Home :: DVD :: Kids & Family :: Adapted from Books  

Adapted from Books

Adventure
Animals
Animation
Classics
Comedy
Dinosaurs
Disney
Drama
Educational
Family Films
Fantasy
General
Holidays & Festivals
IMAX
Music & Arts
Numbers & Letters
Puppets
Scary Movies & Mysteries
Science Fiction
Television
Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets (Full Screen Edition)

Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets (Full Screen Edition)

List Price: $19.98
Your Price: $15.98
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 .. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 .. 65 >>

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Henry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets Is Pure Delight !!
Review: From the very beginning of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," I was enchanted. This is the second film in the series, and much better than the first. Director Chris Columbus and screenwriter Steve Kloves have done an exceptional job of bringing J.K. Rowling's book to life on the screen. Harry, (Daniel Radcliffe), is stuck for the summer, again, with the dreadful Dursleys. He suffers their insults and threats silently, and longs to go back to his real home, The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is banished to his room, while the Dursleys entertain important visitors, and finds he has a surprise visitor himself. It is Doby, the hilarious House Elf, who makes a terrible nuisance of himself. This creature just cracked me up, as do the many new, and very funny beings that populate the film. There are medicinal Mandrake plants, used for special potions, whose roots scream when pulled, a Whomping Willow Tree, peculiar pixies, giant spiders (ewww), Professor Dumbledore's pet phoenix who occasionally burns and rises from his ashes, mopy, moaning Myrtle, a ghost who lives in the bathroom, etc.. Oh yes, there is a magic flying car that Harry and Ron Weasley, (Rupert Grint), drive back to school when they miss the train - and what a drive!

Elf Doby had warned Harry not to go back to Hogwarts this year because terrible danger is in the forecast. And terrible danger arises very soon after Harry and Ron make their entrance, reunite with Hermione, (wonderful Emma Watson), and other old friends, and meet-up with Draco Malfoy, Harry's malicious arch rival. And Malfoy is after Harry again, Big Time! Before returning to school, Harry and Ron pay a visit to the Weasley family. I mention this because the Weasleys are wonderful, and Mrs. Weasley, is a hoot! There is a scene around the dining table that is worth the price of admission, (or rental), alone.

Of course the beloved giant Hagrid is at school to welcome the students, along with Professor Dumbledore, who is at his best, quoting such wisdom as, "It is not abilities that show us who we really are, it is our choices." Professors Snape, McGonagall, and herbology teacher Sprout are all back this year. They are joined by new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, a narcissistic charlatan, brilliantly played by Kenneth Branagh, who is very ineffective in performing his specialty, "Defense Against the Dark Arts." And all look forward to the first Quidditch game of the season, which proves to be extremely dangerous!

The horror begins when Harry starts hearing sibilant voices, that are not heard by anyone else. Then ominous words appear on the walls, written in blood. The mysterious events begin to reoccur, each one creepier than the next. The school may have to close for the safety of the students. And almost everyone suspects that Harry is involved.

This second film is scarier and more exciting then the first. I do not think, however, that small children would be any more frightened by Harry's adventures, than by the Wicked Witch and her henchmen in the "Wizard of Oz."

This movie is a pure delight! I thought the first film, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" was OK - a 3.5 star film. But this one had me laughing out loud. The diverse characters are truly wonderful, the adventures exciting, and the pace fast enough to keep everyone from being bored. The cast of actors is superb, as are their portrayals. An easy 5 Stars! Highly recommended for adults and children.
JANA

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Cool! Best movie yet!
Review: I hope these movies get better to everyone out there. Because
they do to me!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets DVD
Review: I am greatly dissapointed by the HP movies as a whole. Lacking personality, they are really just eye-candy for HP junkies. Im trying to give this a truthful review, so forgive me, Im not trying to sabatoge your love of the books (which are excellent).

My first problem is the script. Instead of rewriting the whole book into a movie script, the movie is done in short chopped up scenes. So after the movie, you dont think of it as a movie, but as a bunch of different scenes. My dad, who never read the Harry Potter books, saw the movies, and didnt understand the plot at all. Fortunately, most people have read the books, but still, thats no excuse for the horrible plot/character developement.

My second problem is with the actors. Obviously most of the child actors were picked because they looked like the people they are supposed to portray. Warning bells are going off in my head already! I would have rather had an actor who looked somewhat like Harry Potter, and was a great actor, then someone who looked exactly like Harry Potter, and couldnt act. But unfortunately we end up with the Harry Potter look alike. He seems to have taken a leaf out of Frodos book, and spends most of the movie looking around breathlessly worried. This is pretty much how Ron and Hermione spend the movie as well, (they were also picked for their apperance). The adult actors are great, but suffer from horrible blocking, and even worse lines. After watching Maggie Smith forcing out the excrutiatingly unfunny lines written for her, I am sympathetic toward Daniel Radcliffe (who plays Harry Potter). Perhaps Daniel Radcliffe can act, and its the horrible script and directing thats holding him back. I certainly hope so. In fact, I think JKR must have noticed this, and there is a new director for book 3....THANK GOD!

My third, and final problem is with the special effects. They just dont have the magical apeal they should. Perhaps its the "gothic" way Dobby is done, kind of like a minitare troll, which combines so badly with the Happy Hogwarts atmposphere. Perhaps its the emptiness you feel the whole movie. You would get the feeling that Ron, Harry, and Hermione were the ONLY people in Hogwarts after watching for a while. In fact, there are so few Extras on the set, they put Gryfindoors in the Slytherin common room to make it seem more full.

ENOUGH BAD NEWS! I found a little bit to like about the Spec. Edition. DVD.

1. It has some great extra scenes, which add some life to a lifeless movie.

2. Ever wanted to know what makes Daniel Radcliffe tick? If you answered yes, then you will definitely buy the HP spec. Ed. DVD. Interviews with every actor will satisfy even the most rabid Harry Potter fan.

Finally, I have to reccomend that you DONT buy the DVD. Just wait untill it comes on Network TV, or on cable. Its worth a watch, just for Eye Candy. Maybe if the price goes down under 20 bucks. Just dont expect too much.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Horrible
Review: First off, the storyline for these movies are horrible, and the books aren't exactly much better.

The acting is horrid, I don't know why they even wanted to use some of the lead actors in this movie, they were 100% horrible

Please, pass on this movie. You can use your time with something more worth it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: It's the DVD that makes this one great!
Review: The second is even better than the first. Loads of excietment and adventure, with an excellent plot. The movie stays true to the book, any fan would be proud. The DVD is topped with loads of even more extra stuff, including activities, extra scenes, interviews and a DVD-Rom bonus. I can't wait till the third one comes out!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Just like the books
Review: Only without more scenes...Very good movie but I just wished it showed WHY Ron was scared of spiders...and when Percy cared so much about Ms.Clearwater...Very good movie! 5 Stars!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Movies that stay true to the book but lack certian qualities
Review: The Harry potter movies stay true to the plots of the books and try their best to create faithful adaptations of the books, they do this brilliantly, but have lots of flaws that overlook certain points of the books that really should be there. All the casting and sights are great, pretty true to what they were in the book, but a lot of characters get overlooked and dont always feel like they are the characters you know in the book. Harry being the best example, he can have a bad temper and is always fighting within himself to overcome things on his mind, and those moments are absent from the films. Hagrid is a good example of a character that is portrayed the way all the characters should be. He acts and looks just like Hagrid. I think the Loahting between harry, his friends and snape should also be evident. If you havent read the books you probably wont know that snape and the characters are at odds all the time. Maybe this is due to a lack of classtime for time purposes but i really believe characters should be developed and if they have to cut out some scenes to get the point and magic of them across then so be it. The Weasley twins are given the short end of the stick also, they are usually funny and always making trouble but they dont do anything in the films but exist. The movies as they are do well on their own, but would fare a lot better if all the characters got the attention that they recieved in the books and have more hints of inner struggles than what they show in the films. It would do a lot to the already good adaptations.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: These kids still can't act
Review: The disappointing acting from the three young stars is marginally improved, but none of them is convincing for a second. Worse, the magical world of Hogwarts has lost its charm the second time around, and the special effects (especially the really dreadful snake) are strictly grade-B. This movie lacks any excitement or genuine pleasure.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The beloved book comes to life.
Review: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is yet another live version of the books we love. This DVD has many extras, including deleted scenes (that you can actually get to easily, this time) and interviews. You can explore Diagon Alley, as well as other places, and watch the beloved movie!!!

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson. Daniel Radcliffe once again strikes us as the heroic and perfect Harry Potter...the perfect match. Rupert Grint stars as Ron Weasley, the funniest character (in my opinion) of the bunch, who delivers many laughs even when the group is in danger. And Emma Watson delivers a perfect performance as Hermione Granger, the "know-it-all" character who always helps Harry and Ron figure out the mystery.

This year Hogwarts is in danger. Someone is letting a monster loose on the students, mainly those who are muggle-born, and the students as well as the future of the school is in danger. Harry is a suspect himself, and only Ron and Hermione, and most of his house, stick by him through the troubled time. So he takes it into his own hands to solve the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets...and is led into more danger than the last film.

Christopher Columbus does an excellent job yet again. His Harry Potter and the chamber of Secrets movie was directed so well that you feel as if you are in the movie. Great graphics, once again great music by John Williams, and great acting performances make this movie so great it'll take magic to make the next one, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, better than this.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Very Well Done, and Entertaining
Review: The Harry Potter saga started as a group of runaway best selling books, and then they turned the books into movies.

Sometimes this can be a disaster, other times, the movies deviate from the books.

HOWEVER, in this case, the Harry Potter movies are every bit as entertaing as the books. They also stay TRUE to the storyline which is very important to a majority of people.

I am in my 30's and I was able to sit through this entire movie without once being distracted or feeling bored, theaction and pace were wonderful.

This one is very worthwhile in your library of DVD's, an if you have kids, I hope to one day, they will love it !

Best Regards to All, MC - TheStickRules.Com


<< 1 .. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 .. 65 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates