Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets is one of the most anticipated movies of 2002 year. It is the second movie in the Harry Potter book seriess, following the story as written in part two. But skipping some things to keep it all going on high speed. This way you hardly notice this movie is two hours and forty minutes.

Harry is back with the Dursleys after his first year at Hogwarts. There, a house elf called Dobby shows up telling Harry he cannot go back to Hogwarts for a reason he is unable to tell. But Harry goes anyway finding the secret entrance to platform 9 ¾ blocked. He and his best friend Ron take the flying Ford Anglia of Ron's father to get to Hogwarts instead of the train. But they were spotted by muggles and must serve detention. Harry needs to address fanmail of the new Defense Against Dark Arts teacher Gilderoy Lockhart. During that he hears a strange voice that Professor Lockhart can't hear. He meets up with Ron and Hermione after he's done addressing the letters and hears the voice again, coming from the wall.

Ron and Hermione can't hear it either so Harry decides to follow it. They end up finding Mrs. Norris, the cat of caretaker Filch, hanging petrified next to the message "The Chamber of Secrets Has Been Opened. Enemies of the Heir Beware". After this more attacks follow, all to muggle born wizards. Harry, Ron and Hermione try to find out who or what is behind it.

Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets is much darker than the first Harry Potter movie. Also the story is told much faster, because it needs no explaining. Also the actors have grown much more into their roles. Daniel is more convincing as Harry this time, he has a nice naughty twinkle in his eye. Emma Watson has mastered Hermione even more and Rupert Grint is still brilliant as Ron, playing it so natural and he keeps being funny. The children seem more mature and have really grown older like their characters. As for the grown ups, they remain as good as ever, though Alan Rickman's Snape is even more underused than in the first Harry Potter movie. Newcomer Kenneth Branagh (Gilderoy Lockhart) really becomes his character. When he and Rickman share the stage their charisma nearly blows you away. Jason Isaacs is nice and nasty as Lucius Malfoy, and he is the explanation as to why Draco acts like he does. The special effects are much better now, mostly because the special effects people were given nine months instead of three to work them out.

Quidditch is even faster and Dobby seems almost life like. The sets are mind-blowing, especially the Chamber one. It is so big that you can understand why Chris Columbus needed all the space Leavesden Studios had. On the whole, Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets is a good movie. It has all elements that a good movie needs, comedy, suspense, action and even a bit of horror. You might want to be careful to watch it with small children. It is definitely worth your time and money, so go now and buy a ticket. Nice to know that at the end after the end titles you have a really small bit of film giving some explanation about what happened to one of the characters from the movie.