By Charlotte Dekle

logline: An ancient prophecy seems to be coming true when a mysterious presence begins stalking the corridors of a school of magic and leaving its victims paralyzed.

Source: IMDb

It’s the gang’s second-year at Hogwarts and everything about the movie has improved. From the effects to the acting to the set design. It’s all improved exponentially. Except for the runtime. This movie is long, clocking in at 2 hours and 41 minutes, but if you stick around, you won’t regret it. Though the movie does take a while to get the story going, this is expected because they have a lot of world building and exposition to do especially since it’s loyal to the source material. But it definitely picks up steam when the movie goes on. It blinds you with dazzling special effects. Speaking of special effects, they definitely upped the effects budget for this one. Especially the effects of the Howler and the “top notch” acting from Rupert Grint’s Ron Weasley. Also, there’s more quidditch in this movie. That got me excited because I am always exhilarated by Quidditch games in Harry Potter. This time, Draco joined the Slytherin team and I’m living for it. The acting has definitely improved in this one, though it is still a little campy. In the first movie, every facial expression was over to the top. This one, they found their footing and everything is more subtle. Radcliffe is growing into his character as is the dazzling Emma Watson. There’s also some thinly veiled racial allegory sprinkled throughout not just this movie, but the series, with the term “mud-blood.” This refers to people who are born to muggle (non-magic) families. Such as Hermione. The titular Chamber Of Secrets is said to house a monster that will purge Hogwarts of Muggle-born students. Some Slytherins believe they should not be allowed to practice magic. “Mud-bloods” are a racial slur in the magic world and Draco wields it like a douchebag saying the N-word. This movie is also the introduction of fan favorite character, Dobby the house elf, who refers to himself in the third person. In the first movie, we witnessed child abuse and now we see the enslavement of Dobby who resorts to self-harm when he does something wrong. This is also the introduction of Moaning Myrtle who haunts the second-floor girls bathroom. There’s also crucial plot development in this story with the introduction of Tom Marvolo Riddle in an extended flashback with an iconic reveal that I am not going to spoil. That whole sequence might be one of my favorites in the film, besides the one I detailed in my favorite part section. According to Rotten Tomatoes “Though perhaps more enchanting for younger audiences, Chamber of Secrets is nevertheless both darker and livelier than its predecessor, expanding and improving upon the first film's universe.”

My Favorite Characters:

• Sir Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart: Kenneth Branagh is a fabulous actor who plays the equally fabulous Gilderoy Lockhart. Branagh is known, outside of Harry Potter, as that guy from all of the modern Shakespearean movies. Lockhart is cheeky and witty and all-around amazing. I mean, he’s a celebrity and needs Harry to help sign his fan mail. That’s a fabulous thing. He is self-centered and over confident in his abilities. The classically trained Branagh says his lines with the bravado reserved for Shakespeare. All in all, I love Gilderoy Lockhart in all his egotistical, spineless, and fraudulent celebrity. 

• Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy: his tormenting of Crabbe and Goyle, aka his entourage, puts him back in favorite character territory for me. When Harry as Goyle was wearing glasses, Draco asked him why he was wearing glasses. Harry as Goyle said reading and Draco said “I didn’t know you could read.” There’s also more Draco’s daddy-issues in this movie. Almost every other sentence that Draco says includes the phrase “my father.” That could also be due to the increased role of Lucius Malfoy, his father. In any case, Draco is still awesome with his bleach blonde hair and provides great exposition. 

This movie is rated PG. Here’s why:

• Creature Violence

• Mild Language

• Intense/Scary Moments

Favorite Part:  The “duel” between Draco and Harry. There has never been a more blatant good vs evil paradigm than in this scene. Draco flaunts his usual swagger with his “Potter” and Harry has his normal “I’m the protagonist” persona. You can definitely tell who I’m rooting for. They have to cast a charm to disarm their opponent. Draco hits Harry with an Everte Statum which sends Harry flying back with some cool flips. Though the effects might seem a little forced. Draco smirks his way to winning the first round. But Harry will not give up yet. He gets back up with more fervor and casts Rictusempra which sends Draco flying back in an eerily similar manner. The spell casting continues and we realize that Harry can speak in Parseltongue. 

Where to Watch:

IMDb and Reddit Thread (all of Harry Potter):