Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
We are back on the Harry Potter run, with the second film in the series! Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets brings us back to Hogwarts
We are back on the Harry Potter run, with the second film in the series!
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets brings us back to Hogwarts for another year of magic, mystery, and danger. I was pretty excited to see where the story would go after the first film. Right from the start, you can tell things are a bit darker this time around, and the stakes feel higher with all the strange things happening at school.
The film starts off with a lot of that familiar magical vibe, but it doesn't take long before things get creepy - students start turning up petrified, and no one knows why. I loved how the mystery built up, which kept me interested. Dobby, the house-elf, makes his first appearance here, and while he’s adorable, his constant warnings to Harry got annoying for me (maybe those were meant to be annoying). Still, he adds that quirky charm that keeps the movie from getting too serious.
One of my favourite things about this movie is seeing how much Harry, Ron, and Hermione have grown. Their friendship is tighter, and they’ve definitely come into their own. Hermione, as usual, is the brains behind the operation, figuring out key clues about whatever’s happening at Hogwarts. Ron keeps things light with his humour, and one of the best highlights for me is Rupert’s expressions. For every scene, the way he reacts to things is just brilliant, especially the one where he faces his fears! And Harry - well, he’s braver than ever, especially when he faces that giant snake. And a special mention to Kenneth Branagh's performance as Gilderoy Lockhart. It was so fun to watch him as the Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts!
"Fame's a fickle friend, Harry... Celebrity is as celebrity does, remember that."
— Lockhart's dubious advice to Harry Potter
Now, I won’t lie, this movie does feel a bit long. There are parts in the middle where things slow down, and I found myself waiting for the action to pick up again. Some scenes felt like they dragged a little too much, and by the time we got to the big showdown, I didn’t feel as excited as I wanted to be. The final battle was cool to watch, but it didn’t hit me as hard as I’d hoped.
Smash Hit Score: 6/10
Overall, Chamber of Secrets is a fun follow-up to the first movie, but it doesn’t quite capture the same magic. The change in tone, from the first film, is great, but the pacing threw me off here and there.
