The Magic Continues...

Rating: Null/10 (17 July 2014)

The on-screen adaptation of the sequel to Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone takes us on yet another whimsical journey of magic & wonders and covers Harry Potter's second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry. Also, although it is a pretty faithful adaptation of its source material, it doesn't add anything new at all to the world we already witnessed in its predecessor and simply moves the story forward without providing any improved feeling of freshness or excitement.
Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets begins with Harry Potter being warned by a house-elf against returning to Hogwarts which, as obvious, he ignores. With friendship getting stronger & rivalries becoming more intense, the second year is full of surprises for our young wizard but Hogwarts soon turns from Harry's safe haven into a gravely dangerous place when the Chamber of Secrets is mysteriously opened & more people end up getting petrified by a curse. And once again, it all comes down to Harry Potter to save the day.
Directed by Chris Columbus, this sequel comes from the same cannon Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone came from, considering that there isn't any noticeable change in the film's outlook or feel. The screenplay follows J.K. Rowling's novel closely for the most part but it's a little tiresome affair this time & runs a little longer than it should have. Rest of the filmmaking aspects are mere re-enactment of the previous chapter although John Williams offers a more evolved score to go with the film's events.
Coming to the performances, the child actors exhibit a little improvement in their given roles but there are moments featuring them that are still silly & annoying. Visual effects are a bit dated just like its predecessor and it just doesn't have the tension despite being a fairly grim story. Also, the climax is a bit too predictable, even for those who haven't read the book. Fortunately, not everything is bad here as the humour is wonderfully timed, the set pieces still hold up well & it boasts few impressive sequences.
On an overall scale, Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets can be argued as a better or weaker sequel to the first chapter but for me, this was simply an exercise in monotony that could've benefited from a slightly enhanced presentation. Alas, it still manages to keep the magic alive although the effect of the spell wearing off can clearly be noticed. Neither better nor worse but very much on the same scale as its predecessor in my opinion, Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets is worth a watch, at least once.