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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
(Reviewed November 9, 2002)
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Even better than "Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone" (which made my "10 Best of 2001" list), this second installment in the series has a lot more plot and a slightly darker tone. I love the Harry Potter books, and so far I've loved both of the Harry Potter movies.
Director Chris Columbus and screenwriter Steve Kloves once again are extremely faithful to J.K. Rowling's original novel, managing to include nearly every important scene from the book. (The only exception worth noting: Near the beginning of the film, when Harry arrives in a seedy Nocturn Alley shop instead of in Diagon Alley, we don't see Lucius Malfoy disposing of Voldemort-related wizarding contraband there. Although we certainly don't need that scene to figure out that Lucius is less than upstanding...)
Kenneth Branagh is preeningly perfect as the new Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor Gilderoy Lockhart. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are as wonderful as last time around in their roles as the Harry, Ron and Hermione (although it's sometimes possible to see their ages change from one not-shot-in-sequence scene to another). Dobby, the computer-generated House Elf, looks and sounds better than I had imagined when reading the book; I was afraid he might end up sounding like the dreaded Jar-Jar Binks (GOD FORBID!).
Some scenes in the movie actually may be "too intense for young children," as they say, but this is entirely in keeping with the book. In fact, I can't wait to see these movies get even darker and creepier with books three and (especially) four.
And here's a tip: Be sure to stick around until the end of the credits for a surprise treat: a short bonus scene that everyone who has rushed to leave the theatre will have missed!
Back Row Grade: A
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