After a long summer with the horrid Dursleys, Harry Potter is thwarted in his attempts to board the train to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to begin his second year. Still, all this seems like a day in the park compared to what awaits Harry that fall within the haunted halls of Hogwarts. Chilling, malevolent voices whisper from the walls only to Harry, and it seems certain that his classmate Draco Malfoy is out to get him. Soon it's not just Harry who is worried about survival, as dreadful things begin to happen at the school. The mysteriously gleaming foot-high words on the wall proclaim: "The Chamber of Secrets Has Been Opened. Enemies of the Heir, Beware." But what exactly does it all mean? Harry, Hermione, and Ron do everything that is wizardly possible, including risking their own lives to solve this 50-year-old, potentially deadly mystery.
Based on the second of J.K Rowling’s hugely successful books, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets follows on from the first film, as Harry prepares for his second year at Hogwarts’ School. After he ignores a warning not to return, students are attacked and Harry starts to hear strange voices. The young wizard sets out to unravel the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets. This second adaptation is a decent sequel which sticks pretty close to the first in terms of acting, scripting and style. It has some great action sequences and top quality effects, which can’t fail to impress, and the film is made better by being slightly darker and edgier. The pace is a bit slow though, and while it entertains, the film could have been punchier and more to the point. Luckily performances such as those of Rickman and Brannagh liven up the film and compensate for the moments which drag.
decent sequel
Posted: 06 December 2008