I really loved the original HARRY POTTER film -- enough so to put it on my top 25 for last year. Looking back on my review of it, I gave it 3 1/2 stars, which in our revisionist times I'm saying is now 4 stars. (If George Lucas can change STAR WARS and have Greedo shoot before Han Solo than I can change my rating of a movie.) I liked CHAMBER OF SECRETS quite a bit, even though it didn't blow me away like the first one did.
This may be due to the fact that the plot structure is basically the same. This time around the Hogwart's School is being plagued by a menace that is petrifying the students and it's up to Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) to figure out who's behind it. Harry, along with his friends Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint), tries to uncover more information about the mysterious Chamber of Secret, which the teachers are very hush-hush about. However, the danger seems to be following Harry especially and we believe the dire warnings of Dobby the House Elf (voiced by Toby Jones, EVER AFTER).
The real delight of the film is the added details that have expanded the wonderfully immense world that was created in the first installment. I especially loved the plot element about mud-bloods. Elitist Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) calls Hermione one and she is devastated, because it's a negative term used to describe a person whose parents aren't witches or warlocks. Kind caretaker Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane, FROM HELL) comforts her by telling her that it’s a word not spoken in polite society and that it doesn't matter because she is a fine witch. Details like these help develop the characters further, as well as give a more nuanced feeling to the world.
Another highlight is the new characters. Dobby was my favorite. The totally CGI animated character had a mischievous charm that was endearing and I loved his reactions to doing things he isn't supposed to do. Then there's Gilderoy Lockhart played deliciously by Kenneth Branagh (DEAD AGAIN). Gilderoy is a cocky celebrity wizard, who performs quite a bit less proficiently that his PR says he does.
CHAMBER is a thrilling sequel that lives up to the original and builds on what we've seen before. The more we learn about how important Harry is the more we can see that his world is only going to get harder and harder. With this film harsher than the first film, I hope the films grow-up along with the characters. This is a series that I'm going to enjoy coming back to for years to come.
- My opinion has changed on this one, check out my new thoughts in the Upon Further Review item.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
