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Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets (Widescreen Edition)

Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets (Widescreen Edition)

List Price: $19.98
Your Price: $14.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "Harry Potter must not go to Hogwarts this year!"
Review: Following the well-deserved success of the 2001 film "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", director Chris Columbus returned in 2002 with the impressive sequel, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets". Based upon the children's books written by acclaimed author J.K. Rowlings, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" is a much darker tale than its predecessor. As the famous Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) prepares to return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his second year, he is saddened by not having heard all summer from his good friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). One night, while his Uncle Vernon Dursley (Richard Griffiths), his Aunt Petunia (Fiona Shaw) and his cousin Dudley Dursley (Harry Melling) are preparing to entertain important guests, Harry gets an unexpected and unruly visitor: Dobby the House Elf (voice by Toby Jones). Dobby warns Harry not to return to Hogwarts this year because he would be in serious danger, but Harry refuses to heed Dobby's warning. Dobby then gets Harry into some serious trouble, but Ron and his twin brothers Fred and George (James & Oliver Phelps respectively) rescue Harry from the Dursley's in their father's flying car. Harry & Ron eventually get to Hogwarts, but get into more trouble. Also, suspicion towards Harry grows as people and animals start to become petrified with warnings written in blood that the Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Can Harry find out who or what is behind it all before Hogwarts is shut down, and will he understand that he really belongs in Griffindore?

Returning Hogwarts staff in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" include Professor Snape (Alan Rickman), Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith), Professor Albus Dumbledore (Richard Harris, 1930-2002), Argus Filch (David Bradley) and groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane). Hogwarts new Professor Against the Dark Arts is the acclaimed author Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh), and the magical plants professor is Professor Sprout (Miriam Margolyes). Also returning is ghost Nearly Headless Nick (John Cleese, who is well known for his work in the British TV comedic series "Monty Python") and students Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis), the obnoxious Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) and Percy Weasley (Chris Rankin). In addition to Mrs. Weasley (Julie Waters) is her husband Arthur Weasley (Mark Williams) and their young daughter Virginia 'Ginny' Weasley (Bonnie Wright), who is going to Hogwarts as a first-year student. Draco's father Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs) is also introduced and illustrates where Draco got his attitude. Also introduced at Hogwarts is another of its many ghosts, Moaning Myrtle (Shirley Henderson) and a past student named Tom Marvolo Riddle (Christian Coulson).

It was very sad when long-time actor Richard Harris passed away shortly before the theatrical release of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets". He was twice nominated for Best Actor by the Academy Awards for his work in the 1963 film "This Sporting Life" and the 1990 film "The Field". He was well known for his work in the 1967 musical "Camelot", in which he played King Arthur, as well as his leading roles in the films "A Man Called Horse" (1970), "Cromwell" (1970), "Gladiator" (2000) and, of course, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (2001). Though Michael Gambon will play the character of Albus Dumbledore in future Harry Potter films, Richard Harris' contributions to these plus his other film roles will never be forgotten. Thank you Richard Harris.

Memorable scenes in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" include the flying cake, the flying car scenes, the chimney, the bookstore, the whomping willow, the spiders, Moaning Myrtle, the transformation spell, Professor Dumbledore's office, the challenge with Draco, the chamber, and the final scenes. Overall, I rate "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" with a resounding 5 out of 5 stars. It's a wonderful film that I highly recommend to everyone.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Too Bad... I expected better
Review: I was so naive to think that this movie would be a more entertaining one that the first. This movie is for kiddies who are still in their nurseries learning how to speak! Lord of the Rings is the real deal. If I was to rate the movie out of a five, there isn't even a number that low! If i were to rate the book out of a ten, there isn't even a number that high! I gave it a three because of all the special feautures and computer graphics.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE!!!
Review: Harry Potter is back, this time facing an ancient terror from the darkest recesses of Hogwarts itself! Will he triumph? Will good again defeat evil?

Naturally, you don't have to be a genius to answer the questions. Chamber of Secrets is a darker, more forboding film than the first. We are introduced to new characters. There is Lucius Malfoy, father of Draco Malfoy, just as unpleasant, just as ruthless. On the other side of the fence, there is the hapless house elf Dobby who continues to warn Harry Potter of a horrible danger. Old friends are back - Ron Weasley and family, Hermoine Granger, Hagrid, and the magnificent Professor Dumbledorf. We are introduced to some new features of "wizard society" such as the "howler", a letter that lets a person know on no uncertain terms that they have messed up, how the wizardly world goes to great pains to keep itself secret from us muggles, or the unfortunate prejudice some pure blood wizards direct against those with muggle ancestors or parents, derisively referring to them as "mudbloods".

Regretfully, there are two facts that prevent me from giving this movie a five star rating. The first is the fact that it is a sequel, causing it to lose some of its novelty. The second is is its time, it is longer than the first. As such, I feel **** stars is proper.

Unless, of course, you are a true Harry Potter fan, in which case it will come across as *****.

POTTER POWER!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Oh shut up you so called Christian zealots!!
Review: This is a fantastic movie and the books are among the most genius novel series ever written. In fact, this is far from Satanic. This is a very shining example of what our world faces today seen through a different light (Read Order Of The Phoenix to understand what I mean).

This second movie is even better than the first one and is much darker. This one finds our beloved wizard boy returning to Hogwarts in his second year against warnings not to return but hears a voice not heard by his friends. Students are being petrified by the monster controlled by a being named the 'Heir of Slytherin' and Harry must discover who's behind the attacks at Hogwarts and discover a place called the Chamber of Secrets where the culprit is believed to be housed in.

This is such an excellent movie and a brilliant movie. Being a heavy-duty Christian, this is a welcome novel story series to come into my life. It showcases the bravery and the courage of some people who have special powers.

Definately buy this movie and ignore all these idiots who say "Harry Potter is Evil!". Yerrgh!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Well-produced movie (but are we there yet?)...
Review: I've never been a fan of this type of fantasy movie, but Chris Columbus has done a pretty good job. This the second Harry Potter flick, and better than the first. Through excellent effects and good acting performances, fans and non-fans of all ages will be able to enjoy "Chamber."

The level of realism throughout the film is excellent. I've never been an avid Harry Potter reader, but I was able to quickly catch on to the plot and the different environments. Having little HP experience, I was a bit eager to have the movie end earlier. It did seem a bit long in the theater, but less so at home. The DVD provides great value and some nice extra features. Overall, I liked the movie with my limited experience, and thought it was well put together. More avid Harry Potter fans than I will like it even more.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: awesome awesome awsome
Review: im so esctatic that i cant write everything in the space provided go to my site http://www.outwar.com/page.php?x=1719175 to check out my thoughts

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: A Giant Snake? Are You Kidding Me?
Review: It seems odd to me to criticize a movie when it is based upon a best-selling book, especially a best-selling book series. It's seems odd because I dislike many aspects of this movie; but, it seems like I should take them up with the series of books and its author. However, since I've never read the books, I'll take it out on the movie.

"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" picks up with Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) back at his Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's house. Harry is still being mistreated by his parental stand-ins who still view him to be a bit of an odd duck. This is definitely not the way this movie should have started. What's Harry doing living with the people who treated him so poorly in the first place? Sounds like Harry slipped through the social services cracks.

Eventually Harry makes it back to Hogwarts Castle for his second year of wizard instruction despite being warned not to go by a House Elf named Dobby (voiced by Toby Jones). Dobby tells Harry (in the most annoying way humanly, or elfly, possible) that great danger awaits him if he returns to Hogwarts. Harry being a teenager of course doesn't listen and returns to Hogwarts where all manner of strange things start happening.

At Hogwarts Harry meets up with his friends Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint). A series of petrifications start occurring at the school and a rumor of a hidden chamber containing all manner of unspeakable evils starts circulating around the school. Harry's fellow students begin suspecting he has something to do with the petrifications, which means that Harry, Hermione, and Ron must figure out what's going on and stop it.

While I did enjoy the first Harry Potter movie I didn't have high hopes for this one. For one, sequels are almost never better than the original. Also, part of what made the first Harry Potter movie so good was the journey of discovery that the viewer took with Harry. Not only were you seeing this hidden world for the first time but so was Harry.

With this movie though that sense of discovery is gone. This is strange considering the fact that the movie dealt with a hidden chamber of secrets that needed to be discovered. I just kept getting the feeling that this movie was turning up already plowed soil.

Another problem is that the two main additions to the cast from the first were thoroughly annoying. The computer-animated elf Dobby was such a cringe-inducing character that I enjoyed watching him punish himself by slamming a book against his head. The other addition was Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs) the father of Harry's Hogwarts nemesis Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton). Isaacs plays the evil Lucius in the most simplistic of ways: he snears whenever the camera is close on him to let the audience know he is up to no good (as if we couldn't figure that out by him being Draco's father).

Hopefully the next Harry Potter film will be more inspired than this one. If this movie series goes on to become a hit, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" will likely be to it what "The Return of the Jedi" is to the "Stars Wars" series. And that ain't good.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: What's with the ending?
Review: I was very disappointed when I saw the second film. I had higher expectations since I liked the first one so much. The first wasn't quite as good as the books, but it still remained close. In the second film there were so many little flaws that it just brought down the quality of the whole film, which may have been very good. Firstly, what's with the ending? Why do they all clap for Hagrid for two minutes instead of Harry? Why didn't they do the house cup or at least make some referance as to who won without Dumbledore saying it like in the first film. Another flaw was in the very beginning where the film opens with Harry looking at his photo album with a smile on his face and then speaking to his owl (though he did this occasionally in the books it looked horrible on film). I think the film would have been much stronger if Steve Kloves (the writer) would have just not bother trying to get in all of the exposition and just went straight into the film. Finally I think the film just didn't have a long enough running time to satisfy the standard of the book. I think just a few of the deleted scenes (which can be seen on the DVD) would have made all of the difference: just Lockhart's pop quiz, the Chrismas scene which provides a good monologue for Harry, and a couple of others. Finally did anyone notice that there is a typo in the book that Hermione picks up in the library. It reads "... to transfor into an another."

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the year best
Review: If you like the books you will like Harry Potter the second Part in movie. He's back with more fun and action. The harry Potter books wrote by J. K. Rowling love by everybody around the world. And so was the movie. As both of the movie rank the top ten.
If the next movie was out I will see it. it's very different to see it in movie than to read it in book. in movie you see live actions and magic comes true. The books are good too.
It's much better than Load of the ring, because the Load series are too old fashion. Also the pictures really sucks.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Much better than the first!
Review: In many many franchises & trilogies, the 2nd movie is the weakest in the series. Fortunately for us, this isn't the case here.

The most noticeable thing (well, except for the boys' voice changing) was the fact that the younger actors' acting has improved tremendously (esp. Daniel Radcliffe, while Rupert Grint can use a little more help...). The adaptation of the story was much better this time, too.


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