Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets Review
Posted by Ian Challis on 11.14.2002
Harry Potter and friends are back in the second installment of this popular film franchise. Does the sequel live up to the hype?
Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets
Release Date: November 15th, 2002
To use a well-worn cliche, you’d have to be living under a rock to not know of the second coming of Mr. Potter and friends; Daniel Radcliffe’s mug has been plastered over multiplex foyers for weeks now, and the toy retailers have been cranking up for a mammoth run on vibrating brooms and the like since July. As an avid fan of the Potter stories, I personally have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of this second stab at an H.P movie. With that said, I’ll spare you the usual scene setting and tell you this: the runaway mine-train that is Harry Potter will NOT be halting anytime soon, regardless of this film. All we can do is wonder just how enjoyable the ride is going to be. On with the review...
It’s bespectacled gipper Harry Potter’s second year at Hogwarts’ School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry, and as you would expect things aren’t as rosy as Harry may wish. A pre-term visit from wide-eyed house elf Dobby (voiced by Toby Jones) gets proceedings off to a bad start: Dobby warns of a terrible danger awaiting Harry at Hogwarts, and tries in vain to stop the junior wiz returning to school. Harry, being the plucky little chappy that he is, ignores the gloomy prediction and heads off to Hogwarts with best mates Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), and-naturally-it’s not long before he’s regretting taking Dobby’s warning so lightly. Potions Master Snape (Alan Rickman) and the slimy Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) seem intent on making his life as Hellish as possible, vainglorious Dark Arts tutor Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh) is really getting up his nose, and he has to cope with Ron vomiting up slugs after a curse goes horribly wrong. But these worries pale into insignificance when students start popping up petrified n the corridors, the victims of an unseen monster that has been released from the sinister Chamber Of Secrets. Circumstance and unfortunate coincidences point the finger of blame at Harry, and he finds himself in a race to clear his name before Hogwarts is closed for good...
The existence of an adoring fanbase and an overflow of pre-release hype will ensure that this blockbuster will sail comfortably into the profit margin, but unfortunately commercial success often does not mirror cinematic merit. It pains me to say that, although a significant improvement over the workmanlike Sorcerer’s Stone, Chamber Of Secrets is still not the Potter adaptation that JK Rowling’s novels deserve; director Chris Columbus has obviously taken heed of the old saying "Don’t frick the formula", as many of Potter One’s shortcomings carry over to this installation. The first hour in particular unfolds weakly, with the exception of the delightful Mark Williams as Ron’s dad Arthur and the enjoyable Ford Anglia sequence; we lurch from scene to scene with little set-up or anticipation, and characters come and go with no real introduction. Had Columbus not placed all the emphasis on plot over persona, this slipshod approach to the narrative wouldn’t be such an issue; however, with the film initially populated by underdeveloped characters, we are left with little to do other than try and follow the story. Thankfully this particular problem vanishes as the film picks up speed and the plot unfurls, and it roars into it’s final act with considerable verve and tension. This is first major improvement over it’s predecessor; the climax of Potter One felt limp and perfunctory, but here there is real tangible danger to be found. And once the narrative picks up it’s pace, it really is quite gripping, although the final impact is somewhat dampened by Columbus’ choice to drip-feed the audience cloying sentimentality.
Where the film is let down again, however, is with the leading trio. As Potter, Radcliffe is less a complex hero and more an irritating little bastard, a near-perfect goody-two-shoes who will seemingly never get his comeuppance. And his acting is wildly inconsistent; one minute Radcliffe is totally believable as the tough-as-nails teen, the next you’re balking with disbelief as he tries to emote. Emma Watson suffers much the same fate, although through no fault of her own; the Hermione character is an odd one that veers between annoying and sympathetic, and Watson does her best with the rather sketchy material. Grint is, as before, fabulous as Ron, but the few moments he is given to shine are ultimately inconsequential. Thankfully the young stars have a Grade-A safety net. The supporting cast of adult thesps (and the excellent Tom Felton as odious student Draco) all fill out their roles marvellously. Rickman, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane and Richards Harris all ease effortlessly back into their personas, and Jason Isaacs makes hay with the part of Lucius Malfoy, Draco’s oily father. Kenneth Branagh is also a hoot as the narcissistic Lockhart, archly sending up his preening self-image. The scenes between the older players are true high-points of acting which shine through amidst the greater volume of school-play performances.
The film also picks up a major advantage in it’s numerous thrilling set-pieces; this tale’s Quidditch match is an enormous improvement over Sorcerer’s choppy affair, with seamless effects, stunning chase sequences and some nice modifications to Rowling’s original description. A welcome addition, too, is the extended giant spider scene (giving Grint a chance to really show off his comedic timing), and Harry’s final battle with the monster from the Chamber uses time-tested techniques to ratchet up the tension. It is a pity that Columbus is not as adept at storytelling as he is at set-pieces; had the skills demonstrated in these sequences been applied to the entire film, the end product would be outstanding.
When all is said and done here, my opinion is not going to matter one jot. Chamber Of Secrets is destined to rake in amazing amounts of cash, and in many ways it deserves to; the film plays perfectly towards it’s target audience of preteens, providing laughter and scares in equal amounts. It is such a shame, then, that those behind the movie are so frightened of taking the necessary risks to attract a wider audience. In the case of Secrets and it’s brother, these risks are no chore to avoid. But a word of warning to the WB: Take great care with Prisoner Of Azkaban and Goblet Of Fire. A little darkness, doom and gloom can be your friend, and light-hearted is not always the way to go. Don’t fall into the trap of repetition, and Potter No.3 may just be the awesome film we’re waiting for.
The 411: A film of soaring highs and eye-rolling lows, Chamber Of Secrets is as inconsistent as it’s lead performer. Every plus point has it’s negative counterpart, and that may put off some. But the great adult performances, some fine acting by Grint and Felton, the amazing set pieces and a genuinely spine-tingling final hour just about make this a worthwhile watch, for parents and kids alike. Recommended.
