I
have an odd, slightly sarcastic fondness for this one. There's a lot
more smart visual humour in the scenes, the dialogue is faster and
flows more naturally, and the acting is better (though could still
use work). The villain is an interesting one, and I could have done
with another scene or two of Harry talking to him through the book to
get a better sense of Tom's character.
It's still essentially a mystery thriller, and said mystery is slightly less simplistic this time. My mother read the whole book to me in our back garden on a sunny summer day (testament both to her patience and the length of the book), so I guess I associate it with good times? I like many elements of this one too though - the spiders, the snake, and Lockhart is one of my favourite characters of the series.
It's still essentially a mystery thriller, and said mystery is slightly less simplistic this time. My mother read the whole book to me in our back garden on a sunny summer day (testament both to her patience and the length of the book), so I guess I associate it with good times? I like many elements of this one too though - the spiders, the snake, and Lockhart is one of my favourite characters of the series.
We're starting to get a sense of some wider conspiracy now, with the similarities between Harry and Voldemort and whatnot, but I don't get the sense that Rowling had thought up the end game until some time around the fourth or fifth instalment. The world feels bigger though, and we're seeing the first steps into a narrative outside of Harry's present life at the school with the whole thing about Riddle and Hagrid in the past. The third film goes far more into a past that I think is one of my favourite aspects of this universe, but we'll have to wait for that.
Though
the trio is improving, their acting still needs work. This film
retains many of the clunky elements and acting problems of the first
one. I remember when I was younger being irritated that they don't
really mention the house cup and point system after going into so
much detail on it before, but then I guess by this age the main cast
will pretty much understand that it's a bullshit system, and these
films are shot primarily from their point of view.
The fight at the end was great (save some awkward basilisk effect integration), I remember being appalled when the phoenix plucks the eyes from the snake and feeling scared for Harry when it was trying to hear him. None of it really made an impact on my re-watch though, so I'm mostly working from memory here (and for most of the series).
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: 47.5