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| Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets |
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| Anticipation Level: |
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| How excited (or not) I am to see this movie... |
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| As a huge fan of the books, I liked the first film, but wasn't completely satisfied with it, so I was a little dubious about this one, but ... |
| Movie Review: |
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| My thoughts on this movie... |
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This was a huge improvement on a first movie that I was a little disappointed about. The darkness wasn't toned down here, which I was pleased about, and very little scenes of any relevence were left out (although I missed the Deathday).
The cast have really grown into their roles. Dan Radcliffe was much, much better this time around, and seems more natural. Rupert Grint was as funny as ever, and Emma Watson was much more likeable. I liked the little embarrassed handshake between Ron and Hermione at the end - very important, considering what happens in Book IV. The one child actor that disappointed me was Tom Felton, who seems to have grown even more irritating since the first movie. He's not the drawling, bored, sarcastic Malfoy from the books at all - he just got on my nerves.
As for the new cast, Kenneth Branagh was the star of the show. Over-the-top, extravagant and very, very funny, he stole every scene that he was in, and it's a shame he's not going to return in the rest of the movies. Jason Isaacs was also brilliant as Lucius Malfoy. Hugh Mitchell and Bonnie Wright were also very good, and were not given enough screen-time. The same with Alan Rickman, who must play a larger role in PoA. Robbie Coltrane and Maggie Smith were as good as ever, and Richard Harris was a lot better this time around - he'll be sorely missed. Special mention also to Christian Coulson, who excelled as Tom Riddle. I hope he makes a cameo in GoF somehow.
The special effects were a great improvement. The Quidditch-trench scene was pure Star Wars (I was expecting Ron to turn up in the car and say "You're all clear kid, now let's blow this thing and go home!), the flying car was superb, and the Basilisk was perfect.
A few things I noticed. When Harry holds Ginny's hand in the Chamber, it's the same music as the Mirror of Erised scene in the first movie - a bit of foreshadowing? Also, Dumbledore really emphasised the fact that only a TRUE Gryffindor could pull the sword from the Hat - how literal is he about this?
Overall, I thought this was a terrific movie, and much, much better than the first. Roll on Prisoner of Azkaban - Ewan McGregor as Lupin and Sean Bean as Sirius, please? |
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