A satisfying second installment

Rating: 8/10 (31 March 2012)

Harry is back in the second installment of Harry Potter, also directed by Christopher Columbus. Puberty is beginning to start for both the fictional characters and real kids, and they will be forced to be even more daring than before.
Harry is anxiously awaiting his return to Hogwarts, desperate to get away from the Dursleys. He is more than surprised when a strange looking creature (a house elf) named Dobby appears in his room to tell him he must not go back to school. Dobby warns that Harry's life will be in danger if he returns, and gets him in enough trouble so that the Dursleys lock him in his bedroom. Luckily Ron and his twin brothers Fred and George (James & Oliver Phelps) rescue Harry in a flying car to take him to their home. Harry feels much more at home in the Weasley house with the warm parents (Julie Walters & Mark Williams) and slew of kids. There are some new faces at Hogwarts this year, including Ron's little sister Ginny (Bonnie Wright), the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh), who talks more about himself than the defensive spells, and Draco's equally arrogant father Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs). Harry, Ron and Hermione are still happy to be back in school until some strange things begin to happen, and several residents of the castle become petrified. The explanation is that the legendary "Chamber of Secrets" is opening again. The Chamber is a hidden tunnel in the castle where one of the four founders of the school, Salazar Slytherinâ€”a known muggle-hater, is said to have hidden a monster that would kill all muggle-born students. The Chamber can only be opened by the heir of Slytherin, and everyone has their own ideas about who that might be. Dumbledore and the other professors are concerned for the safety of their students, and Hogwarts is in danger of being closed. That is of course unless Harry, Ron and Hermione find the Chamber of Secrets, the monster, and the heir who opened it.
This is a decent film, and matches well with The Sorcerer's Stone. It is the longest of all eight films at nearly three hours, and can sometimes be hard to sit through all the way. However, the length allows it to be quite loyal to the book which is a definite positive. The acting has clearly improved, especially for Daniel Radcliffe. The audience gets a good establishment for Harry's relationship with the Weasleys and Dumbledore, as well as Ginny's crush on Harry. This is, in my opinion, the only film where Bonnie Wright acts sufficiently. Lucky for the viewers too, because this is probably the film she has the most to do with the plot. Kenneth Branagh is hilarious as Professor Lockhart, and Jason Isaacs also does a good job of playing Lucius Malfoy. Sadly, this is also the last film that Richard Harris is able to play Dumbledore. For many fans, Harris is the superior Dumbledore and I would have to agree. His whimsy, expressions and subtle humor are done so naturally it's almost like the role was written for him. The set and wardrobe are the same from the year before, and still fantastic. The plot is carried over well, the new characters fit in great, and the kids are truly becoming Harry, Ron and Hermione. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a good follow up to the first film.