Harry Potter Returns To Hogwarts What Will The Second Year Bring?

Almost one year ago we waiting on pins and needles to see what was called the film of the year. With bags of freshly popped popcorn, overpriced sodas and assorted tooth rotting candies we made our way to our seats to be treated to one hell of a film. With all that was contained in the first film one had to wonder if the second installment would be as captivating, visually stunning and entertaining. Two hours after viewing the film I can only say one word to sum up my take on Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets, and that word is breathtaking. From the start of the film to the last second I sat with my brood – spellbound, enchanted and utterly mesmerized by this magnificent slice of movie magic.

While the film is long it far surpassed my wildest expectations. Harry Potter And The Sorcerers Stone laid the groundwork for this film as well as the sequels to follow. If there was one complaint about the first film it was the length but I never complained once. I was too busy sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened next. Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets doesn’t have to introduce a bulk of the characters, explore the background of Harry Potter and his bloodline or the general background of Hogwarts – that was done in the first film. This allows the The Chamber of Secrets to start off with everyone primed and informed so you are getting a lot of action and adventure for your money.

The Plot

Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger are all returning to Hogwarts for their second year of education. Even before they arrive at the school, strange little things start to happen. Dobby, a house elf, arrives to warn Harry that he shouldn’t go back to Hogwarts this term. The mystery of the Chamber of Secrets isn’t touched until the students arrive at the school – and by then – the groundwork for an impending disaster has already been but into motion. Students are being rendered helpless – left in a petrified state. Harry starts to hear strange voices which are then accompanied by bloody messages scrawled on the walls. This puts the professors on edge and throws the whole school out of sync. There are several plots running along side each other but they don’t clutter the film in the least. The one thing that you never stop wanting to know is – who is the heir to Salazar Slytherin? Who is the one person that can unlock the Chamber of Secrets?

The ongoing feud between Malfoy and Potter is brought to light a few times – but it’s never really given a chance to evolve into anything menacing. They have a small encounter at the bookstore during Lockhart’s book signing, at the dueling club and once again on the Quidditch field. These little altercations are brief but effective in reinforcing the bad blood between the two.

The Chamber of Secrets plot line involves Tom Riddle, a student from 50 years ago, Salazar Slytherin’s creation of the chamber and his eventual departure from the school. The actual location of the chamber isn’t revealed until the last part of the film but when it is made known – a lot of the smaller pieces of the puzzle start to fit together. Once Harry, Ron and Lockhart make their way into the chamber you are taken on a great adventure where all the secrets are eventually reveled. It took me a couple of minutes to figure out the relevance of the book and how Riddle figured into the plot but after my son leaned over and pointed out a few things I missed during a food run I was up to speed.

The Important Details

My sons have all read the book and I begged them not to tell me the important pieces that would more than likely be included in the film. This of course fell by the way side when the Lego sets started to roll out and I was almost clueless as to who the new characters were, the relevance of a sock and what the big secret was about some chamber. Through this film you’ll learn some history about Hogwarts, mainly about Salazar Slytherin and why he created the fateful ‘Chamber of Secrets’. You’ll also get some details about Hagrid, the Malfoy bloodline and the use of the term ‘mud blood’. In many respects this film is both a sequel and a prequel – charging forward from the first years adventures but at the same time providing information about things that happened in the past.


The Cast & Characters

Harry Potter Daniel Radcliffe
[Harry Potter And The Sorcerers Stone]

Potter is still being tormented by his family when the film starts. No longer confined to the cupboard under the stairs he now resides in his cousin’s unused bedroom. Just because he isn’t locked up under the stairs doesn’t mean that he is treated any better by his aunt and uncle – they still regard him as a nuisance and never let him forget that they took him in and “cared” for him. This helps to cement Harry’s bond to Hogwarts and why he fights so hard to defeat the unseen enemy that lurks in the shadows.

Radcliffe played the main character in the film but never pushed his role to the point where it overshadowed everyone else. Even when his character was in the spotlight it never seemed as though his ego was out of control. Potter was under pressure from all angles upon his return to Hogwarts – living up to his family name, warnings from Dobby [the house elf], Malfoy as the Slytherin Seeker and the manifestation of magical talents he was completely unaware of. Even with his larger than life bloodline he still maintained a rather meek existence – the best example of this is when he introduces himself to Mr. Weasley.

Hermione Granger Emma Watson
[Harry Potter And The Sorcerers Stone]

Looking a tad bit more mature and a little less rough around the edges, Hermione returns for her second year at Hogwarts and plays a key part in solving the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets. We first see the new and improved Granger when she crosses paths with Harry Potter in Diagon Alley. One has to wonder if there will be a budding romance between them or if the shy and awkward Ron Weasley stands a chance.

Emma Watson was just as impressive in this film as she was in the first. Her character wasn’t as visible and didn’t get as much screen time as Radcliffe or Grint but she still did an astounding job. Her sharp wit and one-liners were missing from this film but that could be chalked up to her having lived through her first year at Hogwarts and having made true friends. I wish they would have shown a bit more of this character in the film – but even when Hermione is out of the picture – her actions still help to solve the mystery.

Ronald Weasley Rupert Grint
[Harry Potter And The Sorcerers Stone]

If I had to pick one characters that absolutely made the film – it would have to be Rupert Grint as Ronald Weasley. His reaction to situations, facial expressions and overall nervousness help to balance out Potters easy going approach to things and Grangers high strung episodes. He’s Harry best friend and while he is a little weak in the knees he does show a tremendous loyalty to him in the most dire of circumstances. Grint is the faithful sidekick that is perfectly happy where he is. Sure he dreams of having a new robe or better broomstick but he doesn’t dwell on it. In this film Ron is given a little bit of breathing room – he’s no longer the youngest Weasley attending Hogwarts – that honor goes to his little sister Ginny. Outside of the breakfast that Harry shares with the Weasley family at the beginning of the film – the family unit really isn’t touched upon. It’s Ron that sets out to save his sister while his older brothers are barely mentioned after the term starts.

Professor Dumbledore Richard Harris
[Orca, Patriot Games, Gladiator]

Another character that isn’t seen nearly as much as in the last film. Dumbledore must take on several small fires at the school – Lucius Malfoy’s attempt to have him removed as headmaster, the accusation of Hagrid’s involvement with the opening of the Chamber of Secrets, missing and petrified students and the overall safety of the professors and students of Hogwarts. Much like his performance in the last film, Harris kept his character calm, cool and collected – even when lives were in danger. Lucius Malfoy seeks to have him removed from his position at the school to try and weed out the impure magic families and almost succeeds. Harris’ role in this film was one of his last before he past away October 25 of this year. It is a true shame that he will not be carrying on the role of Albus Dumbledore in upcoming sequels but he will be remembered for years to come as the soft spoken, kind but firm handed headmaster of Hogwarts for generations to come.

Gilderoy Lockhart Kenneth Brabagh
[Othello, The Gingerbread Man, Celebrity]

This character was a real shocker for me. I never expected him to turn out to be a major player in the film. Lockhart’s biggest claim to fame is winning the Witch Weekly’s Most Charming Smile award. Regarded as a joke by the men and a total creampuff by the ladies, Lockhart gets by on his looks, mass appeal and ability to charm the pants off of almost everyone he meets. It isn’t until Ginny Weasley is taken by the unseen monster that Lockhart shows his true colors and is forced to either put up or shut up.

If you have then minutes to spare make sure you hang around until after the credits are done rolling – you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of what Lockhart has been up to after his memory spell backfired on him. This little extra is only about a minute long but is good for a chuckle. The boys didn’t want to sit and wait through the credits so I had to bribe them with popcorn – something that really seemed to tick off the concession people that had come in to clean up the floor and prepare for the next viewing.

Hagrid Robbie Coltrane
[Buddy, GoldenEye, Nuns on The Run]

Hagrid’s character finally got some background information. In the first film it’s mentioned that he isn’t allowed to do magic outside Hogwarts but it’s never revealed why he had limited use of his abilities. Through a flashback sequence you see the events that lead up to him losing his privileges and how those actions come full circle to Lucius Malfoy’s plans to rid Hogwarts of non-pureblood witches and wizards. Maybe it’s just me but Hagrid’s character doesn’t seem as lovable as he was in the last film. He still has a very good relationship with Hermione, Ron and Harry but these four characters seem a bit distanced from each other during a bulk of the film.

Professor Snape Alan Rickman
[Die Hard, Galaxy Quest, Dogma]

Snape is one of my favorite characters for many reasons. On one level he is dark and sinister but at the same time genuinely cares for all of the students of Hogwarts – not just those in Slytherin. There were a few scenes in the film where I half expected him to come to the aid of Potter and company – but the farthest he got was defending Harry when Groundskeeper Filch’s cat turns up petrified.

Snape’s character wasn’t as prevalent in this film as in the first and that is a true shame. Rickman was the perfect pick for the first film and does an astounding job as the arrogant and obnoxious Snape. One of the best scenes was the dueling match between he and Lockhart. You could literally see Snape’s egotism when he cast his spell – then again Lockhart isn’t exactly a formidable adversary when it comes to applied magic.

Draco Malfoy Tom Felton
[The Borrowers, Harry Potter And The Sorcerers Stone]

I really expected Draco to have a larger part in the film. From the previews and chatter on message boards it seemed like a large portion of the film was dedicated to defining the bad blood between the two students. Yes, there were selective battles that were addressed in the film but Draco’s character is a little more sinister than what was revealed in this film. Felton has matured a bit and has lost the baby face glimmer that carried him through the first film. You do get to see a little of his dark side during the dueling match and on the Quidditch field but not nearly enough.

The relationship between Lucius and Draco was never really addressed in this film. Lucius was portrayed as being a mean, overbearing and controlling figure that demanded nothing but the best from his son. This would have helped to explain why Draco was as sinister and controlling but alas, this was never covered. It will be interesting to see where the relationship between Potter and Malfoy goes in the next film. Since both of them are advancing in the realm of magic, education and Quidditch at the same rate you have to wonder when they’ll have the big face off.

Lucius Malfoy Jason Isaacs
[Black Hawk Down, Event Horizon, Windtalkers]

Isaacs was just as creepy and devilish as I expected however I do think Julian Sands would have been the best pick for this character. Seen in only a few scenes through out the film, Lucius’ role is nothing short of embodied evil. Wanting to purge Hogwarts of those that were not born to pure wizarding families, Lucius tries to have Dumbledore removed from the position as headmaster to seize control of the seat. Isaacs did a great job with the character but could have been a bit more reserved in his actions – this would have added a little bit more suspense to the film.

Lucius Malfoy is arrogant, conniving, mean spirited and controlling. Much of his personal traits are starting to manifest in his son Draco. One interesting thing that I caught was the control issue between Draco and Lucius. If you watch the film closely [as well as recall scenes from the first film] you’ll see Draco treating Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle the same way. Part of this is the Slytherin influence and part from the way he was raised. Draco’s mother, Narcissa, was never mentioned in the film – it would have been interesting to see how he would react to his mother being on the school grounds or in the bookstore during Lockhart’s book signing.

Dobby

Not in my wildest dreams or most demented nightmares did I ever think I would come across an elf that was into self-abuse. Poor Dobby. This poor little house elf is first seen when he warns Harry Potter to not return to Hogwarts. Through the course of the film he tries to warn Harry several times but they all seem to backfire and put Harry into hot water. It isn’t until late in the film that the facts about Dobby are discovered as well as some of the strange things that happen to Potter during the course of the film. Dobby’s best scene has to be when he is trying to warn Harry and starts beating his head against the closet door when he almost speaks ill of his master. That scene caught me completely off guard and had the entire theater in hysterics.

Dobby’s character could have easily been completely removed from the film if it weren’t for the inclusion of Lucius Malfoy. It’s just my opinion but I think that the anger and aggression that Lucius manifests towards little Dobby is used as an example of the relationship between Draco and his father. If Lucius is that unforgiving and mean towards a house elf – one can only wonder how he treats his son when he is disappointed in him.

Dobby was just one of the many examples of how the special effects were used in the film. They weren’t over used or too outlandish and it’s because of this that the films plot was allowed to really develop and take the center stage. The special effects are there but since you were already exposed to the Hogwarts castle, small spells and charms [floating candles, bewitched ceiling] and changing staircases – these elements of the film aren’t as impacting as they were in the first film. One of my favorite scenes involved the underbelly of the Chamber of Secrets when Harry first sees the massive stone snake heads – reminded me a lot of the wizards chess scene from the first film.

The Weasley House

One unexpected little treat was a trip to the Weasley house via the enchanted car. It was nice to see a little bit of background about the family, the introduction of Mr. Weasley and the crush that little Ginny has on Harry. Once again we are treated to a delightful performance by Julie Walters as Mrs. Molly Weasley. One of the best scenes in the film is the screaming letter that arrives for Ron while at Hogwarts reprimanding him about taking the car [again]. Being able to see the humble home of the Weasley family gives the film a little bit of depth and lets you see where they come from. What they lack in money they more than make up for in love.

Like Visiting An Old Friend …

On thing that absolutely makes this film a success is the familiar intrinsic qualities. The enchanting music featured in the first film is once again brought to life. Hermione fixing Potters glasses, the great feast in the dining hall, Hagrid and Fang – it’s these little glimpses of the first film that are included in the second that give you a sense of actually belonging rather than being an outsider looking in. While I was watching the film I was just as excited as when I watched the first film but the small subtle throw backs to The Sorcerers Stone provided a very nice transition from the first installment to the second.

The Bottom Line

Its rare that a sequel makes more of an impact than the first film – only a handful of films have been able to do that [Austin Powers, Alien]. If you fell in love with the first film chances are you will go head over heels with this one. If you haven’t seen the first film yet, I highly suggest that you view it prior to seeing Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets so you’ll know the characters, basic background of Hogwarts and previous events. If you’ve read the first book you’ll have enough knowledge to see this film without hitting too many roadblocks – but – you will have to allow some time to get to know the characters and stars of the film. Overall this is one of the best films I’ve ever seen. The special effects were nice but weren’t a mainstay of the film. The characters, plot and background scenery all flowed seamlessly allowing you to sit back and enjoy two and a half hours of pure entertainment.


As always, thanks for the visit …

^V^ Freak ^V^

© 2002 Freak369