The season is upon us now - autumn, that is. Time for pumpkins and fiery, crunchy leaves and steamy cider. And time for Harry Potter. I've had Harry on the brain for most of the month, and the other day I decided it was high time to pull out Chamber of Secrets and bask in its cozy familiarity. There are, of course, traumatic events that unfold in this second chronicle of the boy wizard, but when there aren't streams of spiders scuttling out the window or mysterious forces writing threats on the castle walls in blood, this is actually quite a comfortable movie, and it certainly hit the spot for me this week.

I complained that the first of the Harry Potter movies tried so hard to be true to the letter of the book that it fell short of the spirit, resulting in a film that felt rushed and whose characters seemed underdeveloped, a great pity when those fictional folks are so rich and the actors portraying them so accomplished. Maybe I'm just in a more forgiving mood now, or maybe it's Kenneth Branagh working his magic upon me, but the second movie seems to come much closer to capturing the spirit of the book.

The movie opens with Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) at the tail end of a miserable summer home with his adoptive family, the Dursleys. At a most inopportune time, he receives a visit from an irritatingly earnest house elf named Dobby. I'm a fan of this misguided imp, though curious movie timing decreed that he was introduced on the screen around the same time as Gollum, and I'm afraid that isn't much of a contest. Sorry, Dobby...

Anyway, after several amusing scenes in which we are introduced to the delightful Arthur Weasley (Mark Williams), the insidious Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs) and the ludicrous Gilderoy Lockhart (Branagh) (who really was the highlight of the book for me and whose role was perfectly cast), Harry finds himself back at school, but he begins to understand why Dobby wanted him to stay away when strange occurrences start to happen. What is the Chamber of Secrets? Does it actually exist, and how great a threat lies within? Additionally, he must discover the significance of the diary through which he corresponds with a long-ago boy about his age...

Chamber of Secrets does not require so much explanation as the first, and so we are spared some of the time-consuming expository disseminations. Hermione (Emma Watson) still is a help in this department, but she doesn't come across as quite so much of a know-it-all this time around. She's mellowed out, and she's even the one who suggests breaking a few rules in order to get some insight into Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton). Besides, she has worries more crucial than grades this time around, as legend dictates that when the Chamber of Secrets is opened, it will purge the school of those with unclean blood, and Muggle-born Hermione would certainly qualify for that dubious distinction - though as Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) points out, truly pure-blood wizards don't even exist anymore.

The movie ends up making a pretty powerful statement against prejudice, the end result of which could amount to a Hitler-style ethnic cleansing at Hogwarts. It isn't just Hermione who is reviled by the most ardent of Slytherins. Ron (Rupert Grint) and the rest of his family are shunned because of their state of near-poverty and Arthur's fascination with and respect for Muggles. Harry, meanwhile, draws suspicion from the rest of the students when he unknowingly speaks to a snake, and Hagrid finds himself in the middle of a cruel set-up that began 50 years ago. Though he's only in a few scenes, these are impressive, particularly the last one, which is my favorite moment in the movie even though Lockhart isn't involved.

Ah yes, Lockhart. He really does capture the audience's fancy when he is on-screen. When we first see him, he's tooting his own horn at a book signing, flashing a dashing smile at the camera, eager to ally himself with the fabled Harry Potter, though Harry is less than enthusiastic about being thrust onto the front page of the paper with him. Girls - including Mrs. Weasley - swoon for him, but the guys all seem to think he's ridiculous, an opinion apparently shared by most of the school staff. His fatal combination of arrogance and utter ineptitude make for all sorts of riotous situations, and in spite of the sinister spark that makes itself apparent by the end of the film, I simply can't dislike this guy.

Richard Harris is alarmingly wispy in his second and final appearance as Albus Dumbledore. Nonetheless, he commands the screen in his scenes. Harris was the perfect choice to play the eccentric and exquisite headmaster, and I just can't get used to his robust replacement in the later films... David Bradley stands out more than last time as cantankerous caretaker Argus Filch, as does Miriam Margolyes as stout horticulturalist Madame Sprout. Maggie Smith's McGonagall is pretty much the same here, a very strict professor who nonetheless exhibits compassion and empathy, while Alan Rickman remains completely compelling as Snape, though I must say I have to giggle when he direly reprimands Ron and Harry for damaging a tree that had been on school grounds "since before you were born!" I'm sorry, but twelve years is just not a very impressive span in the life of a tree...

As before, the special effects are impressive, and they're a bit less overwhelming this time, though they still augment most of the scenes. John Williams' score is delightfully mystical, with tinkly melodies that breathe magic and fantastical happenings. There is still a lot about the book that did not come through on the screen, but I think the balancing act was accomplished more impressively here than in the first cinematic outing, and there are few films out there to more effective set a Halloweenish mood. I guess it's no secret that I love this movie!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD