Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Director: Chris Columbus
Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Kenneth Branagh, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, Shirley Henderson, Miriam Margolyes, David Bradley, Jason Isaacs, Fiona Shaw, Richard Griffiths, Julie Walters, Mark Williams, John Cleese
Certificate: PG
Running time: 161 minutes

You'll no doubt be aware that Harry Potter fever is upon us once again……..it's something that is difficult to avoid. The second film in the franchise has hit the number one spot in no less than 8 different countries on the opening weekend of it's release, and has been setting box office records in numerous countries…………but is it any good?

If you're a Harry Potter fan, then you'll likely know the story. Harry Potter is returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his second year. But he receives warning not to go back, as danger awaits. Never one to bother about such things, Harry heads back to school, and from there the story develops. .

Harry and his chums, Ron and Hermione, take it upon themselves to investigate the strange goings-on, and things go from bad to worse when the finger of blame is pointed at Harry for all the nasty events that are happening. There are messages found scrawled on walls in blood, pupils petrified, and quite a lot of spiders too. Throw in some startling special effects, particularly Dobbie the House-Elf and a couple of games of Quidditch, and this film is well on the way to surpassing it's predecessor.

If you know the story then you know what's to come, but if you are not familiar with J.K. Rowling's books then you're in for a treat along the way, as the film is very entertaining, and the story easy to pick up.

As this is the second film, there's less of the setting up that was involved with the first (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone), and we are able to jump right into the story. This helps, as the story moves at a decent pace, and the long running time (just over 2 and a half hours) seems to fly by.

The mainly young cast seem a little more settled this time around too, with Daniel Radcliffe (Harry) in particular seeming more at ease with his surroundings…….very much mimicking his on-screen persona. Other characters such as Rubeus Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) and Professor Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) take more of a back seat in this instalment, but are always welcome on screen. Two new additions stand out in their time on screen. Kenneth Branagh hams it up big time as the pompous new teacher Gilderoy Lockhart, and Jason Isaacs has a truly menacing look about him playing Lucius Malfoy, the father or Harry's arch-rival Draco. Isaacs in particular brings a certain presence to the character, and there is more to come from his character, which definitely bodes well for the next film.

There have been reports that this film is darker, that it's funnier and that it's scarier than Philosopher's Stone. Well, it certainly is darker, as there is more than just Harry at threat. It is funnier, due in part to Branagh's over-the-top performance. It is scarier, but I don't think it's too scary for younger children, as has been said. There are a couple of scenes that may be scary, but one of those really depends on how you feel about spiders! The underlying menace of Lucius Malfoy, bearing in mind what his future involvement in the storyline will be, is the scariest thing in it.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a worthy follow-up to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. It makes for very enjoyable viewing, and I'd recommend it to everyone - whether you're a fan of Harry Potter or not, this film is definitely worth seeing