Return to Hogwart’s school of wizardry

Enchanting, suspenseful and at moments truly frightening, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets delivers an incredible movie-going experience for viewers of any age.

Do not be fooled by its G-rating; many of the scenes in the sequel to the 2001 blockbuster hit Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone show more violence than we are used to seeing in a children’s film. . . and are a lot scarier.

For those with a sensitive stomach, be prepared to witness a slug vomiting, an army of at least a thousand monster spiders and an enormous snake whose wretched eyes will kill anyone who stares into them.

Yet, with its fantastic moments of humour and genuine muggle emotions (‘muggle’ is the word for human in the wizarding world), the second installment of J.K. Rowling’s popular series about the boy wizard really is a wonderful cinematic experience both in its storytelling and special effects.

Summer vacation is over and it is back to Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the infamous ‘boy that lived’ Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends Ronald Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). Having been warned by Dobby, a house-elf, that bad things will be happen at Hogwart’s if he is to return, Potter and the gang soon find themselves with a new mystery to solve.

Weird things start to happen when the chamber of secrets is opened for the first time in 50 years. Several students are found frozen stiff; they are alive, but petrified and in a state of non-communication. Panic hits the school and everyone fears that the next victim will not be so lucky as the previous ones.

Potter goes through many moments of self-reflection when people start to believe that he is the malicious heir of Slytherin, who is causing the evil events to occur. The courageous young wizard fights in a classic battle between good and evil to save himself, his friends, and the school from being closed down.

Though the film has many thrilling scenes, avid readers of Rowling’s popular Potter series may be disappointed by what didn’t make the final cut. With the movie running 2 hours and 41 minutes, director Chris Columbus had to find a way to remain faithful to the story, which he did quite successfully, yet not make it unbearingly long.

Consequently, the film that grossed $88.4 million in its opening weekend of Nov. 15, does not include the Deathday Party and other specific details that give film viewers a good reason to pick up the book if they haven’t yet done so.

What is coming up for the next installment of the Harry Potter franchise? Readers know that the next story, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, is much darker than the first two installments. An interesting factor will be seeing how the production handles the quick growth of its terrific young actors.

One thing is certain, there are some that will not be returning to the production’s cast and crew. Director Chris Columbus (Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire) is vacating his director’s chair for Alfonso Cuaron (Y Tu Mama Tambi

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