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Post by Dark_Avenger on Nov 18, 2002 17:16:07 GMT -5
Yes, I have recently witnessed the second movie of the Harry Potter saga, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Here I will post my extensive review of the highly-anticipated sequel to the best-selling book and movie from last year. Discuss, if you wish, any agreements or disagreements you may have on my opinions. There are some spoilers in the review, so I’m sorry if anything is ruined. Please note that DarkAvenger cannot be held responsible for any story details ruined for one’s enjoyment, as you’ve been warned. Here it is (Sorry I need to double-post):
While watching the Chamber of Secrets, I was quite pleased how they wasted no time reviewing facts and what happened in the first movie, and was able to jump right into the story. This is one area I found the first movie to be quite lacking, but there wasn’t much of a choice. The beginning followed the story pretty well, though you did not know it was Harry’s birthday until he had escaped from 4 Privet Drive. I found Dobby to look to, how one may say, “rubbery,” or too computer-animated-looking.
I think they portrayed The Burrow (the Weasley house) quite well, as I imagined it, though they neglected to set it on the edge of a small cliff-like hill, as it was in the book. Still, it was small, yet towering, with about at least five stories on it. I was quite pleased with it. I also liked that they made the flying car trip to Hogwarts much more interesting by adding in the Train chasing them, and Harry falling out.
The Whomping Willow couldn’t have looked better, making the ends of its branches into fist-like shapes. But soon at the school, I became confused of which part of the book I was being taken to at times, because a lot of material I have become familiar with was skipped. The first hour or so of the movie was quite humorous, but after that, jokes became extremely scarce. I can understand their absence in the Chamber of Secrets, but there could have been more.
The Quidditch match was excellent. There were more 3-dimensional elements to the flying maneuvers, and the Rouge Bludger caught me off guard. I almost jumped when it came crashing down to Harry when he was lying in the sand!
The Dueling Club was great. I loved those effects of them just flying through the air. The one drawback to it was that they could have extended the duel between Harry and Draco. It was one of my favorite parts of the movie, and I’m sure many others liked it.
I liked Dumbledoor’s Office very much. It was just as I envisioned it. The effects of Fawkes the Phoenix burning up was pretty good.
I simply LOVED what they did with Aragog. There were a whole lot of spiders everywhere, and Aragog himself looked great. And they added more “jumpy” elements to the scene, to add more of a frightening effect, with the giant spider leaping right into the car.
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Post by Dark_Avenger on Nov 18, 2002 17:16:23 GMT -5
And now, I bring myself to the climax, my favorite part, and the title of the movie: The Chamber of Secrets. Though my mind did not portray the whole ring of sinks (and it may have been in the book, I’m not sure), I liked it, the way it opened. There was more to the Chamber of Secrets than I even imagined! All the corridors leading to the heart of it were nice. The Chamber itself was great! It was enormous, with all the snake head statues along the walls. If I could have changed one thing, it would have been the statue. It was pretty big, even if it was just a head, but in the book, it was the entire body. But I guess it was for better, so Harry could scramble on top of it. Tom Riddle looked lust as I wanted him to. And when I saw the Basilisk reveal himself, I thought to myself this: ‘Oh my God. It’s like an overgrown dinosaur/snake, and 10 times better than I could have ever imagined it.’ I loved the chase, and was soon disappointed. When Fawkes came down, I didn’t like what I saw. Here I had just seen this amazing Basilisk, and then Fawkes comes down looking like a large, red parrot. I imagined him to be SO much more beautiful (when was the last time I used that word anyways?) than he was made. With the computer technology they used for Dobby and the Basilisk, this was a disappointment to me. The one thing in the movie I hated most of all. I liked that Fawkes actually pecked and scratched out the Basilisk’s eyes, making them two red spots. I was also please with the extended chase to it through the pipes on the side of the Chamber of Secrets (in the walls), and how Harry was pinned to the grating location. It was pretty suspenseful of how the Basilisk could hear him, and was just about to strike, when he just threw the rock, and drove it away. I was saddened about the little intermission, because I thought the battle was almost over, as Harry just talked to Tom Riddle. Then came a jumper, as the Basilisk crashes through the floor abruptly, breaking the suspended silence! I jumpe3d, and then cheered in my head that there was more to this. I found it a bit cheap of how the sword simply fading into the Sortine Hat, when it was in it all along in the book. But still, when Harry ran up to the face statue, and thrust the sword straight through the roof of the Basilisk’s mouth, I was stunned. The first movie seemed so reluctant to sport violence (after being slashed and chased by razor-sharp keys in the first movie, you’d think Harry would have gotten more than a cut on the head and wrist), yet this one went wild! The sword shined with blood, the Basilisk bit Harry, Harry takes the bloody fang out of his arm, has a hole in him, and the Basilisk falls to the floor! As Harry walks by, the camera shifts to the Basilisk’s head: It’s actually covered in areas with large spots of blood! This shocked me a whole lot, because I thought that the producer would dumb it down for the kiddies! Thank God! And stabbing the diary was cool, as it sputtered with ink, and every hole in the diary put a hole, shining with light, in Tom Riddle until he was gone! I simply loved that battle sequence!
Though many hated him, I thought Lucius Malfoy was cool. Very cool. Even if he DID have his hair in a ponytail. I was actually joyed, with my every so cruel heart, that he beat Dobby on the way out of Dumbledoor’s office, because I hate Dobby. I simply hate him. He was evil in the movie. Very evil indeed. And it was awesome how Lucius had his wand in his cane, with the snake head on the tip of the handle.
And the disappointment at the conclusion was that the closing feast was clearly rushed, and the House Cup was neglected. It didn’t seem very complete to me.
In short, I simply loved the movie. Overall, out of 10, I give it a 9.8. If you haven’t seen it, do so now.
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Post by bluesnicket on Nov 18, 2002 19:53:25 GMT -5
In short, I LOVED IT! It was a lot funnier, darker and as the critics are so fond of saying, richer. Definitely better than the first. Although I tolerate, accept and understand that things must be left out or the movie would be 4 or 5 hours long, I do have a few things about it I was disappointed in but I will live and it surely won't affect my whole view of it.
First, of all, I thought that the fact that they left out the part where we find out what a squib is because of Filch was kind of pricey. Unless they are going to bring it up later, of course. Also, I think the Weasley Twins' roles are sorely underused. They are the comic relief in the books. Also, I really don't understand why they gave the story of the Chamber of Secrets to McGonagall to tell. It would have been cool to introduce Professor Binns. Besides, it would have been funny to hear him constantly getting their names wrong like he did and losing his cool completely at the end of his story.
Mostly, I felt that Branagh was very underused as Lockhart. I think they should have shown a wee bit more of him and shown a bit more of his seeming incompetence and arrogance. For instance, I would have liked to see Lockhart offering his suggestions on how to handle fame and cautioning Harry not to get a big head. Maybe put in the part where he gives them a test and where he uses Harry to reenact on of his scenes from his books. We really find out then what an arrogant buffoon he is so it makes his unveiling as a fraud, funnier. I think that leaving out the Valentine's Day part where he arranges dwarves to give out singing telgrams and valentines was a mistake for two reasons. One, it would have added a very hysterical part in the movie for Branagh and well just to actually hear the song that the dwarf sing to Harry. But namely, this is how Ginny finds out who has her diary. You see, in the movie it isn't clear how she knew Harry had her diary. In the book, it is during the Valentine sequence that she saw him with it and was looking anxious. They should have put that because how were people who hadn't read the books to know he had it? Also, I have to wonder why they would cast Peeves but not use him. His humor is like the twins; it adds character to the bookss. Also, I don't really have a problem with the way it ended but I agree that Harry wouldn't have hugged Hagrid in front of everyone but one could argue he also would NEVER have hugged Hermione either in front of all those people. THink about it. Because he got so embarrassed when she hugged him in the first book. Anyway, those are minute things but overall it was a magical, wonderful experience and I can't wait till the 3rd movie and the 5th book comes out.
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Post by Dark_Avenger on Nov 19, 2002 16:37:09 GMT -5
I don't get why she hugged Harry, but shook Ron's hand. You'd think Harry REALLY likes Hermione or something, even though he doesn't. And you're right, he was even embarressed when Hermione gave him a kiss in private at the end of the Goblet of Fire. I just LOVED the Chamber sequence.
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Post by bluesnicket on Nov 19, 2002 20:22:33 GMT -5
I don't get why she hugged Harry, but shook Ron's hand. You'd think Harry REALLY likes Hermione or something, even though he doesn't. And you're right, he was even embarressed when Hermione gave him a kiss in private at the end of the Goblet of Fire. I just LOVED the Chamber sequence. Yeah, I know. It doesn't make sense. She doesn't have to LIKE like Ron to hug him, right? I mean, he is one of her best friends, too. They may fight but that doesn't mean they wouldn't take a bullet for each other therefore I would think they would hug, too. But I read that Chris Columbus said the reason that they didn't hug was because that is where the tension is. Makes sense to me but I wish they hadn't had so much hand-holding with Harry and Hermione if they wanted to show tension. But in Prisoner of Azkaban they hug, if you remember. So hopefully the director won't cut that out because I think that is very important as well as I hope he doesn't cut out or diminish their fights over Crookshanks and Scabbers. Because this indicates that their relationship is changing more than ever. |
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Post by Dark_Avenger on Nov 19, 2002 22:28:14 GMT -5
Huh? Tension? What? Cheese?
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Post by bluesnicket on Nov 20, 2002 14:37:29 GMT -5
Huh? Tension? What? Cheese? Sexual Tension. Did I type Cheese? |
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Post by Hermedy on Nov 20, 2002 15:02:34 GMT -5
I haven't seen it yet  |
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Post by Dark_Avenger on Nov 20, 2002 15:56:45 GMT -5
Sexual Tension. Did I type Cheese? Nope. I just end a series of few-word questions with something abstract. SEE IT TRAGEDY! |
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Post by Shaffuru! on Nov 20, 2002 17:34:45 GMT -5
YES. DO.
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Post by Dark_Avenger on Nov 20, 2002 23:07:02 GMT -5
WASN'T THE ENDING AWESOME?!?!?!
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Post by Shaffuru! on Nov 21, 2002 8:00:38 GMT -5
YES. T'WAS INDEED.
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Post by RonWeasley on Dec 12, 2002 10:40:42 GMT -5
I saw it opening day it is soooo coooooooooooool It is :Done of my favorite movies ever!!!!  I like the way they did fawkes and the flying car and :Dthe snak it was just soo cooool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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Post by Indistinguishable Blob on Dec 12, 2002 20:26:45 GMT -5
IM IN SLYTHERIN!!!!!!!!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!! Although I like Ravenclaw too.
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Post by Shaffuru! on Dec 14, 2002 16:54:56 GMT -5
Hey... I wonder where DA went off to...
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