If you enjoy the book, you'll enjoy the film; otherwise don't bother

Rating: 5/10 (9 February 2003)

Not a fan of the Harry Potter franchise, I really did not want to see this film. My boyfriend on the other hand was itching to see it. Being the generous hearted person that I am, I bought two tickets for him as a present and accompanied him to the cinema.
My feeling is that if you enjoy the books, you'll enjoy the films which are basically an on-screen illustration of the book. The success of the film depends on the viewer having seen the original or at least be familiar with the story so far from reading the Philosopher's Stone'.

The Chamber of Secrets' has its moments with some memorable scenes (Ron Weasley vomiting slugs; the flying car scene and another Quidditch chase). The special effects are also good; Dobby the house elf is an impressive creation whose computer-generated animation integrates convincingly with the live action. Julie Walters as Ron Weasley's mother and Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart are perfectly cast and provide a lot of the fun in the film. To me, where the film is lacking is in the child leads I just cannot bring myself to care about what happens to them.
So, having watched two of the Harry Potter films, I'm afraid to say that I'm still not a converted fan of the series. I fail to see the charm of the stories that seems to captivate readers and viewers in the thousands and actually find the whole Harry Potter concept boring. This feeling is accentuated by the fact that the film is over two hours long which in my opinion is way too long for a kids film.