Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Rating: 8/10 (14 March 2005)

The sequel to the highly successful family film, based on the popular books by J.K. Rowling is another great film, from director Chris Columbus (Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire). Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is still living with not pleasant relatives Uncle Vernon (Richard Griffiths) and his Aunt Petunia (Fiona Shaw) and their son, and in his house he meets Dobby the House Elf (Toby Jones) who warns him not to go back to Hogwarts this year. Soon enough Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and his twin brothers show up in a flying blue car to take him to their place. After staying with the Weasley family, including daughter Ginny (Bonnie Wright), mother Molly again (Julie Walters) and father Arthur (The Fast Show's Mark Williams), and before going back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, they pop to Diagon Alley. It is there that Harry is reunited with Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), Hermoine (Emma Watson) and unfortunately the mean Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton), with his father Lucous (Jason Isaacs). When they get back to Hogwarts, with getting through Platform 9 and 3 quarters and using the blue car, and after being told off, the lessons soon continue again. Teachers include Professor Pomona Sprout (Miriam Margolyes) teaching magic plant handling, and new teacher of The Dark Arts, who Harry met in Diagon Alley, the "famous" Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh). The second Quidditch game is good because Malfoy is against Harry as the new seeker. Later, terrifying things are happening to people, they are being petrified by something, and in a lesson with Professor Minerva McGonagall (Dame Maggie Smith) she explains about the note left on the wall, i.e. about the Chamber of Secrets. Later, Harry finds a diary belonging to someone called Tom Riddle, and through this magical book he sees a vision about who may be responsible, Hagrid! Oh, and Harry also finds out he can talk Parceltongue, like a Slytherin student, which comes in handy when they go looking for the beast petrifying everyone, the Basilisk. The Basilisk brings death to someone if they look in its eyes, it's only petrified those people because they didn't look at directly, i.e. reflections or through a ghost. Harry, Ron and Lockhart, who they found out stole all his stories from other wizards, erasing their memory, anyway they find the bathroom with the entrance to the chamber, and where Moaning Myrtle (Shirley Henderson) was killed by the beast, and Harry battles the blinded (by the phoenix) Basilisk, and Tom Marvolo Riddle (Christian Coulson, his name is mixed from the words I Am Lord Voldermort). The film ends happily with Hermoine and the other victims revived from being petrifying, Professor Albus Dumbledore (Richard Harris, in his last film before dying) returns from Azkaban prison (faulsly arrested), and Hagrid is applauded when Harry makes him one of the big helps. Also starring Alan Rickman as Professor Snape, David Bradley as Argus Filch and John Cleese as Nearly Headless Nick. It won the BAFTA for Best Feature Film (Kids' Vote) and it was nominated BAFTAs for Best Special Visual Effects, Best Production Design and Best Sound. Harry Potter was number 45 on The 100 Greatest Pop Culture Icons, but he was also number 35 on The 100 Worst Britons (the only fictional person, why?), and the film was number 24 on The Ultimate Film. Very good!