The Moose Hole - 'Chamber of Secrets' Opens Fabulous Surprises

Rating: 9/10 (16 November 2002)

Released November 15th, 2002
Director: Chris Columbus
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Sean Biggerstaff, David Bradley, Kenneth Branagh, Alfred Burke, John Cleese, Robbie Coltrane, Alfie Enoch, Tom Felton, Julian Glover, Rupert Grint, Richard Griffiths, Richard Harris, Shirley Henderson, Joshua Herdman, Jason Isaacs, Gemma Jones, Toby Jones, Matt Lewis, Miriam Margolyes, Rik Mayall, Hugh Mitchell, Sally Mortemore, Devon Murray, Katharine Nicholson, Edward Randell, Chris Rankin, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Ed Tudor-Pole, Julie Walters, Emma Watson, Jamie Waylett, Mark Williams
Premise: Harry Potter (Radcliffe) has not had a good summer. Not only has he had to put up with his overbearing Aunt Petunia (Shaw) and Uncle Vernon Dursley (Griffiths) and their dread of his magical abilities, but it seems as if Harry's best friends Ron Weasley (Grint) and Hermione Granger (Watson) have forgotten him  as they haven't replied to a single one of his letters. Then, suddenly and mysteriously, house-elf Dobby appears in Harry's bedroom and warns of great danger if the aspiring wizard should attempt to return to Hogwarts. But Harry is not about to let his friends down and, with or without the support of Gilderoy Lockhart, he will confront the dark force lurking in his beloved school. The magical world of Harry Potter and his friends is revisited with the second film in the series. The original film, Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone, was met with a huge response. The film broke every record the box office held. Those record have since been broken by the release of Spider-Man but The Chamber of Secrets could offer a threat to the famous web slinger. The Chamber of Secrets is much different in that it is much darker then original which could alienate some of the key audience for the film. Will Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets follow in the steps of its predecessor or will it show that the original was just a mere fluke and change is not good for the series?
The story goes that Harry Potter has finally returned to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry after the long break, though not without much difficulty. Apparently a house elf named Dobby has reason to belive that great danger will fall upon Mr. Potter if he returns. When Harry does return, many strange things begin to happen. Harry hears voices in the halls, people are found petrafied and the rumored Chamber of Secrets has apparently been opened. This means big trouble for the children of mudbloods or those who have no parents of wizard/witch blood. It is up to Harry and his group of friends to protect Hogwarts from impending danger within the school itself. The story of The Chamber of Secrets is the best that has been presented in a film intended for children in quite awhile. The plot keeps the audience interested in every aspect of the movie and keeps them guessing at what is to come next.
The acting within the film was much better then in Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone. Those actors and actresses are much comfortable with their characters and that is quite evident within the film. Daniel Radcliffe is once again great as the lead character, Harry Potter. He showcases a broad range of emotions within the film which is rarely seen in a film intended for children. Richard Harris is fabulous in his last starring role as Professor Dumbledore. This is the perfect role for a legendary actor to go off on and Richard Harris does so with great flare and style. The only problem was the character of Rondald Weasley. There was no problem with the one who played him but the character itself. In the original film he was sort of mixed character but he has now been reduced to a comedic character, which is quite disappointing.
Overall, Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets is one of the best films of the year. The magical world of Harry Potter is brought back better then ever. Though the film was filled with much darker moments then the original, those moments made the film altogether better, They brought much more excitement to the film and made the audience feel more connected with characters and what happened to them. The story keeps the audience guessing at what is going to happen next though there were thought to be too many scares for the younger audience. Though the film is near perfection, there are flaws to it. The running time of the film which was two hours and forty minutes long seemed much too long for a film intended for children though it did help better tell the story. And the CGI character to add on the most annoying list is Dobby the house elf. 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 small squabbles, Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets is one of the best films of the year and raises the bar for films intended for children. The film is fabulous for all ages and is a must for those who don't visit the movie theater often. One of the few films out there that actually rises above that of the original film.
My Rating: ****1/2 out of 5