In his latest adventure with his school chums from Hogwarts, Harry Potter unravels the mystery of The Chamber Of Secrets. And in the world of Hogwarts, this Chamber Of Secrets threatens to close the school forever.
I have not read the Harry Potter books personally, so I come to you with a pure, unbiased look at the film itself. Looking back on Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone, I can say that The Chamber Of Secrets is a much more whimsical film then the first.
In the first film you deal with a ton of introductions of characters, locations, friendships, and the world of Hogwarts. In Chamber Of Secrets, we get right down to business and jump right into a story that is both compelling for adults and children. The tone is this story is a lot darker than the first which fares very well for more mature audiences, and in my opinion makes for a better movie. Kids will enjoy this film just as well, but with more graphic imagery than the first, parents might want to be a bit more cautious about bringing the really young kids along.
The cast of the first film returns for this second adaptation of J.K. Rowling's novel and does a tremendous job once again. The cast is a bit older now, but this does not show through in any of their childlike innocence. In addition to the original cast returning, we are introduced to new characters like Lucius Malfoy, insidious father to Draco Malfoy who plays a heavy antagonist in the film.
We are also introduced to an all CGI character named Dobby. Dobby fares well, acting along side of Daniel Radcliffe and the others, and though we might be getting used to all CGI characters, ALA Star Wars, Dobby is no less annoying. He bounces around like a cartoon and his speech is a notch above the dialect of Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars: Episode I.
When a CGI character isn't holding up on screen, we tend to see it as cartoony, or unrealistic, which severs the point of reality and fantasy, which then prevents you being drawn into the story. We are reminded that we are "watching a movie" which in turn keeps the audience at bay instead of making the story believable. With that said, Dobby, in The Chamber Of Secrets does blend better then any previous CGI character in a film yet.
The special effects in the film are outstanding. Taking the effects up a notch, ILM have really showed us their strengths in this film. Effects are blended seamlessly into each scene with the actors. This is proven in scenes like the Spider Cave sequence, the Flying Car bits, the Cornish Pixies scene, and of course the infamous quidditch game.
The legendary John Williams lends his skills yet again to the Harry Potter sequel. Like the first film, we are lead through the perils and triumphs of Mr. Potter through a score written that can only be classified as "magical". The ultimate fare in a magical, yet adventurous film. I think this score does a much better job then the first film because it lends itself more to the overall darker tone of the film. This only brings the story closer to us, and in turn plants the Potter seed deeper within. Pure genius.
Chamber Of Secrets is exactly what I wanted. This is the type of movie that makes people fans of movies in the first place. It has magic, action, adventure, and overall mystique. If you have never read a Harry Potter book, or even seen the first film in the series, have no fear...The Chamber Of Secrets stands tall on it's own two feet. The film is fun, intriguing, and will draw any audience member straight to it's core. The Chamber Of Secrets is EXACTLY what the movies is all about.
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