I'll see you in chambers

Rating: 6/10 (29 November 2002)

Mesmerizing... hypnotic... spellbinding. And I awoke after each episode wanting more... sleep!
Though I am not a Potter fan, I enjoy a good story. Not having read Ms. Rowling's tales, I felt the need for a synopsis or perhaps subtitles. Though the theater was filled with kids, I should have brought one of my own to make this experience meaningful. My son refuses to go for fear of spoiling his image of the books. A good strong cappuccino may have helped but a more engaging script would make that unnecessary. Sophomore syndrome? Perhaps. Or a DVD version that I could rewind after each snooze and employ subtitles.
Memorable scenes? There are a few, like Harry's right arm going flaccid (if you haven't yet seen it, it's not because of that!), the attack of the spiders in which they used a traditional special effect (darkness) and Dobby, a technically captivating elf whose episodes of self-flagellation are overdone.
I'm not wild about Harry as you can tell. They haven't picked up on my "lack of diversity" criticism from the 'Sorcerer's Stone' - unless I slept through those segments. My favorite character returned - the wizard hat - though his lines were severely cropped.
Don't get the impression that I am trying to discourage you from seeing this Harry Potter film. Just do so under the correct conditions. For me, that would be with a kid, before noon, accompanied by a caffeinated beverage, subtitles and a chamber pot. It's nearly 3 hours long!