Review of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) by Christopher E — 20 Aug 2017

Even though it's still geared for children, the second film in the franchise is a great transition as it starts to get a little more darker, deeper, and even emotional.

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) return for a second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where Headmaster Dumbledore (Richard Harris), Professor Snape (Alan Rickman), Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith), and Hagrid the Giant (Robbie Coltrane) are joined by new faculty members Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh), a self-centered expert in Defense against the Dark Arts, and Sprout (Miriam Margolyes), who teaches Herbology. However, it isn't long before Harry and company discover something is amiss at Hogwarts: Students are petrified like statues, threats are written in blood on the walls, and a deadly monster is on the loose.

Out of all 8 films, this was probably the film I was least looking forward to. I don't know why honestly. Maybe it's because I didn't remember anything about it, or maybe because it nearly hit a 3 hour runtime. Either way, like its predecessor, it was actually a really nice surprise. Not only did I have a decent amount of fun with it, but I found some parts starting to get emotional. I think it's still more of a kid's movie in the end, but it's certainly a fun ride.

One thing this movie serves well as is another fun adventure where we can see our characters grow up a little bit more. You start to learn a little bit more about who Voldemort is and all the pieces start to fall together a little bit more. It still doesn't focus on that plot, rather, it's own subplot. I didn't think the subplot of The Chamber of Secrets was as interesting as it could've been, but it was effective in the progression of the growth of our characters.

There are some moments in here that are still kind of cringe worthy and eye rolling. They're moments where it probably is geared toward kids, but it's non sensical and it makes you groan a little. There's not a ton of these moments, maybe a handful at most, but when they happen, it's painfully obvious. That really does come down to the way the story is told and what they were trying to go, but if the characters used a little common sense in the film, it might've saved some otherwise "eh" moments.

Like I said in my other review, the Blu-Ray rendition actually looks pretty good. As expected, this movie is 15 years old. Not all the CGI will be top notch, nor will the visuals be perfect. But the quality still looks good, and this still holds up well in 2017. It didn't always feel like I was watching a movie made in 2002, which is a big credit to Chris Columbus and everyone else involved.

In the end, this film was a nice surprise, and exceeded expectations. Again, it's not perfect, but it sure is a solid film in the "Harry Potter" franchise.