Potter Finds Darker Secrets in 2nd Magical Film Voyage

"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

With his return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry Potter's life has become dramatically darker -- and considerably more cheesy.

For those who have not read the novels, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" tracks Harry's second year at wizarding school, where a dark plot is terrifying students and teachers alike. Someone has opened the feared Chamber of Secrets, and a monster has been unleashed upon the school to rid Hogwarts of students not of pure wizarding blood.

As students are attacked, it's up to Harry to find the Chamber of Secrets and defeat the creature within.

Shudder-inducing giant spiders, horrifying happenings and messages painted in blood on school walls make this film more ominous than its predecessor, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." With less character development and a more active -- even rushed -- plot line, the second Harry Potter movie is more edge-of-your-seat drama and less bonding with Harry and friends.

Hogwarts has become a dangerous place where even the most anticipated activities become perilous. Quidditch, the quintessential wizarding sport, played on broomsticks, becomes life-threatening when someone tampers with the equipment and Harry is trailed by a bone-breaking bludger, the largest of the Quidditch balls.

Elements such as Quidditch, magic classes, the school ghosts and the essential Hogwarts banquets create pictures straight out of J. K. Rowling's novels. But loyal Harry Potter readers might be disappointed at the missing scenes, some of which are so vivid in the books.

Disappointing though these discontinuities between novel and film may be, director Chris Columbus manages to keep the story together despite the cuts necessary to make the film about 2 1/2 hours long.

Superb casting compensates for the speed of the telling. Gilderoy Lockhart, the self-inflated, incompetent teller of tales who teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, is perfectly played by Kenneth Branagh. And Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs), the father of Harry's nemesis, Draco, dominates the screen with his vile villainy.

Though Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson -- Harry, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger respectively -- have aged and voices have changed, the casting still fits the storyline. The challenge of the Harry Potter movies now will be to complete the series before the kids are too old to properly play the parts.

Evasive of similar aging problems, computer-developed characters such as Dobby the House Elf are beautifully done -- simultaneously hilarious and creepy.

But these eccentric characters are sometimes without context in a film where close-up shots make up the visual meat. Many of the scenes would be better if the camera only stepped back and allowed for a view of the elaborate sets that make the world of the stories come to life.

Nonetheless, there is a certain magic about the "Harry Potter" films that has been carried from the first into the second. This spark lasts until the last 10 minutes of the movie, which, unfortunately, are shellacked with sappiness. It's nearly impossible to stomach the denouement as characters gaze lovingly at one another and share happy harmony at Hogwarts.

The ending aside, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" surpasses its predecessor and stays true to the feel of the novel. Dark yet endearing, funny and dramatic, the film will satisfy both hard-core fans of the books and those who are just looking for a good Friday night flick.

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.