Weaker than the first

Rating: 6/10 (28 August 2008)

As a rabid Harry Potter fan, I eagerly awaited this movie and I couldn't help but be disappointed. Naturally, since I've devoured all of the books, I had some ideas about how this movie should be and, as a result, came away feeling let down. It can't be said enough that the casting of these movies is masterful. Snape was never a particular favorite of mine and although I initially felt that Alan Rickman was miscast, he soon did away with all of my apprehensions. He is masterful as Snape. With the simple curl of a lip or a subtle change in the slant of his eyebrow, he can convey the sinister nature of Snape and his expressions are every bit as inscrutable as the Snape from the books. It was a pleasure to see that Rickman was not the only wonderful cast member to return. The actors do a wonderful job of really inhabiting their characters and the child actors have grown since the previous movie. The fact that they're the same actors helps maintain the continuity that is so important to the HP works as a whole. Not only are Harry and his friends growing in the books, so are the actors who portray them. Another very strong point of this movie was Dobby, a character I loved in the books. In spite of his odd and rather ugly appearance, there is something sweet and endearing about him. He's loyalty personified--even though he can be a pain in the rear. His voice was wonderful too and it was such a treat to see him move from the page and into "real" life. Jason Isaacs is another welcome addition to the cast of characters and he infuses Lucius Malfoy with cold, elegant menace. He's every bit as intimidating as Snape but with a thin veneer of charm and elegance. Isaacs really made the character come to life for me. Yet in spite of all this, what I sorely missed in this movie was the delicious humor that permeated nearly every page of the book. I've long felt that Chamber of Secrets is the funniest of the HP books but much of the humor was stripped from the movie in order to move the plot along. I felt that this did the story a disservice as humor so often proves such a saving grace in Harry's world.