Difficult to recommend to anyone other than Harry Potter fans

Rating: 5/10 (10 January 2006)

This movie is difficult for me to rate. On one hand, it remains faithful to the book. On the other hand, despite being well-acted, with some good use of CGI, the Chamber of Secrets is often frustratingly dull and never really picks up until the final fight scene but then the movie slides back down into dullness again.
Those who have read the book know how exactly the plot will turn out, but I will give a brief synopsis: Harry, after escaping the wrath of his twisted aunt and uncle and meeting a persecuted house elf who tries to stop him from going to Hogwarts, heads to Hogwarts anyway and finds that a 'horror' is lurking the school, targeting certain students, thereby arising talk about the Chamber of Secrets. Harry, Ron and Hermione (inevitably) must find out what's behind these 'attacks'.
There you go. That, I reckon, is more entertaining to read than what actually happens in the movie. Most of the time, it plays out like a desperately dull episode of Law and Order, with the students finding out who the 'murderer' is through several clues and happenings elsewhere. It is like the whole book played out on screen, as such, each 'attack' is too thinly spread to create the interest that the film wants to coerce out of the audience.
The acting, as ever, is pretty good. The actors who play Harry's aunt and uncle are suitably evil, while 'Dudley' is appropriately mean-spirited. Daniel Radcliffe, Hermione Granger, Rupert Grint and Tom Felton do well as Harry, Hermione, Ron and Malfoy, while Jason Issacs delivers a cold turn as Malfoy's father.
The CGI, may I add, is quite good. The realism in Dobby and the Basilisk is almost eerie, as is the blood that pours out of the basilisk. No doubting that this is a well-made film.
As I have said above, the only time when the movie gains impetus, however, is when Harry fights the Basilisk, however, that scene comes too late to reverse the dullness that precedes it. It's a shame really, as The Philosopher's Stone and The Prisoner of Azkaban are both pretty good movies.
Maybe the fact that I dislike the book affects my outlook on this film. Now to the most pressing question: do I recommend the Chamber of Secrets? No, as I find it difficult to think of anyone who is not a Harry Potter fan getting real entertainment out of this film.
See it only if you are a Harry Potter fan.
2.5/5 stars