Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (2002)

3 out of 4

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Kenneth Branagh, Jason Isaacs, Christian Coulson, Robbie Coltrane, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman

Director: Chris Columbus

Time: 161 mins

The first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone, was, not surprisingly, a huge box office success, with some US$970m in worldwide receipts. Now comes the next film in the series, Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets. Though I had not read Sorcerer's Stone when I saw the film last year, I have now read books 2 (Chamber Of Secrets), 3 (Prisoner Of Azkaban), and 4 (Goblet Of Fire). Chamber Of Secrets is considered by many to be the weakest book in the series, and I concur with that assessment. While there's nothing essentially wrong with the story, it lacks the magical discovery of Sorcerer's Stone, the intrigue and chills of Azkaban, and the grandeur of Goblet Of Fire. The film of Chamber Of Secrets remains as faithful to the source as Sorcerer's Stone was, and while this may not necessarily be a bad thing, the film sometimes lacks the kind of passion that infused Peter Jackson's monumental adaptation of that other fantasy legend, The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring.

The story is the second in a projected series of seven. Famous boy wizard Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), he of the scarred forehead, is spending the summer with his despised Muggle (non-magic folk) relatives, the Dursleys. When a magical house elf by the name of Dobby appears in his bedroom, warning him not to return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and then causes some mischief, Harry is confined to his room by his Uncle Vernon. Pretty soon, however, he is reunited with his best friends, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), before heading back to Hogwarts. There an all-new set of adventures awaits them, involving spiders, a mysterious diary, a moaning ghost, and the ominous Chamber of Secrets. A cast of characters old - Professors Dumbledore (the late, great Richard Harris), McGonagall (Maggie Smith), and Snape (Alan Rickman); gentle giant Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) and Harry's rival Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) - and new - Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh), the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs) - join and hinder them in their adventures.

Being the second book (and film) allows Chamber Of Secrets the luxury of having to dispense with character introductions and background exposition. The film pretty much jumps straight into the narrative, assuming the audience is already familiar with Sorcerer's Stone. The first hour is funny and fast-paced, but also oddly disjointed. While I went into the first film not having read the book, and was enchanted by the whimsy and magic of Harry's world, the opposite situation is true here, and as such I was more interested in seeing how the story and some favourite moments translated to the screen. With returning director Chris Columbus and screenwriter Steven Kloves again trying to cram as many events from the book into the film as possible, the story jumps from one event to another during this first hour, with little of the smooth flow from the novel. Once the Chamber Of Secrets takes over the main storyline, however, the edits are smoother, but the pacing slows, with perhaps too many expository scenes (a necessary evil, though, given how the novel unfolds).

Direction and faithfulness to the novel aside, the film does improve on Sorcerer's Stone (the film) in many aspects. The special effects, especially, are better, with a wonderfully rendered Dobby and a quidditch match that feels less computer-generated than the one in Sorcerer's Stone. Since there's less of a need to dazzle the eyes than in the first film, the effects are there more to serve the story than the other way around (the story serving the effects is an altogether too familiar and disappointing aspect that George Lucas has perfected in his latest Star Wars movies), and are better for it. And the finale to the movie, when the monster in the Chamber of Secrets is revealed, is a thrilling experience.

The performances of both the young and older cast are more assured, as well. Daniel Radcliffe is growing into the role of Harry quite nicely, and his confrontations with the Malfoys, Draco and daddy Lucius, are highlights. Though his voice has broken, Radcliffe is compelling enough that it doesn't distract. Rupert Grint, who, as best friend Ron, was a delight in Sorcerer's Stone with his constant, doubting frown, seems to have gone overboard in the facial expression department. That frown has turned into a caricature, but he still provides some of the film's funnier moments. Emma Watson, as Hermione, is more charismatic and less bratty in this instalment, too, though there is a curious reunion near the end when she hugs Harry but only shakes Ron's hand. Perhaps this is a portent of things to come (and people who have read the books will know what I mean). (Incidentally, the standing ovation at the finish for one of the characters was also a little jarring - perhaps again this is a portent of things to come, but I don't think any revelations regarding this character in the next two books necessitated an ovation in this current film.)

The returning adult characters (Harris, Smith, and Rickman) are excellent, again, though Rickman's Snape has painfully little on-screen time. The major new additions are Branagh as the vain Gilderoy Lockhart and Isaacs as the evil Lucius Malfoy. Both chew the scenery beautifully, with Branagh perfect as the foppish Lockhart. There is a scene showing a painting of Lockhart painting a portrait of himself (who else?) that is very funny. And Isaacs, who has been memorable in films like The Patriot, hisses with the best of them.

Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets is a good adaptation of the book. As a film, it is technically better than Sorcerer's Stone, though there are, again, some pacing issues. Also, I was a Potter initiate when the first film came out last year, but I have now read the books, and, as such, have different expectations going into these new films. However my perceptions are coloured, rest assured that Chamber Of Secrets is 150+ minutes of cinematic escapism and entertainment on a grand scale. Personally, I am very much looking forward to Alphonse Cuaron's (Y Tu Mama Tambien) treatment of Prisoner of Azkaban (to be released in 2004), which, for me, is the best in the Potter series.

(c) Joe Wong (17 November 2002)