Weakest of the series: still pretty good though

Rating: 8/10 (12 November 2009)

In both the book and film universes of Harry Potter, Chamber of Secrets is the weakest, having the weakest story and the one which doesn't seem to fit in with the wider arc. But as a film Chamber of Secrets still works as an entertaining family film.
After a summer of no contact with any of his friends from Hogwarts Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) ends up finding a strange creature in his bedroom, a House-elf called Dobby (Toby Jones). Dobby warns Harry that he is in danger if he returns to Hogwarts. He ensure Harry is trapped, but is saved by his friends Ron (Rupert Grint), Fred and George Weasley (James and Oliver Phelps). Harry and his friends soon return to the school, hoping to continue his education. But strange things start to happen, with students end up getting petrified, and a warning written in blood, suggesting that all students from muggle families. There is a major threat to the students and to the school, with suggestions that it would be closed down. Harry starts to even doubt himself, with many of the students suspecting him because he has the ability to talk to snakes. Harry, Ron and Hermione (Emma Watson) set out to investigate and stop whoever or whatever before someone is killed.
Everyone returns to the film, with Kenneth Branagh joining as the publicity hungry wizard Gilderoy Lockhart who becomes the new defence against the dark arts teachers, and Jason Issacs as Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father. Jason Issacs is excellent as the horrible wizard and ex-follower of Voldermort. With the younger actors they all improve, with Daniel Radcliffe improving the most. Rupert Grint and Emma Watson do still suffer a little from their inexperience. The adult actors are really good, but Richard Harris does seem ill, and he sadly dies after finishing this film.
Chris Columbus is a decent director, he has a workmanlike approach. He tires to play to his strength, family friendly comedy. They are some good jokes, some verbal, mostly visual and physical. He also show more confident involving CGI and special effects. The final third has an very good climax, but the ending itself does drag. But Columbus doesn't know how to shorten the film. Despite Chamber of Secrets being one of the shorter books, he makes the longest film. He needed to cut off some of the fat for the film. Just because something works in the book, it doesn't mean that they would work in the film. Columbus may be good at dealing with light subject matter, but he is not so good at handling darker elements of the story. He took the right step to let Alfonso Cuaron direct the third film as the stories get darker. Columbus often skips over dark elements or doesn't know what to do with it. A good example would be the idea of prejudice and a type of racism in wizarding world, an interesting idea, or Dobby's self-harming.
As already mentioned the book was also the weakest out of all of J.K. Rowling's series. It has the weakest story, offering nothing new. It was filler until the next book which is one of my favourites in the series.
Good fun for families and Potter fans, but wouldn't convert anything who isn't a fan.