Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Review

by David N. Butterworth (dnb AT dca DOT net)
December 3rd, 2002
HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS
A film review by David N. Butterworth
Copyright 2002 David N. Butterworth

**1/2 (out of ****)

    The wizardly, bespectacled Harry Potter is back in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," a slick, sophisticated, yet surprisingly same-y sequel to last year's adaptation of the first of J.K. Rowling's growing collection of popular children's books. Back is Daniel Radcliffe as Harry and back are Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as his magical chums Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger,
respectively. Back too are the principals of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry--Albus Dumbledore (the late Richard Harris), Minerva McGonagall (Maggie Smith), and Severus Snape (Alan Rickman), with familiarity continuing in the guises of Hagrid the giant (Robbie Coltrane), Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton),
and Filius Flitwick (Warwick Davis). It's not all the same, however. In "'Chamber
of Secrets" we've got a cute and funny (and completely computer animated) masochistic
house elf called Dobby who, at the beginning of the film's overlong 2 hours and 40 minutes, warns Harry not to return to Hogwarts (Harry, of course, takes no heed--the plot from that point on revolves around the heir of Slytherin opening
the Chamber of Secrets). We've also got a vain and egotistical professor versed
as much in self-promotion as teaching defense against the black arts, nicely played by Kenneth Branagh. And we've got... well, that's about all that's new really. Director Chris Columbus is back at the helm and keeps things mellifluous
and magical throughout, as does screenwriter Steve Kloves. There are silly spiders and an even sillier snake attempting to top the troll in the original (they don't), there's a flying car and a phoenix rising from the ashes and another
Quidditch match, and there are bloody messages slathered on walls and mudbloods
and muggles and parcelmouths (refer to your H.P. Glossary for definitions). Similar or not, it's no secret that the Harry Potter franchise looks to be here to stay.

--
David N. Butterworth
[email protected]

Got beef? Visit "La Movie Boeuf"
online at http://members.dca.net/dnb

More on 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'...

---

Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.