Harry Potter 2: Chamber of Secrets

[MistOfTheSea86]

To say the least I was dissapointed in this movie for the following reasons:

1.) The lack of acting ability in a few of the characters(Although I LOVED Jason Isaacs, he was a amazing as Lucius)
2.) The inconistency of the plot.
3.) The inability of pulling me in until the middle-end of the film.

Now being a large fan of the books you could easily right this off as an anal retentive critic smashing down on every nitpicked thing that was different from the novel when, quite on the contrary, I felt the changes they made could have been effective. The problem was, they weren't.

In the beginning of the film you were presented to Privet Drive immediatly in the middle of the Dursleys welcoming a new family. The largest problem here was that the Dursleys did not seem like the Dursleys. They seemed like actors playing a role. A role that they didn't particularly enjoy. This is where the acting ability seemed to be at a fault. All of the characters throughout this film, from Privet Drive to Hogwarts seemed as if all they were doing was getting this film done so they could be free. Now I am aware that Richard Harris(?) Has recently passed on which could be a reason why it seemed so sullen, however I believe that the actors themselves beforehand may have felt that the job they were doing was nothing more then a chore rather then a privilige.

Gilderoy Lockhart character was a new addition to this film, and I believe that he did not pull off the role as well as he could have. Bad casting in my opinion, perhaps someone a little more enthusiastic could have pulled off an ego driven moron.

The film itself is a completely other issue. The plot was disjointed and from scene to scene it seemed as if there was something missing in the middle. There was not that one little thing that everyone knew. No dramatic irony. I truly feel that the editing of the film made it suffer to the point of making me as an audience member go "Huh?" "Is that supposed to invoke an emotion in me, or leave me incredibly bewildered?" The only time in the movie that actually started to catch me was near the middle end when Harry started to actually delve deeper into the mystery.

However, I have thought extensively about it and really all things considered it was not a bad film, but it wasn't great either. When it comes to a series of books a person expects a new element to be introduced, and in the second book there really isn't one. It is like reading the first, except with one or two different characters and a different conflict. It was lacking the element of surprise that usually captures the audience and makes them say "Wow"

Again, to say the least, this movie was more of a log stuck in a lake, rather then that piece of driftwood rushing down that rapids and then falling off a waterfall.

C+

PS: This is all in my honest opinion:)

[FlamedLilly]

I thought the movie was ok, I thought the children in the movie, reflected their characters alot better in this movie then in the last. There was however a problem with the plot. I noticed that they left out alot of the little hints as to what was going to happen that the put in the previous one. Maybe they had a lower budget? The plot to me in this one seemed more focused on the lets keep it moving, rather then lets keep it true to the orginal plot.

having said that I'd go and see the movie again!

[shnen]

a guy I work with said him and his kids enjoyed it, except for the 2h 40m that is ran, he said it was better then the first...

I cannot judge, for I haven't even seen the first one...

[flar7]

Was very good, and stayed closer to the book than the first one
did. Acting was well done, especially lockhart, and I loved the duel
between lockhart and Snape. Also, they begin hinting that perhaps
Snape is not such a bad guy in some ways. One point that they
stayed with in the movie and the book that bothered me was
when Hagrid returned at the end. In the book and the movie they
could have hinted at how bad it was in prison.

I give the movie an A, not an A+

they are going to have trouble in the future with casting if the kids
keep growing at this rate. heheheheh Harry potter will be bringing
his kids to see hogwarts!

[Flar's Freyja]

:T I loved it too. I haven't read the books and asked Flar how old Harry was supposed to be. He said twelve, and I think he and Ron already look 15, so they will have to either hurry or find some new kids..............

[MistOfTheSea86]

Originally posted by flar7
Was very good, and stayed closer to the book than the first one
did. Acting was well done, especially lockhart, and I loved the duel
between lockhart and Snape. Also, they begin hinting that perhaps
Snape is not such a bad guy in some ways. One point that they
stayed with in the movie and the book that bothered me was
when Hagrid returned at the end. In the book and the movie they
could have hinted at how bad it was in prison.

I give the movie an A, not an A+

they are going to have trouble in the future with casting if the kids
keep growing at this rate. heheheheh Harry potter will be bringing
his kids to see hogwarts!

I disagree, I feel Lockhart was not all that he could have been, the arrogance in the book in correlation with the film was like trying to compare a 5 and a 9. They are different integers, but they are both numbers. Like Lockhart in the book and Lockhart in the movie. I feel he needed to do be more arrogant then he was. And by staying true to the book I feel that they did, but just not very effectively. They were too many gaps that made me confused. Like how quickly Harry went back to Hogwarts, and the conversation between Snape and the Shop owner in Knockturn Alley. I feel that that was what was supposed to get you knowing that the Malfoys were "Evil". They did that in the end somewhat, but I feel that introduction would have helped bridge that gap. At least in my opinion.

[FlamedLilly]

Actually the kid who plays Harry is only 13, and the other are either 12 or 13 so they actually are the right age, as long as they keep making a movie a year, then it'll fit in rather nicely.

[flar7]

then we just have to disagree then. the movie is 2.40 long and
they have to cut stuff somehow. I agree that knockturn alley
coulda used the lucius touch, but it got by without it. The only
thing that Lockhart needed was longer hair, and to be a bit more
flamboyant.

[MistOfTheSea86]

Originally posted by flar7
then we just have to disagree then. the movie is 2.40 long and
they have to cut stuff somehow. I agree that knockturn alley
coulda used the lucius touch, but it got by without it. The only
thing that Lockhart needed was longer hair, and to be a bit more
flamboyant.

I agree with you here hehe, I saw it for the second time today and I am more inclined to believe that it was a better film. See I was seeing the book and the movie as a single entity. When in fact they are seperate, it is a different way of telling the same story and when one looks at it in this way the movie is fully enjoyable. I went this time and was able to sit down and get enthralled and completely thrilled for every minute. It was a much more fun experience:)

[Blu Heather]

I liked the movie...but I agree it could have been better...but it was already 2 hrs and 45 mins long...IMHO the did a great job at staying true to the book with that timeframe.

I thought Lockhart was good...but I wanted his teeth to do that whole fake sparkle thing and just have him be more I dunno...he was good...but I just wanted his teeth to sparkle...:lol:

I'm just curious what the other movies are going to be like considering that they are longer than the first two and have lots of details that I don't think should be left out. Like I can't imagine the fourth book being able to lose much of what was in the book, ya know?

It was a great movie...I loved it. And it was worth my $20.

Oh and in one of my mags it says Emma(Hermione) is 12, Rupert(Ron) is 14(kinda obvious...lol), Daniel(Harry) is 13, Tom(Malfoy) is 14 also...

so yeah...I think they shouldn't be waiting that long between movies to begin filming...Too bad Rawlings didn't have the series almost finished coz at least we'd be able to keep the same kids for all the movies but right now with book 5 coming out uhhhh :huh: ...we might have a new set for the last set of book :T

[Gwion]

If you asked for someone with a serpentine evil beauty, it's him. I still would've like to see Hugh Grant as Lockhart. I did like the scene where he's teaching him, and behind him is a portrait of him painting a portrait of himself. It was slowed down when Hermione was temporarily out of the game. The petrified, hanged Mrs Norris was disturbing, even though they explained quickly that she was not actually dead, and at first it's easy to think that the bloody writing on the wall was her blood. Someone needs to explain to Ron about "mugging." Loved the Griffon elevator.

[Pan]

Hugh Grant? I'll have to disagree with you on that one, Gwion. ;)

I thought the movie was excellent. Sure, Knockturn alley could have done with the Malfoys.. but it got hubby to want to read the books! The first one couldn't even do that!

They also cut out a part with Snape.. which upset me. :(

But I think it's better than the first one. The acting was more fluid and sincere, as in the first one they were kind of choppy and fake-ish. The setting was superb! And the way the movie kept with the storyline was brilliant.

I've only read book 2 three times.. so I don't know how much my opinion would matter to anyone (lol) but that's it! I loved Lucius.. a friend of mine and I online gushed about how wonderful he was for about half an hour!

I did NOT mind the length! It didn't feel like 2.40!!! I thought it was only 5 or so when I got out. And the movie started at 350! I couldnt have been more surprised.

Fawkes was done very beautifully, I think. Though they should have made Harry kill the diary after getting healed, as I think that's how it happened in the book. With Riddle saying "aw, look, Dumbledore's bird is crying" or something to that effect. The book is in my bedroom and hubby's sleeping. ;) don't wanna wake him!

I liked Lockheart just the way he was. And Moaning Myrtle! Even though the actress is 35 (so a friend in Englad told me!) she did it so well that I couldn't stop giggling when she offered to share her toilet with Harry. :) And when Ron and Hermione almost hugged near the end.. that was precious!

The trio have already signed on for the 3rd movie, and I heard they were thinking about Saruman (spelling.. horrid) the White from LotR to play Albus. I hope not. :(

So.. I rate the movie A+ even with the length and the cuts! Who knows.. maybe there'll be juicy deleted scenes on the DVD! ;)

[Earthcup]

I enjoyed it more than most Christopher Columbus movies. My opinion of him is not very high I must say. I'm very excited a new guy is at the helm of #3. If they scew up that one I may not ever watch another one.......

I did my best to enjoy it like a kid but I did secretly fume at the mistakes, muddles and general ineptness.

Columbus is a muggle, Jason Issacs is very fabulous, still love the kid playing Ron, really like Mr. Weasley(reminds me of Wallace from Wallace and Gromit) and I feel terrible about Richard Harris' death. Christopher Lee is wonderful but he's no Dumbledore...... :(

[Sequoia]

oh, I loved it!! :D

And Lucious. . . . well. . . . *swoon* he can curse me anytime he wants. . . :D!!!

then again, that's got to be about the only book in the series I havn't actually read. I heard most of the book on tape, but I kept falling asleep so I missed big chunks (it was a car ride). I can't wait for Prisoner of Azkaban, though. :D This is so great. It's a wonderful escape, I plan on seeing it again soon (gotta find the money, though :wah: )

[Djiril]

I have to agree that Lucious Malfoy was great, but other than that I wasn't too impressed. I wish Harry were played with a bit more personality. The Harry in the book seemed much more human to me.

[MistOfTheSea86]

Originally posted by Earthcup
I enjoyed it more than most Christopher Columbus movies. My opinion of him is not very high I must say. I'm very excited a new guy is at the helm of #3. If they scew up that one I may not ever watch another one.......

I did my best to enjoy it like a kid but I did secretly fume at the mistakes, muddles and general ineptness.

Columbus is a muggle, Jason Issacs is very fabulous, still love the kid playing Ron, really like Mr. Weasley(reminds me of Wallace from Wallace and Gromit) and I feel terrible about Richard Harris' death. Christopher Lee is wonderful but he's no Dumbledore...... :(

A gal actually;) It is a woman who is up for the directing chair I am sure.

[MzNeko]

Overall, I liked it, but there were parts that I had issues with.

I thought that the bit with the giant spiders was very well done (my husband is still chuckling at me because I tried to climb him during that sequence... :o )

I liked the casting for Lockhart and Lucius Malfoy. I REALLY liked the griffin elevator leading to Dumbledore's chamber - I want one!

Problems? Well, when Malfoy called Hermione a mudblood, in the book the whole group of Gryffindors reacted with anger, not just Ron. I suppose the director was trying for them to seem shocked, but it just didn't read that way to me onscreen. The impression that I got from the books was that calling someone mudblood was emotionally similar to using racial slurs in real life. Onscreen it just seemed like the only one really outraged was Ron. A small thing, but I think it mattered.

Also, it seemed like Snape just wasn't nasty enough this time. True, he also had less screen-time to establish himself in, but still... Rather than seeming overjoyed at the prospect of expelling Ron and Harry, he seemed almost, I dunno..., concerned. Wrong, wrong, wrong!

One of the things that I have really liked about this series is Rowling's handling of Snape. I have seen the "bad guy that turns out to be a good guy" in many stories, but the fellow always turns out to be "nice and cuddly - just misunderstood". That doesn't happen with Snape - he's a nasty, unpleasant, bitter jerk of a man, but that doesn't make him evil. He's on the side of the good guys, but that doesn't make him nice, cuddly or likeable. I like that - I think it's a refreshingly different and honest approach, much more like people you may encounter in real life.

Well, that's my two cents - I need to go to bed.

[Gwion]

that is one of the best takes on Snape's character that I have heard. 10 points for Slytherin!

[PhoenixFire]

I have not seen the second one yet, and I wont wast my money on it in the theaters, But my thoughts on the first have always been.

"It was (ok) if you forget it came from a book, but considering how much they changed and left out from the book, it realy sucked. And the acting stunk. I'm sorry I wasted five bucks to see it."

Now, my favorit part of book 2 was the phoenix. Is the bird even in the movie? The clips i've seen dont show him.

[WandererInGray]

Yes the phoenix is in the movie.

A book is a book....a movie is a movie. *sighs and shakes head* And people who go to the movie expecting it to be exactly like the book will be inevitably disappointed.

[MzNeko]

Originally posted by Gwion
that is one of the best takes on Snape's character that I have heard. 10 points for Slytherin!

*blushes and curtsies...*

Why thank you!

Just something I happened to notice. It's one of the things that causes me to put those books in the realm of better children's fiction. So much of what is out there is dreck that keeps giving in to black/white thinking and obvious answers.

[SerenityMoon]

i thought it was excellent. and the phoenix was there. I thought that this movie was far more consistant than the first. No, it wasn't 100% consistant, but you will never get that in a movie that takes after a book. I loved luscious (mmm..*drool*), absolutely awesome, and lockhart was done well too. I think they should hvae developedp oorl ittle Ginnie a LOT more, but ah well.
I give it an a!!

[Willow_Raindancer]

My daughter and I have already seen it twice!
We might go again too.
I did not expect it to follow the book perfectly. That's a big mistake for anyone to make if they're going to see ANY movie based on a book.
We LOVED it!
Everything from Dobby beating his head to everyone but the Slytherins applauding Hagrid;)


It does seem to go much faster than the first movie!

[Draven31]

Already seen it...I have to say I really liked it.The first movie is what got me into the whole Harry Potter thing anyway..
But those spiders eeewwwww..Sorry they were TOO real for me..:eek: :shaker: . In all i'll give it a :thumbsup: . They only thing I wish they did was dedicate the movie to Richard Harris but I guess they will have something on the dvd when it comes out.

[Djiril]

So who stayed till the end of the credits?:D

[MzNeko]

I didn't, but I hear that I should have... :mad:

Oh well, guess I'll have to go see it again. (yeah, twist my arm... :D )

[MzNeko]

Oooops, double post!

Not really sure what happened there, but apparently I shouldn't use a computer while under the influence of cold pills... :o

[Siarlas]

ok... I finally got dragged to see the movie. well.. not really dragged, but it wasn't on my 'To do' list either.
My hunny had gone to see it with a friend, but left half way through cause he was running late to see me. (Everyone now... 'Awwwww....') So I agreed that we could go see it on Friday night. I was glad I had. I quite enjoyed it and it wouldn't kill me to see it again. Now I'm interested in seeing what the first one was like. Still have no intention of reading the books though.
I loved seeing a Phoenix in there. Couldn't believe Harry didn't know what it was though.
We had to laugh at Ron's voice when they were in the spider's lair though. See... I currently have a cold and my voice sounds a lot like Ron's did at the time :T
Someone mentioned that the person to play Moaning Myrtle was/is 35?? She did not look that old!
Laughed at Ron and Hermione's reunion after she recovered from being petrified. It was such a cute scene :lol:

Anyhows... even though I can't compare it to the books, I'd have to still say that they did a pretty good job.

Oh... and anyone know where I can get one of those cars?

[CloakofStars9]

well i didnt think it was as bad as some of you did, u have to remember that it is hella hard to put everything from a book into one movie, for me it was great seeing everything come to life pretty much how i imagined it from the book, i had fun seeing it....and i love RICHARD HARRIS!!! R.I.P....we rented the old movie CAMALOT that he was in in the 60's and its so kewl cause he is sooooooo cute in the movie, he was a great actor, i dont see how they can replace him as dumbledore...he IS dumbledore to me

[Mnemosyne]

I liked the film. Like many of you, I read the book before I saw the film. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I jumped a little at the last scene and at seeing all those spiders. Eeeewww!

I agree. Snape could have been a little more nasty. To develop some of the characters a bit more fully in the film would have made the film last for ages. The film which is about 2 hrs and 40 mins. was long enough in my opinion. Fortunately, the film didn't feel like it dragged though.

I can't wait for the next movie, since book 3 is my favorite. :)

[Gwion]

One thing that bothered me was that Hagrid didn't really convey a sense of fear about Azkeban. "Azkeban, eh? Well, let me just grab my umbrella..."

[Mnemosyne]

Originally posted by Gwion
One thing that bothered me was that Hagrid didn't really convey a sense of fear about Azkeban. "Azkeban, eh? Well, let me just grab my umbrella..."

True! Azkeban is one frightening place. Hagrid didn't seem that reluctant to go. When he returned, Hagrid acted like he wasn't upset to leave Hogwarts at all. Come on! Hogwarts is Hagrid's life.

[Rubi Waters]

I finally saw it yesterday!!! Ok I loved it. No you can't expect it to be exactly like the book but it followed it well.
I agree Lockhart could have been more. They didn't have enough of hermione mooning over him like the book either.
I loved Fawkes he was done well.


I want more.......I'm waiting for the third movie.....that book was my favorite.