Reviewing in Character Again

Rating: Null/10 (10 July 2003)

And so, here we are, at the second Harry Potter film. Ah, the memories of the adventure! Where, then, to begin?
Perhaps we should start with the magnificent title sequence. Throwing back to the classic Warner Bros. features of ancient years (80 of them, as a matter of fact), the first fade-in finds us flying through a cloud-filled morning sky. Coming right at us once more, as we knew it inevitably would, is the much-beloved WB shield.... but the flight doesn't stop there. As the shield does a perfect left turn up, some of the clouds part, revealing the film's title logo in all its glory, coming straight at us....
From there, we get on with the tale proper. Dobby's warning that Harry must not return to Hogwarts only makes him more determined to get to the bottom of this "plot... to make terrible things happen." Along the way, we meet a few new Hogwarts teachers, starting with Miriam Margoyles' deliciously silly Professor Sprout, who knows a thing or two about Mandragores. (Dolby Stereo can kill you? Consider the cry of the Mandragore first!)
But of course, it is Kenneth Branagh as ultra-vain Gilderoy Lockhart, the latest teacher in Hogwarts' most severe course, that of Defense Against the Dark Arts, who steals the show. When Harry and his sidekick Ron Weasley ultimately expose Lockhart as a fraud, one cannot help but wonder why Branagh's character chose that particular route, knowing that were he to attempt to rescue Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister, such a bid would only cause his failure.
The Quidditch match is more brutal than last time --- until you read between the lines about the rogue Bludger. It's not spoken of throughout the scene, but one can guess that Dobby was responsible for tampering with the Bludger --- a part of his bid to "protect" Harry from the "plot." Dobby's every move somehow becomes a series of mental puzzles that keep us guessing until Harry's final rematch with Voldemort, in his teenage form as Tom Marvolo Riddle, Jr. One hopes that newcomer Christian Coulson will have bolder, sexier and more action-packed roles like this one.
Oh yes, there's the little matter of yours truly, as embodied by Richard Harris. Pity that this was his last major role; I would have loved to have gone on with him as me. Still, not all of us can have what we want, and I certainly hope Michael Gambon will be perfect to carry on that proud ol' Dumbledore tradition when Prisoner of Azkaban completes production later in the year.
What, ultimately, to say about Chamber of Secrets overall? Well, I imagine it's just the perfect film for good dreamers. And, as the film comes to an end with a deliciously sumptuous "Welcome Back Feast," our Mr. Potter celebrates my good friend and gamekeeper as simply as possible: "There's no Hogwarts without you, Hagrid." Truer words were never spoken of a more honorable friend.
And so, if I may, a toast. Here's to happy endings --- Hogwarts style, of course!
Faithfully,
Dumbledore