Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Movie Review:


Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Just back from watching it at a preview and how do I start this review off? Do I come straight out and say I loved it ? Or do I simply regurgitate details from it ? Or do I coldly start at the start of the movie and work from there over analysing it?

I guess what I'll do is a bit of all the above. Let's start then by comparing it to the first one. The Chamber of Secrets is a much darker and scarier movie. I can easily see young children finding it hard to sleep after returning home from seeing it. The Philosopher's Stone was way overlong, and yes The Chamber of Secrets suffers from the same problem of being too long.

And why am I saying it is too long, why criticise a movie that dares to make us watch for more than 90 minutes, the usual children's movie length? I felt that the first hour was little more than set up for the final two hours, if I had came in at that point I do not feel my enjoyment of the next two hours would have been in any way less enjoyable.

And, oh yes did I enjoy those final two hours. We are served up mystery, suspense, dark, action, laughs in plentiful abundance. And most importantly we CARE for the characters, they have came on in leaps and bounds from the first movie. Yes Daniel Radcliffe was slightly wooden (and who wouldm have blamed him with the weight of expectation on such young shoulders) in the first movie, but he has grown so much with this one and truly leads the movie. Rupert Grinch comes roaring up a close second with some wonderful face pulling in certain scenes (at tense moments) that is both touching and extremely comedic.

And Kenneth Branagh, I must say when I was reading the book, after knowing he had been cast as Lockhart, that I had a sneaking suspicion he would be excellent in the role and he was, suitably camp.

Richard Harris, must be mentioned of course, a very fitting final movie for him, again showing poignancy, depth and wisdom. Truly one of our greatest actors, a great loss.

Jason Isaacs steals, nay obliterates every scene he deigns to show up in. In yet another turn as the "bad guy" of the movie he positively delights in being slimy and sleazy.

Now the tone of the movie, I could not have expected a movie for children to be so dark, and so moving. I won't describe any of the actual scenes, but is this really the same director who directed Mrs. Doubtfire? I can honestly say I hope he returns to direct the fourth part. His direction no longer feels like he is going through the book and trying to make sure he doesn't mess it up, instead it felt that he had completely clicked with the material and was working as if he loved it, instead of just recreating it and missing out some of the magic that was there in the book.

What else do I want to say about the movie , STAY TILL THE VERY END! I won't say why, just do.

Dobby, sorry to mention Jar Jar Binks, but it's appropriate, they are both pretty pathetic characters, by that I don't mean in their CG, just in their nature. The important difference is WE care for Dobby, more time seems to have been spent on what the character will do in the movie rather than the simple act of getting it on the screen.

I gues I'll start wrapping things up now, by simply stating that The Chamber Of Secrets is a fine movie that really does start to draw you into the magical world of Harry Potter, a world that is different to ours, but not so different.

I could go on and on about the things to be enjoyed at the movie, but is a review about that, isn't it surely to give you a flavour of it, to make you want to go and see it? I hope this does.

Gary Gray

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