Featured Audience Ratings

• Thomas B

  
  Though it may be a similar formula of detective mystery + magic + quidditch to the previous installment, the second in the series does well to introduce more of the vast range of characters and pick away at the mystery underneath. Full review later.

• Chris W

  
  Here's round two of the adventures of young wizard Harry Potter and friends. While not a terrible movie, this one is probably my least favorite and the most forgettable. It's more faithful than the previous film, but that's not entirely a good thing, as this one really… More
  Here's round two of the adventures of young wizard Harry Potter and friends. While not a terrible movie, this one is probably my least favorite and the most forgettable. It's more faithful than the previous film, but that's not entirely a good thing, as this one really drags, and, at this point, it's not quite necessary yet since the books didn't start getting really detailed, ambitious, and overblown until part 4. Columbus returns as director, and this time we follow 12 year-old Harry going through his second year of schooling. As if rival students, menacing teachers, and loads of schoolwork weren't enough, things start getting dire at school when people are found petrified like statues, threats are written on walls in blood, and a monster is on the loose. Even a gifted wizard like Harry may have some serious trouble coping. I can appreciate that they were trying to be more faithful to the book, but they might have been too faithful. It's my least favorite entry, and, while it's not boring, it's just not gripping enough, I feel, to warrant a film of such length. At least the film is good about balancing the tone fairly well. All the actors are fine, and they are only getting better and more comfortable with the characters with each new entry. Harris made his swan song here as Dumbledore, but his replacement in part 3 takes up the mantle with ease. All in all, a decent movie, but like I said, probably my least favorite.

• Josh L

  
  Chamber of Secrets is an improvement on its predecessor with a stronger story, stronger special effects, and livelier direction from Christopher Columbus. This was the film that started my love of the series, and looking back it is still one of my favorites. The acting from the… More
  Chamber of Secrets is an improvement on its predecessor with a stronger story, stronger special effects, and livelier direction from Christopher Columbus. This was the film that started my love of the series, and looking back it is still one of my favorites. The acting from the younger cast is a little better and the tone is darker than Sorcerer's Stone. This is where the series hints at the great story to come and shows that the series will mature with each entry. Like Sorcerer's Stone however, Columbus is still just a little too slavish on the details and the film suffers just slightly from it. I fully appreciate everything he brought to the table undertaking a massive franchise for the first two entries, but I'm glad they went with a new director after this one. That being said, the series would not be the same and would not have evolved without him helming the first two to see what minor flaws needed to be ironed out.

• Eugene B

  
  'Chamber of Secrets' takes its young flamboyant cast into darker territories and possesses an edgier feel than the first installment. The entertaining visual effects and story illustrates the films fantastic direction that keeps audiences wanting more. 4/5

• Matthew Samuel M

  
  The loyalty to the book and the darker elements of the plot are the highlights of the film, yet awkward moments keep it from fully surpassing the first film in the franchise.

• Emil K

  
  Overlong and flawed piece of fantasy it might be but it is also a film that holds a certain amounts of true magic in it and wonderfully eerie moments with support from great composer John Williams. What begins just another year about second year in Hogwart's school of magic ends… More
  Overlong and flawed piece of fantasy it might be but it is also a film that holds a certain amounts of true magic in it and wonderfully eerie moments with support from great composer John Williams. What begins just another year about second year in Hogwart's school of magic ends up being quite entertaining and captivating two and and a half hours. Once again director Chris Columbus is helming the director's chair and like before he is still capable to transfer real magic into his film from Rowling's rich fantasy-world. There is one especially effective setpiece involving spiders cave in the forbidden forest nearby the Hogwart's and mystery of chamber of secrets is truly something to get you excited of. While this is not for youngest of children, it is still well concieved family entertainment. Sure, it is nothing that special either but it is enjoyable enough to sit through and stands as a one of the better Potter-films made.

• Alexander D

  
  Chris Columbus reprises his directing role for a stiffer film than the first. HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS is more faithful to the source material than was the original, but that may prove to be not such a great thing. The film runs a whole 161 minutes long, so in other… More
  Chris Columbus reprises his directing role for a stiffer film than the first. HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS is more faithful to the source material than was the original, but that may prove to be not such a great thing. The film runs a whole 161 minutes long, so in other words, families who had trouble sitting through James Cameron's AVATAR (not that it was a family film like this) will most likely let out a sigh or a yawn here and there during HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS. I guess what I'm trying to say is that making a family film overly long is a tedious idea. The spookiness that the author intended is upped with this second entry. For any youngster, this will be likely to come across as scary (especially the Basilisk scene at the end); but to anyone else, it is simply popcorn entertainment. As a huge fan of the books ever since I started reading them, I must say that I was not disappointed by the way this turned out. It was released only a year after HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE, and somehow, that was enough time to create a decent, slightly darker follow-up.

• EightThirty .

  
  23/12/2010 (DVD) As soon as I finished watching "H.P: and the Philosopher's Stone" a.k.a "The Sorcerer's Stone", I managed to snatch a copy of "H.P.2: and the Chamber of Secrets" and "H.P.3: and the Prisoner of Azkaban" from the… More
  23/12/2010 (DVD) As soon as I finished watching "H.P: and the Philosopher's Stone" a.k.a "The Sorcerer's Stone", I managed to snatch a copy of "H.P.2: and the Chamber of Secrets" and "H.P.3: and the Prisoner of Azkaban" from the library on the same day and with no hesitation I absorbed myself yet again in this magnificent "Harry Potter" roller-coaster whirl! A great follow up from the first part with more action, more magic and even more darkness! This was actually my first time watching this all the way to the end. I had a copy of this years ago but didn't quite finish the flick due to too many interruptions. Awesome sequel and I was zoned out in this "Harry Potter" world and the mysteriousness of it all. A great bunch of actors and the special effects though quite old, it still looks fantastic and there's extra enjoyment when a good story is complimented with special effects. I've seen flicks with more awesome special effects but the story was full of crap which made the entire film crap so "Harry Potter" was definitely a treat for spare time!

• Directors C

  
  Chamber of Secrets is dark as it is thrilling. A slow start to the school year has had its redemption.

• Eric A

  
  Great follow up to the first, stayed original.....I like that.

• Tim S

  
  Unlike its predecessor, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets manages to move its story forward without much background info on our main characters, which was the first film's fatal flaw. However, it still seems to suffer from mystery lag, that is, running from one clue to the… More
  Unlike its predecessor, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets manages to move its story forward without much background info on our main characters, which was the first film's fatal flaw. However, it still seems to suffer from mystery lag, that is, running from one clue to the next for the better part of two hours without any real story dynamics. It feels extraneous at times and doesn't give the piece any prepulsion in the overall narrative. In my personal opinion, Hagrid should have been taken out of the story and put in jeapordy earlier for better dramatic tension. I think adhering strictly to the books might be the problem here as it works better on paper than on film, and in doing the story as a film, things need to be shifted around to make the story more compelling. I think that's the problem here, but having never read the books, I can't say that this is the problem for sure... but it certainly feels like it. Don't get wrong though. I don't dislike the film, but it feels a little disjointed and a bit too long... something that the next film in the series manages to improve upon.

• xGary X

  
  Harry Potter returns to clear the name of his friend Hagrid and solve the mystery of the Chamber Of Secrets contained somewhere within the school. Fair play to J. K. Rowling for becoming a multi multi multi (multi) millionaire by pillaging every fantasy inspired story ever told, but… More
  Harry Potter returns to clear the name of his friend Hagrid and solve the mystery of the Chamber Of Secrets contained somewhere within the school. Fair play to J. K. Rowling for becoming a multi multi multi (multi) millionaire by pillaging every fantasy inspired story ever told, but quite why anyone over the age of twelve should be interested in this bag of blindingly obvious genre cliches I have no idea. In its favour, it's a big improvement over the first film but it's still just Tolkien does The Famous Five to a Scooby Doo plot. The effects are very good and the performances by a host of old school British thesps on auto-pilot are as reliable as you'd expect, but Radcliffe/Potter is still an annoyingly smug little brat and Rupert Grint does nothing but sniffle and yelp like a yappy little dog for the entire duration of the film. There are no surprises at all and by the end the treacle was getting so thick I thought my teeth were going to rot away in my mouth. Perfectly adequate for keeping a pre-teen quiet for a couple of hours, but if you're a card carrying adult I suggest you act your age and WATCH A PROPER FILM.

• Fernando Rafael Q

  
  Now that they're done establishing the basis of the story and its characters, we get a far more interesting plot. On the other hand, one of the new characters, house-elf "Dobby" is extremely irritating. Jar-Jar Binks irritating. Alan Rickman is still deliciously… More
  Now that they're done establishing the basis of the story and its characters, we get a far more interesting plot. On the other hand, one of the new characters, house-elf "Dobby" is extremely irritating. Jar-Jar Binks irritating. Alan Rickman is still deliciously over-the-top and the addition of Kenneth Branagh as an idiotic rockstar teacher remains one of the highlights of the series. At the climax, though, there is no real threat. Everything unfolds and gets solved easily and systematically.

• Melvin W

  
  Tom Marvolo Riddle: Let's match the power of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against the famous Harry Potter. "Enemies of the heir, beware." Chamber of Secrets is one of the best in the series. I don't know how you can really rank them, as each one is… More
  Tom Marvolo Riddle: Let's match the power of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against the famous Harry Potter. "Enemies of the heir, beware." Chamber of Secrets is one of the best in the series. I don't know how you can really rank them, as each one is great in their own right. But if I had to I'd probably pit this one third, possibly second. Chamber of Secrets has one of my favorite plot lines in the series also. Although the movie is extremely long, coming in at 2 hours and 41 minutes; it breezes by. I have never found myself bored while watching this one and I've seen it at least 10 times by now. Chamber of Secrets is when we learn about Voldermorts past. This is also when we start to see some of the connections between Voldermort and Harry. For example, both can talk to snakes. It introduces some characters that will stay around for the rest of the series that weren't in the first also. We meet Dobby; a house elf who warns Harry not to go back to Hogwart's. Lucius Malfoy, the father of Draco Malfoy a mud-blood(come from a family of muggles) hater. Arthur Weasley, father of Ron and a studier of muggles. All of these characters will continue to grow throughout the rest of the series. The second and last of Chris Columbus' Harry Potter films is his best. Although thats not to say Sorcerer's Stone wasn't great too. Columbus should be praised for his two contributions to the series. They were faithful to the source material and incredibly entertaining. He also improved a great deal in his ending here. In the first, the ending felt rushed. Here, he let's the events in the Chamber play out with some patience. It's really fun to watch.

• Matt G

  
  Again, another solid Potter film, with brilliant direction from Chris Columbus and a puzzling performance from Daniel Radcliffe. This was one of the best installments and one of the best Potter films (and the longest) ever conceived. One of the rare sequels to surpass the original,… More
  Again, another solid Potter film, with brilliant direction from Chris Columbus and a puzzling performance from Daniel Radcliffe. This was one of the best installments and one of the best Potter films (and the longest) ever conceived. One of the rare sequels to surpass the original, and I overall loved this film. Highly recommended.

• Drake T

  
  Better than the first, Chamber of Secrets supported a much more involving cast, coherent mystery/story while thoroughly exploring themes of destiny and choice. Not only that but it successfully expanded existing lore of the HP universe while retaining elements of the previous film.… More
  Better than the first, Chamber of Secrets supported a much more involving cast, coherent mystery/story while thoroughly exploring themes of destiny and choice. Not only that but it successfully expanded existing lore of the HP universe while retaining elements of the previous film. I was also impressed how it approached darker themes of prejudice with "muggles" vs. "pure bloods" A fun experience! albeit not perfect. I wish the final act wasn't so clumsily directed with a disappointing clash between Potter, the Phoenix and the Basilisk. Also, like the previous film, it's littered with subplots that (although loyal to what happens in the book) don't always directly perpetuate the film. I suppose such are the woes of a closely-adapted novel production.

• KJ P

  
  The second installment of the franchise improves over the original which is gut wrenchingly hard to accomplish these days. It tells a much more exciting story and a much more likable cast this time around, because you know who everyone is, so you are now able to choose sides. This is… More
  The second installment of the franchise improves over the original which is gut wrenchingly hard to accomplish these days. It tells a much more exciting story and a much more likable cast this time around, because you know who everyone is, so you are now able to choose sides. This is a wonderful sequel that I will be able to cherish for my entire life. It drags on much longer than the first, but the story is far more rich and the atmosphere has now settled. There is no more awe of the Harry Potter world, you feel like you are there and there is no changing that. The dark lord is edging closer with a final act that will choose between the life or death of Harry. This is a brilliant sequel!

• E.J. B

  
  Potter fans listen up. This is what you get when you expect a film to be a page for page adaptation of the book. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets is a bloated, cheesy, and unnecessary use of 161 minutes. It was okay for the first film to run this length, as it had to set up the… More
  Potter fans listen up. This is what you get when you expect a film to be a page for page adaptation of the book. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets is a bloated, cheesy, and unnecessary use of 161 minutes. It was okay for the first film to run this length, as it had to set up the world. This time around it's just tedious. I understand that no good film can be too long, but this is a story that's too self indulgent for its own good. The mystery of the Chamber reveals itself in a very slow fashion, and the movie pauses the plot on several occasions to show more Quidditch, mythical creatures, and what not. I love the characters in this series. I think Ron, Harry, and Hermione make a great team. Dumbledore is as wise as Gandalf. Hagrid is just completely lovable, and He Who Must Not Be Named is the best villain to come along in as far back as I can remember. Of course, many characters are just there to take up space, like all the ghosts, and most of the teachers. I still look forward to the next installment, but I seriously hope that the next film is exactly that: a film and not the acted out version of J.K. Rowling's novel. Don't get me wrong. There's a great movie buried within here; it just doesn't need to be this long. Potter devotees won't be complaining. But everyone else will be.

• Zach B

  
  There is one thing about film series that most be known: If the first film becomes a hit with audiences, then the rest of the films will be slated to be released. At times with film sagas, this could be a good thing or a bad thing. For the Harry Potter films, it is a mix blessing.… More
  There is one thing about film series that most be known: If the first film becomes a hit with audiences, then the rest of the films will be slated to be released. At times with film sagas, this could be a good thing or a bad thing. For the Harry Potter films, it is a mix blessing. Here, we have the good half of that mix blessing. The first film in the series was a perfect balance of being light and dark in terms of tone. In grandness, it is also richer due to this film expanding on the world that J.K. Rowling has made. Okay, I know that this review will be short, but it is just how it will have to go. Okay, in terms of direction, we have Chris Columbus directing this film for the last time before we get a list of other who take on the role. Now, with this film, you can see that it is a darker film, a bit more scarier then the previous one, but also better in the sense that he does not only have Harry be the main character, but has him step back a bit to allow all of the other characters to flesh out and develop themselves in numerous ways. Of all the developments, I think the best one would have to be that of Hagrid. In the first film, we just saw him as this lovable giant that plays music on the grounds and just being their to advice our plucky three heroes. Here, we see some of the reasoning for him being. In fact, I was more interested in him and his story along with the Weasley's and the school's histories then Harry's fate in this film. Now for the acting. From the young adult cast, the three main actors have gotten better with this film. But I think the best scenes of acting include the parts with the giant Spider, the Basilisk, and the house elf at the beginning. Plus, the reactions of Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe when they see Ron's house plus the Whomping Willow were just great. Next we have the script. Now, I understand that you can never adapt a novel to the screen with keeping most of the tale intact. The reason why you can't is due to the fact that if you do, you will end up creating films that are beyond long and you would have to split in half to show plus they would make little money in the box office due to the amount of running time it would take hence having their be fewer screenings. With Harry Potter 2, this shows exactly that case. Watching this film, I did sense that there were a few things they could have taken out for running time, but that is not that much of a big deal. Now the score. Mostly the same as the first film, not that much of a difference except a few pieces here and there. Even then, nothing really stuck with me. Overall, this film is an improvement over the previous film that was already good.

• Jim C

  
  Not the best of the series, but still an amazing enough to make people see the sequel. Harry is at his 2nd year and this time around there is something much worse than the sorcerers stone. After a house elf named Dobby warns Harry not to go back to school, Harry refuses so Dobby… More
  Not the best of the series, but still an amazing enough to make people see the sequel. Harry is at his 2nd year and this time around there is something much worse than the sorcerers stone. After a house elf named Dobby warns Harry not to go back to school, Harry refuses so Dobby gets him trapped by his evil uncle. Soon Ron breaks him out, and Harry goes to his second year. This year he learns about himself, and more importantly a dark secret kept in the school for years that could change the school forever. Chamber of Secrets is one of those rare movies that come along and you watch it over and over again just because its so fun. I will always think the Potter franchise is the best there is, and trust me, this and the first movie had a lot to do with that.

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