Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

Directed by: Chris Columbus | 154 minutes | adventure, family, fantasy | Actors: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, Harry Melling, Toby Jones, Jim Norton, Veronica Clifford, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Julie Walters, Bonnie Wright, Mark Williams, Chris Rankin, Tom Felton, Jason Isaacs, Jenny Tarren, Robbie Coltrane, Tom Knight, Heather Bleasdale, Isabella Columbus, Kenneth Branagh, Peter O’Farrell, Ben Borowiecki, Harry Taylor, Matthew Lewis, Devon Murray, David Bradley, Alan Rickman, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Jamie Waylett, Joshua Herdman, Miriam Margolyes, Gemma Padley, John Cleese, Hugh Mitchell, Alfred Enoch, Eleanor Columbus, Sean Biggerstaff, Rochelle Douglas, Emily Dale, Danielle Tabor, Jamie Yeates, Warwick Davis, Luke Youngbloud, Scott Fern, David Holmes Gemma Jones, Shirley Henderson, Edward Randell, Sally Mortemore, Louis Doyle, Charlotte Skeoch, Alfred Burke, Leslie Phillips, Helen Stuart, Daisy Bates, David Tysall, Christian Coulson, Martin Bayfield, Robert Hardy, Julian Glover, Les Bubb, Adrian R awlins, Geraldine Somerville

Three days after ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ premiered, production began on the first sequel in the series, which follows the adventures of the young wizard and his friends Hermione (Hermione) and Ron. There are now few people in the world who have never heard of the Harry Potter phenomenon, as the books by author JK Rowling have sold tens of millions and become one of the most successful film series of all time. were made. The books and movies revolve around the orphan Harry Potter, who lives with his aunt and uncle and, on his eleventh birthday, discovers that he is a wizard and has been accepted as an apprentice at the prestigious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The first part of the film mainly focuses on laying a thorough foundation for the magical world, with Harry gradually learning during his first school year in addition to all kinds of magical subjects that he has an arch enemy in Lord Voldemort.

Like most sequels, Chamber of Secrets builds on things that take a lot of time in a first-come: the introduction of the characters, the world they move in, and their mutual understanding. This gives the creators more options to dive straight into the story. The film opens as Harry turns twelve and is about to begin his second year at Hogwarts. He is unexpectedly visited at home by house elf Dobby (voice of Toby Jones), who warns him not to return to school. From that moment on, the mysterious, dangerous and bloody events pile up. Fortunately there is always a moment of relief, although the film is already quite a bit darker in tone than ‘Philosopher’s Stone’. Something that is stepped up again and again with the following sequels.

Director Chris Columbus once again took the reins, although this time for the last time. From part 3, ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’, the direction was handed over to other talented filmmakers with their own visual style. Columbus has been accused, especially afterwards with the release of the other sequels, that he followed the books too slavishly and that he transferred the first two books almost literally, which does not always benefit the plot development and the pace. And although the critics certainly have a point, Columbus manages to turn it into a tasty and exciting adventure, which does not bore for a moment and conjures up the most beautiful moments from the book on the silver screen. Moreover, his position is not to be envied. After all, he was the one who had to make the film series live up to the sky-high expectations of millions of fans around the world. And wouldn’t they have screamed bloody murder when the makers had suddenly taken a completely different path or changed important plot lines? Moreover, the makers were also somewhat handicapped by the fact that Rowling’s books had not yet all been published, nor was it always clear which apparently insignificant detail might prove to be crucial later on. During the shooting, Rowling was closely involved and she had regular consultations with screenwriter Steve Kloves.

As the title suggests, the film revolves around a ‘Secret Chamber’ (in the Dutch version) that is said to be hidden somewhere in the school and whose possible opening even terrifies the teachers. According to tradition, the Chamber was built by Slytherin, one of the founders of the school and houses a monster that caused death and destruction fifty years earlier, when the Chamber was already opened. Of course Harry gets caught up in it, especially when he learns more about the Chamber thanks to a diary found by former student Tom Riddle (Christian Coulson).

Visually, the film looks convincing, with beautifully decorated sets and fine costumes, although some special effects will be viewed with some frowning these days. Of course, the entire cast of protagonists is back again. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Emma Watson (Hermione) and Rupert Grint (Ron) are obviously a bit older now, but while Radcliffe’s acting is sometimes a bit uneven, the other two already show that they are good actors. Grint in particular has perfect comedic timing and has a good laugh. Unfortunately, it was the last time for Richard Harris to perform as wise headmaster Albus Dumbledore. He died shortly after recording and was replaced in subsequent parts by Michael Gambon. New additions include actor and director Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart, the vain Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and Jason Isaacs as the chilly Lucius Malfoy, Draco’s (Tom Felton) father.

‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ is a film that marks the transition between the still somewhat childish original and the increasingly mature sequels. Wonderful to watch, even if you can dream the books and have seen the movie before.