Review of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) by Wayne K — 24 Nov 2016

Harry Potter is going back to Hogwarts, despite one of the films many irritating characters advising him not to do so, and reunites with his eclectic group of friends and acquaintances. For me, it's much less fun than the first instalment, instead being far more annoying, confusing and overlong.

Most of the new characters just pad the runtime and are a grating presence, the story isn't as interesting as the first, the actors' delivery is still pretty awkward, and there's just so many unanswered questions.

Why would a secret world have its entrance situated in a busy train station out in the open? And why does someone as smart as Hermione even need to be in school? The character of Malfoy, who is vying for the world record of how many times he can say his enemies surname in a condescending manner, is such a stereotypical bully that's its beyond unfunny, and he quickly becomes tiresome.

It does have its plus points, such as the excellent effects, brilliant set designs and a great sense of humour, but it falls well short of the bar set by The Philosopher's Stone. So far, it's my least favourite of the series.