A fantastic sequel in all meanings of the word

Rating: Null/10 (11 November 2002)

As with it's predecessor, this film is fantastic (in all meanings of the word). This is one of those rare films where a sequel meets or exceeds the film it succeeds.
The cast (as with the last film) are truly outstanding in their roles. The casting director really deserves a LOT of the credit for the success of these films. Even the bit actors and actresses are exceptional. One sad note is that this will be the last Harry Potter Film with the current cast. Richard Harris (who played Albus Dumbledore) passed away recently, Chris Columbus (the director) has decided to withdraw from the series and the 'in crowd' buzz is that the trio of child-stars who starred in the first two films have reached puberty and will be too old to maintain the believability of the character ages for the third and remaining novels and will be replaced in the remaining films. If this is true, I would be reluctant to see the remaining films as I've become so enamored of the current cast and cannot imagine enjoying a "Bewitched Darren moment" when cast members suddenly change without in-plot reason and the audience is asked to pretend it hasn't happened in a film series as good as this one has proven to be.
The CGI is again outstanding. The effects vary from the utterly blatant (giant spiders, ghosts, magic, and a frightening basilisk) to the subtle (moving pictures on the wall, tattered owls, and a red-eyed cat) and convey just what they are supposed to without overwhelming one with the "HEY! LOOK AT THIS!" presentation of most big budget special effects.
This movie runs 2 hrs and 50 min. so don't drink the kidney-buster soda before the film begins. There is no nudity, and no conventional American profanity, but there are some pretty frightening scenes with the giant spiders and the basilisk and some creepy corridor scenes that might frighten younger viewers. It might be a good idea to leave the pre-schoolers home if they are easily scared or prone to nightmares.
Overall, this film is a great sequel and should not be missed by fans of the first film. While seeing the first film is not absolutely necessary to enjoy the second, it does add a LOT of information that the second film takes for granted the audience is already familiar with. If you have not seen the first film, it would be well worth your time (and a lot of fun regardless) to watch the first film before going to see the second.
Go see Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It's as good or better than the original film and it picks up right where the last one left off in fun, quality and enjoyability.