Harry Potter & The Chamber Of Secrets (2002) - Close To Polished Perfection

After going back to revisit the first instalment in 4K, it felt right to go back over the rest of the Harry Potter film series. And having been thoroughly impressed by how well the first film held up after 20 years, I have high hopes that Chris Columbus can build on his hard work with the second instalment. And that's exactly what you get with Harry Potter & The Chamber Of Secrets.

Now, would I say this was a perfect film? No, it too has it's minor issues, but it is very close which is exceptional for the second film in the series. Every aspect that was handled well in the last film is again handled well and in most places built upon and improved. A key area of improvement is the film's visual effects. I previously mentioned that the CG work in Philosopher's Stone stood out in comparison to the practical work, possibly due to a quick turnaround in production. But it is truly surprising that the visual effects has improved in the matter of a year. The practical work is still stunning work, but even when put side by side with it, the CG is a huge step forward, which would continue to occur over the 10 years that production on this series took place within.

The story continues to move along at a brisk and engaging pace, while continuing to develop Harry's journey, and expanding the mystery of this overarching narrative. We begin to unravel more about the franchise's overarching villain, delves deeper into history of Hogwarts, and while the narrative does follow the same level of fantasy whimsy as the first film, there is a definite shift in tone, where we begin to see more of the dark twists and turns that will unfold within this narrative.

Columbus continues to get incredible performances out of the young leading cast, and it's clear how much development there has been in the talents of Radcliffe, Watson and Grint. They are now comfortable in their respective roles, and are now able to expand their range as actors to help give their characters more energy. Huge credit should be given to Rupert Grint, who's lively facial expressions are on full display here, and makes his screen time even more entertaining. Watching him and Daniel Radcliffe perform their scene in the flying car in the first act is always a treat to behold, and is an excellent demonstration of the improvements the film makers had made in such a short period of time.

My only disappointment with the cast comes in two forms. A small point being that this is Richard Harris' final appearance as Dumbledore before his tragic passing. It is a real shame that he never got the chance to explore his character further, and give us more hours of his terrific portrayal as this popular character. But despite this tragic loss, he ends his brief time with the Potter franchise on a strong note, giving more of the calming and warm character that cinema goers and readers alike have grown to love. Harris leaves behind big shoes for Michael Gambon to fill.

The only other issue is how underused Bonnie Wright is as Ginny Weasley. Her character is a key part of this story, and continues to play an important part in the forthcoming stories. But alas, her character isn't given the time to properly develop here, nor is she properly fleshed out in future stories, but I will elaborate on this further when covering the later films. Bonnie was perfect casting for Ginny, it's just a shame that non of the film makers properly made use of her.

So, while the improvements may seem small, it's safe to say that Harry Potter & The Chamber Of Secrets is a step in the right direction towards getting all the key factors right. The only areas which still felt lacking would be the way some characters would be handled and portrayed on screen. But it will be up to other directors going forward, with Columbus' time with the franchise ending after this film. But it's safe to see the hard work and passion he put into these two films being evident from the start. Without Columbus' hard work, the world of Harry Potter may not have started off so well!

SCORES

Story - 5/5

Characters - 4/5

Production - 5/5

Acting - 4/5

Music - 5/5

TOTAL - 9.2/10