled quite well. The Quidditch sequence has improved since the last film (and it wasn't shabby there), and so has the majority of the CG effects. About the only weak point during the film is a glaring bit of exposition from a character during the climax of the film--something to do with eyes, I'll say. But other than that, it's fairly solid--not to mention well edited so that it certainly doesn't feel like a film that strays past the two and a half mark.
It's best seen on the big screen, of course, and for good reason: better effects, better developed characters, decent spooks, and good fun. I'm intrigued to see what happens with chapter three in the hands of a new helmer.
The weakest of the four Harry Potter books has been transformed into the stronger of the two films by the thinnest of margins.
But beware: Youngsters lured into the gently enchanted world of "Sorcerer's Stone" will face a nightmare-inducing ride through "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." The PG rating was awarded for scares, and it stands for Pretty Grim (though not, luckily, for Pretty Gory).
Writer Steven Kloves and director Chris Columbus have decided kids really want "Indiana Potter and the Chamber of Doom."
Harry and Ron Weasley, who is relegated mostly to the role of bug-eyed sidekick, face spiders the size of basketballs in a scene that goes on much longer than its book equivalent. Harry battles an immense, terrifying snake that drips poison from its mouth and blood from torn-out eyes.
Even the scene with the Whomping Willow, brief and almost comical in J.K. Rowling's novel, has become a "Jurassic Park"-style moment. Ron and Harry crash into the tree in the Weasleys' flying car. The tree attempts to kill them, smashing windshields and almost crushing Ron's head. The car plunges jerkily toward the ground, stopping a few times until the two escape.
This Hardy Boys tone extends to the story, in which Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) learns a long-closed Chamber of Secrets contains a monster that can only be released by the heir of centuries-dead magician Salazar Slytherin. Students begin to turn up in the hallways of Hogwarts School frozen in attitudes of terror, and Hermione (Emma Watson) deduces that they've been frozen by a basilisk. She, Harry and Ron (Rupert Grint) set out to locate or kill it.
The movie's weaknesses come mostly from the book. People instantly assume Harry is Slytherin's heir and shun him, though he saved the school from Lord Voldemort six months earlier. (Even Ron and Hermione have their doubts.) The plot hinges on an evilly enchanted diary, but we never know how the owner obtained it, why he passed it to its victim and why nobody noticed the victim acting strangely for months. (I can say no more without revealing plot twists.)
Plusses and minuses work out about evenly, if you compare the sequel to "Sorcerer's Stone."
The three young leads act with more assurance; Radcliffe emerges as a leader, rather than one leg of a triangle. (Too bad he no longer expects to make all seven of the proposed pictures.)
We get more of Maggie Smith's dour McGonagall and less of Alan Rickman's mopey Snape (both fine with me), while the late Richard Harris has a more crucial role as dreamy Dumbledore. Kenneth Branagh plays braggart Gilderoy Lockhart, the addition to Hogwarts' teaching staff, as a whirl of teeth and tossed-back hair: He's not quite handsome enough for the role but he's winningly vain.
The special effects have improved: Quidditch seems to take place on broomsticks in the air, not wires in front of a screen, and Dobby the House Elf is a comic, credible creature. But we've inevitably lost the air of fantasy that permeated the first one; we take the magic as a matter of course.
Some of the script's problems come in Kloves' condensation of the book. He's wisely decided to cut whole scenes (such as Nearly Headless Nick's 500th deathday party), rather than squash them in, but he omits key small points.
We learn that Ron is afraid of spiders, though not why. (He'd seem less of a goofball if we knew.) The villain's motives are obscure, and we never understand how his helper figured out years later how to exploit them.
And why does Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) march inexplicably into Dumbledore's office, holding a dead fowl? Because a rooster's crow slays a basilisk, and the person who controls it is killing the cocks. (If you want the film to make sense, read the book first.)
I enjoyed the "Sorcerer's Stone" well enough, perhaps my biggest gripe being a sort of detached main character. Harry seemed to be more of a spectator than participant in his own film. In "Chamber of Secrets" that changes for the better. Yes, he's appropriately a follower early on in the film when being swept once again from the grips of his nasty foster family, but as the film progresses, his involvement steps up at a very mature pace.
"Chamber of Secrets" is a good film! The special effects are used well and dare I say "magically," (save for a certain snake) most snuggled warmly into the film, resisting the urge to simply pop off like fireworks. The Weasley's flying Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secretscar brings back warm fuzzy memories of Disney's original Flubber films. The rich clever little touches of magic (a howling envelope, spoon clock, self-cleaning cookware, etc.) will bring you right into the picture along with Harry and cronies.
Columbus deserves praise for the pace and telling of Chamber. You'll be drawn in at once and never let go. The story develops respectably, building confidently to its ending. In fact, the first climax (or climax tease) presents perhaps the film's biggest mar. I won't mention more as not to spoil, but this sequence plays needlessly "Hollywood." Additionally, a series of coincidences pitting Harry as the bad guy seem rather tedious concoctions. But, I suppose, these are the fears of teens/pre-teens. Which reminds me of a fine scene in which a child has her feelings hurt over some name-calling -- very appropriate conflict material for this predominately children's film.
But the film does many other things well. An egomaniac professor (Kenneth Branagh) with his brag book "Magical me" lights the screen via electric vanity every time he's in frame. The quidditch game reprise is always good for a ride and I also enjoyed the tree vs. car fight sequence.
Mostly fun, somewhat enchanting, and at a few turns -- surprisingly spooky. Spiced with amusing magical details and seasoned with a mature pace, "Harry Potter Chamber of Secrets" is a fine choice for audiences of all ages.
"Harry Potter" is that rarefied species of film I call "critic proof." No matter how the critics weigh in, "Potter" will rake in beaucoup bucks and establish itself as this year's big-money prize winner. Unfortunate, considering the latest installment of the J.K. Rowling mega-series is a watered-down, CG-saturated nod to moviemaking convention.
The easy charm of the original has turned sour this time around. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Hogwart school chums Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) have grown bigger, but not a whole lot wiser. Harry still possesses his powerful, often uncontrollable gifts of wizardry (which are repeatedly put to over-the-top tests), Ron is relentlessly goofy and Hermione leads the charge in artless smarts.
Enthusiastically embarking on their sophomore year at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the trio is reunited with headmaster Albus Dumbledore (the recently deceased Richard Harris), Professor Minerva McGonagall (Maggie Smith) and Professor Severus Snape (Alan Rickman). Not to mention Slytherin bully Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) and gentle giant Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane). A new addition to the eclectic administrative staff is Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh), a narcissistic instructor in the defense against the Dark Arts.
Quiddich continues to reign supreme on the playing field, and a bevy of eccentric spirits roam the grand halls. But someone has inadvertently opened the numinous Chamber of Secrets, unleashing a sinister terror that threatens to destroy legendary Hogwarts once and for all.
"Potter" is filled with the delights that only a pricey computer system can offer. On the plus side, there's mincing sidekick Dobby the House Elf (think Yoda with low self-esteem), mischievous Cornish pixies and the miraculous living mandrake root (affectionately known as mandragora officinarum), whose high-pitched scream will destroy its listener. Unfortunately, the action is so dense with frantic activity -- flying cars, giant spider attacks, sinister snake battles and the lot -- that's it's hard to see the forest for the trees.
Naturally, Harry and company go mano a mano with his arch-nemesis, Lord Voldemort (the evil wizard who murdered Harry's parents), in between homages (which feel more like grand theft) to "Star Wars," "Gremlins," "E.T.," and "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Even the score features the all-too-familiar essence of John Williams.
"Potter" suffers from the "Toy Story" Syndrome -- meaning it's virtually impossible to rekindle the delightful sense of discovery that highlighted the first installment. And at a bloated 161 minutes, it's nearly impossible to stay awake.
I was not onboard the Hogwarts train of praise of the first Harry Potter film. It wasn�t a bad film, just one I felt lacking in the overall magic thanks to a botched final act and several moments where the special effects were so below par that it was easy to squince when your eyes should be wide open in wonder. The prospect of sitting down to another two-and-a-half-hours (plus eleven) of a follow-up to a so-so children�s film that failed to delight me like the great flights of fancy of my youth didn�t exactly strike me as the potential for time well spent. But when it was all over, I could easily proclaim the Chamber of Secrets as a vastly superior film on every level, one that I�ll be willing to devote more time to again and again in the future.
The film begins in-between semesters at Hogwarts as Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is still having trouble receiving mail at the Dursley household. Warned by a visiting Elf named Dobby (a rather impressive CGI creation, voiced by Toby Jones) not to return to school as danger awaits, Harry is subsequently rescued from his barred-in existence by best friend Ron (Rupert Grint). They hightail it to class in his dad�s flying car where all the regulars, including Hermione (Emma Watson) await for a brand new adventure.
Seems someone has begun to petrify members of the school and it may have something to do with the legendary Chamber of Secrets that is rumored to reside somewhere on campus. Is there yet another rogue element on the teaching staff and does it have anything to do with the introduction of a pair of splendid additions to the character list? One of them being Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs), father of Harry�s archrival, the Arian youth candidate known as Draco (Tom Felton). His sneering presence is counterbalanced by the appearance of Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh), incoming teacher for the defense of the Dark Arts whose fame and vanity precedes him.
The adult cast of Harry Potter already consists of some of the greatest character actors a movie lover could only hope to compile in a film fantasy league. From Richard Harris to Maggie Smith and Alan Rickman to Robbie Coltrane, the appendage of Isaacs and Branagh only culminates the possibility for extra smiles just to see them walking into the frame. Branagh�s performance in particular is one of the most enjoyable of the year. As the man who loves to smile just to see himself smile, there is not a wasted tick, breath (or smile) with him. So consummately hilarious is Branagh that he deserves a second, third, fourth and fifth look come Oscar time. Here�s hoping he gets nominated. One would be remissed though without giving yet another mention to the late, great Richard Harris whose speech to Harry about his bird, a phoenix, and its ability to rise from the ashes is liable to have fans choking back a healing tear or two.
The accomplished cast is only the frosting though as I would never dream of taking anything away from the youngsters who have to carry this film on their small shoulders. Radcliffe is really starting to mold himself into the Harry Potter we want to root for instead of just coasting on the name recognition of his character, which was about all the original film gave him. It�s unfortunate to see Watson�s screen time diminished in the final hour, but Rupert Grint more than makes up for it with a masterful blend of comic timing and the best fearful nuances since the Cowardly Lion. I do hope that in the later adventures, Ron & Hermione will get a chance to help Harry battle the final villains, but hope even more that filmmakers and author J.K. Rowling will allow us the chance to watch these actors fulfill these roles for all seven of her proposed stories. What a rare treat that would be.
Director Chris Columbus and his team of filmmakers either settled into their mammoth assignment or learned from the mistakes made with the Sorcerer�s Stone, because there�s no getting around that every aspect is an improvement. The flying effects which so hampered the original Quidditch sequence must have received a program upgrade because the match this time between Gryffindor and Slytherin is astounding. Save for an occasional obvious blue screen shot, this is the exciting realization of the sport we�ve been waiting for. In fact, all of the action in the Chamber of Secrets is exciting, especially Harry�s final confrontation with �the monster� which is about as fluent as visual effects get. Cheers to Columbus for not shying away from making this battle dark and even a bit bloody. Some parents may look upon it as being too violent, but this is exactly the kind of �PG-rated� fantasy I grew up with (notice Columbus� pseudo-homage to his Gremlins script with the mischievous blue pixies) and frankly, nightmares get a bad rap. They build character.
Behind frightened eyes or not, this is great entertainment for kids of all ages. Artifacts and presences from the first chapter all make cameo appearances (the invisiblity cloak, spells, Diagon Alley) and add a sense of familiarity instead of all the overburdened setup that we had to endure the first time around before this series could really start evolving into something special. Such a great time I had with chapter two, that I find myself now torn with the opportunity to rush out and read the third book in eager anticipation of what happens to Harry, Ron and Hermione next or to wait until June of 2004 when The Prisoner of Azkaban will be released in theaters. While I would never advise someone NOT to read a book, having not become ensconsed with Rowling�s novels before the films myself, I find it best to starve myself. After all, it took a year to go from so-so to greatness. Only imagine what 19 months can do for incoming director Alfonso Cuaron when he tackles what many circles call the best book of the lot. With the Chamber of Secrets to keep me company though, the wait will be time well spent.
Director Chris Columbus bows out of the "Harry Potter" franchise with a competent, workmanlike effort that retells JK Rowling's plot but fails to capture the novel's spirit or essence.
The second film in the cinematic cash cow sees Hogwarts students Harry (Radcliffe), Ron (Grint), and Hermione (Watson) try to uncover the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets.
As a series of students become petrified - turned to stone, that is, although very young audience members might find themselves equally scared by some intense set-pieces - everyone wants to know who's leaving mysterious messages about the imminent arrival of the "heir of Slytherin".
As panic starts to spread, the wand of suspicion points directly in Harry's direction...
In fairness to Columbus, the special effects here will have you reclining in your seat, admiring the spectacle. Unfortunately, the film's pedestrian pacing won't get you on the edge of it.
As with "Philosopher's Stone", the main pleasure comes from the all-star adult cast: Kenneth Branagh is note-perfect as vain Dark Arts teacher Gilderoy Lockhart, while Jason Isaacs camps it up to great effect as the villainous Lucius Malfoy.
Another success comes with the CG Dobby (voiced by Toby Jones), a self-flagellating elf whose attempts to help Harry only hinder.
Alas, while the elder thesps shine, some of the younger actors have a mugging rate rivalled only by your average inner-city.
The one exception is Emma Watson, who captures know-it-all Hermione's character perfectly.
Ardent fans of the book - especially those under 16 - will find much to enjoy here, with the Death Day Party and a sub-plot about Percy's love life the only major cuts from the novel.
The less committed, however, may find the magic failing to do the trick second time round.
That noisy thumping you hear halfway through the latest Harry Potter movie comes not from the film itself but from scores of beleaguered parents taking their kids to the restrooms. Prepare yourselves: The movie is long, too long, longer than lines for popcorn and sodas, way too long for squirmy little kids or adults with fragile bladders to sit through without twitching.
But, strangely, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets doesn't feel quite so lengthy as its predecessor. And while it still falls short of becoming the classic fans so badly want it to be, the film is livelier and better overall than The Sorcerer's Stone, mostly because J.K. Rowling got all that tiresome exposition over with the first time out.
We know who everybody is: The younger performers, some of whom appear to have hit puberty, seem slightly more relaxed in their roles, and the obnoxious, tedious Dursleys take up less screen time (truly, if I were going to make cuts, that's where I'd start).
It's the second year at Hogwarts for Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), and, not surprisingly, there's danger afoot. Harry's having trouble just getting to Hogwarts: A house elf called Dobby appears in his bedroom to warn him that he must not go back to school.
Harry being Harry, he heads off anyway, with the help of Ron, his twin brothers (who simply aren't in these films enough) and an unpredictable enchanted car. But Dobby's right: Danger does lurk at Hogwarts, where students are being turned to stone, and Harry comes face to face with an unpleasant possibility about himself and where he belongs.
The Chamber of Secrets is not as good as the two books that follow it -- most readers will agree the best is The Prisoner of Azkaban -- but a lot of what's clunky on the page is handled more deftly on the screen.
The enchanted car takes on a whimsical personality, and an encounter with hungry spiders is much more tense than you might suppose (and a lot more fun than the ones in the recent Eight-Legged Freaks).
Dobby, however, falls only slightly above Jar Jar Binks in cinematic likability. Memo to whoever films Book 4: Do us all a favor and write around him.
It feels once again as though more attention was paid to adhering to Rowling's story line than to creating something different, something new. The fear of offending fans stands in the way of true movie magic here.
Still, there are undeniable pleasures. Quidditch seems quicker and more dangerous; the Hogwarts sets are the stuff dreams are made of. The floating candles of the dining hall, moving staircases and talking portraits make this second trip to the castle worthwhile.
There's a near-tragic lack of Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall and Alan Rickman as Professor Snape, but the late Richard Harris gets a couple of sweet moments as the kindly Albus Dumbledore. It's impossible not to feel a tug when he explains that his pet phoenix has died but will be reborn in the ashes. Dumbledore will be reborn, it's true, but we'll miss Harris.
It's Kenneth Branagh, though, who steals the show as the vain, foolish Gilderoy Lockhart, this year's (bad) choice as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
Whether releasing fierce Cornish pixies into a stunned classroom or flamboyantly brandishing a wand during a demonstration with an annoyed Snape, Branagh looks as if he's having good old-fashioned, hammy fun. The film roars to life when he's on screen; he's so much less subdued than everyone else that it's almost a shame to focus on the kids.
But, then, The Chamber of Secrets is for children; isn't it? So back to the children we go. Just prepare for the thunder of little footsteps in the theater before Harry triumphs again.