Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

• Chris Columbus brings forth another whopper of a movie. It’s such a great follow up to the first movie, with the same lighthearted and colorful tone (for the most part). I think there are definitely some bits that are darker than the first movie, but it fits the ages of the characters very well. As the series goes on, the movies mature, just as the viewer does. It works perfectly. I often forget how nostalgic these movies are for me. From the opening shot, you can’t help but smile and remember how awesome these movies are.  The movie does a great job of being accurate to the book, though, obviously, a lot of the book is left out. I love how this movie really introduces (young) Voldemort in a great way. You begin to get a taste of his raw power that we later see in the series. It’s also cool to see much more of Hogwarts, as well as the history behind it. Getting to see more of the magical community is also great. The characters are of course awesome in their return, with very strong performances. Some bits of it still feel a bit cheesy (like the first movie), but the actors are still very young, so that’s what you’d expect. It also adds to the easy tone, which proceeds to get more serious. Specifically, I really liked the main three, as well as Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, Kenneth Branagh, Toby Jones, and the late Robbie Coltrane. I mean, as Harry himself said, “There’s no Hogwarts without you, Hagrid.” Anyways, the acting is fun yet serious when it needs to be. The CGI and effects were much improved from the previous movie. The basilisk is freaking sweet, and one of my favorite book/movie monsters ever. It’s so hard not to like a giant snake with huge teeth. And speaking of freaking sweet, John Williams delivers another perfect score. It’s fun, action packed, mysterious, and even downright creepy at times. There’s one particular scene (when Harry first writes in the diary) where the music legitimately scares me, and there’s been times where I skip the scene because of how it makes me feel. No movie has ever done that to me (except the previous movie, where Harry is in the Restricted Section). Overall, this movie is absolutely fantastic, and I’d highly recommend it to all magic/fantasy fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!