A positive comeback.

Rating: 7/10 (2 August 2013)

I am uneasy person with long sequels and I was prepared for a disaster when I started to watch the movie. I am not Harry Potter fan either so after the over-boring Chamber of secrets, my expectations towards this one were even lower. Luckily this part was a positive surprise. It was but a darker and more exciting sequel it was also funny to watch. It seems the creator team really paid attention to the details and didn't rush with this part same way as with the previous part.
The new creatures, "the demendors", were very interesting and frightening and gave the movie totally new power and danger. The overall tension of the film was also way darker than in the first two. This time the danger was something real and in presence all the time.
On the other hand the movie had not forgotten the humor either. The first episode in "real" world was refreshing and very fun to watch.
In the Chamber of secrets, the wonderful outdoors were more forgotten and we spent unnecessary long time inside the dark halls with little of interesting details. One of the few scenes outside in that one were actually inside a greenhouse which points out how forgotten the outside world really was.
This time we will see the wonderful visual side of Hogwarts once more and it is even more detailed than in the first one. The creator team seemed to have realized the infinite possibilities what kind of a world they can create and how well the nature can be combined with it. Along with the nature we will be introduced with several new interesting creatures of the wild too that all have their meaning and part in the movie.
The growing up of the actors bring the own spice to the movie. It opens up the chance for elements which were not possible with the children. It seems the old actors are starting to get used to with their roles since they felt more comfortable and seemed to handle their characters better than previously.
The biggest flaw with the old movies was the way most students were left behind and the "hero trio" seemed to have the spotlight on all the time although the events were supposed to affect the entire Hogwarts. This time that matter feels more logical because the danger is more centered to Harry Potter, not to the overall school life. Also the teachers seem to be more alive and actually take a contact with the events and the students. In the first movies they seemed to wish someone would get hurt.
It still doesn't mean the movie is perfect. It has its own flaws with some of its illogical and slightly paradoxical scenes. Also although the movie lasts for nearby 2½ hours, it still feels like it needed something more. It doesn't fill the idea of a complete feature film with the beginning, the halfway and the ending. To be honest the sign "to be continued" would have suited to the ending very well.
Overall the movie is a refreshing return to Hogwarts. The story has gained a new strength the actors are more confident with their characters. Also the atmosphere of the magical world lingers in the movie again. As a non-fan, I found this movie to be a far more successful sequel than the previous Chamber of Secrets.