The real first movie, in many ways

Rating: 8/10 (22 May 2016)

The Chamber Of Secrets is significantly better with each viewing. The film greatly improves upon the first installment's flaws, which those who read my first review will remember I said had too minor a focus on the main plot of the Stone and more focus on the world-building and exposition. This film's main narrative of the Chamber being opened again is much more present, Steven Klove finally finding a perfect balance between the bits of them interacting with the Wizarding World, and the bits of the main driving narrative.
Not only is the main narrative strongly written with great dialogue and a real sense of unraveling to an ultimate moment and climax, but its actually far more interesting when you view it again after seeing the later films and know the hidden information of the good guys' and bad guys' secrets. All of the plot threads that will last through the series are brilliantly put in place here so subtly but without distracting from the central narrative, such as the real reason Snape is so hard on Harry and Ron's poverty and Voldemort's prejudice against Muggle-Borns and the secret to his survival, etc. Heck, even the word Expelliarmus isn't said until this movie! In a way, since the essential tropes and aesthetic for the whole series aren't put in place until this installment, this almost feels like the real first film!
This film has aged very well, and I can honestly say that it gets miles better with each viewing. The secrets to this franchises' success have finally been opened!