science fiction

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Movie Review

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grant, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Kenneth Branagh, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman
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Review Summary
The second installment in the Harry Potter series does justice to the book it was based on, and outstrips its prequel in terms of effects. Harry returns to Hogwarts for his second year of schooling in wizardry, and finds himself caught up in dangerous events. Daniel Radcliffe, in his second outing, heads an outstanding cast, with a good performance from Emma Watson, who is unfortunately sidelined for a great part of the movie due to the fact that she has been petrified by an unknown monster. Also outstanding are Alan Rickman as the brooding Severus Snape, Richars Harris as kindly Dumbledore, Robbie Coltrane filling the immense role of Hagrid, and Kenneth Branagh, who plumps up the part of vain Gilderoy Lockhart to perfection. On the whole, a fun and entertaining film, with twists and turns aplenty.
soph, Resident Scholar

Harry Potter is a virtual prisoner in the home of his muggle relatives, the Dursleys. A house elf named Dobby shows up one night to warn Harry not to go back to Hogwarts school of magic for his second year of study because there is grave danger there. But Harry doesn't feel he belongs anywhere else, and Ron Weasley and his brothers break Harry out with their flying car. In the course of his second year, Harry plays more Quidditch; meets Gilderoy Lockhart, the egotistical new professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts (Branagh, who hams it up wonderfully); and learns of the Chamber of Secrets (which reportedly contains a horrific monster and was opened once already, 50 years before). The second movie in the Harry Potter series is darker, more scary, than the first, with slugs, spiders of many sizes, and a basilisk. Ron is unhappily reduced to snivelling, bug-eyed comic relief, and Hermione spends a good part of the film out of the action because she's petrified, but the sets are marvelous, the CGI creatures terrific, and some great new characters (Dobby, Lockhart, and Moaning Myrtle) introduced.
David Loftus, Resident Scholar


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Plot

Composition of Movie
Actual chase scenes or violence - 50%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzle - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%




**Fantasy or Science Fiction?** - fantasy story on present day Earth
Coming of age Yes
he'll/she'll become: - a [powerful magician/mental powers person
Mental/Magical powers focus Yes

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - mage/magician - student
Age: - a kid
Has special powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character: - Invisibility - can talk to animals - can fly - can cast many different spells - is very quick
Hair color? - brunette (Brown) - brunette (Black)
Hair type - (man) short/medium wavy
Body type - very skinny (man)
Events of movie makes character more... - tougher
Ethnicity/Nationality - English/British
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor? - Strong but gentle sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Secondary Main Character
Identity: - Male
Hair color - red
Hair style - (man) short/standard straight
Body type - very skinny (man)
How much in movie? - 80%
Ethnicity/Nationality - British

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - a teen
Profession/status: - mage/magician
Has special powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - is very quick - can talk to animals - can cast all sorts of spells
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - 40% - 60%
Hair color - brunette (Black)
Hair style - (man) short/standard straight
Body type - average (man)
Ethnicity - British
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged

Setting
Earth setting: - 20th century (1970's to Present)
Takes place on Earth? Yes
Forests? Yes
Misc settings - fort/castle

Style
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Tone of movie - fearful
Comedy or somewhat funny movie? Yes
Non-American film? Yes
What language? - English
Subtitles? - No
Any profanity? - None
Kinds of F/X - Things that change shape/morph - nasty human transformations
If Soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE... - Orchestra/classical
Is this movie based on a - book
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