Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a 2002 fantasy-adventure film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel by J. K. Rowling. The film is the second entry in the popular Harry Potter film series and was released on 15 November 2002 in the UK and North America. Steven Kloves returned to write the screenplay along with David Heyman who produced the film.

Most of the major cast and crew from Philosopher's Stone (known as Sorcerer's Stone in the United States) returned for Chamber of Secrets, including child stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. However, it was the last appearance by Richard Harris as Dumbledore and the last Harry Potter film directed by Columbus. New key actors included Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart and Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy.

The film was very well received at the box office, making $879 million USD worldwide. It was nominated for three BAFTA Film Awards in 2003.

Plot

In preparation for a visit from Uncle Vernon Dursley's client, the Dursleys lock Harry in his room. There, Harry finds Dobby the house elf, who warns against returning to Hogwarts. When Harry refuses, Dobby frames Harry for ruining Vernon's meeting. Furious, Vernon traps Harry in his room to prevent his return to Hogwarts. Ron, Fred and George Weasley arrive in their flying car to rescue Harry and take him back to The Burrow, their home. Harry meets Ron's younger sister, Ginny, who is beginning Hogwarts and has developed a crush on Harry. Harry also meets Ron's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Soon after, Harry and the Weasleys travel to Diagon Alley by Floo Powder. Harry accidentally mispronounces "Diagon Alley", and lands in Knockturn Alley. Fortunately, Hagrid happens upon him and reunites him with the Weasleys and Hermione. While shopping, Harry meets Gilderoy Lockhart, a famous wizard and author, and later Draco Malfoy and his father, Lucius, who praise Voldemort and deride Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys.

At King's Cross Station the Weasley family, excluding Ron, cross through the magical barrier to Platform 9 3/4 with ease. Harry and Ron find they cannot go through (Dobby sealed it to prevent Harry's return to Hogwarts); as a result, they miss the Hogwarts Express. Harry and Ron manage to reach Hogwarts with the flying car, but accidentally land in the school's Whomping Willow, which breaks Ron's wand and causes the car to act erratically. The car ejects the boys and drives off by itself.

Ron and Harry are able to begin Hogwarts normally, but Harry begins to hear an ominous voice that no one else can hear. Harry, Ron and Hermione find the message The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware written in blood across a castle wall and discover caretaker Argus Filch's cat has been petrified. The Chamber of Secrets is a chamber which can only be opened by the Heir of Slytherin; it is said to be the home of a monsterous creature that will only obey the Heir. Harry suspects the Heir is Malfoy. To interrogate him, the three brew Polyjuice Potion to disguise themselves as Malfoy's friends Crabbe and Goyle. They learn Malfoy is not the heir and that he does not know who it is.

Gilderoy Lockhart, hired to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, offers a dueling club. At the meeting, Draco conjures a snake which Harry finds he can talk to. Hermione explains he is a parselmouth like Slytherin, a connection which causes the school to believe Harry is the Heir and ostracize him. In a bathroom, Harry finds a book with no writing in it which once belonged to someone named Tom Marvolo Riddle. Through the book, Tom can show Harry events that happened fifty years ago, when Tom was a student. Tom's memories incriminate Hagrid as the Heir.

Over the course of the school year, several more students (Colin Creevey, Justin Finch-Fletchly, and Hermione) and even the Gryffindor ghost Sir Nicholas are found petrified and Tom Riddle's diary goes missing. Harry and Ron decide to see Hagrid at his hut, but before they can speak to him Cornelius Fudge and Lucius Malfoy arrive. While Ron and Harry hide, the visitors tell Hagrid they are suspending Dumbledore as headmaster and arresting Hagrid. Before Hagrid is taken away, he tells Ron and Harry to follow the spiders into the Forbidden Forest for the truth. They do so and meet Aragog, a giant spider thought to have killed a student fifty years ago. Aragog reveals he didn't and Hagrid is innocent.

Knowing that Hagrid is innocent, Harry and Ron find out from a piece of paper in Hermione's hand that the monster responsible for the petrification attacks is a basilisk. They also find another message from the heir and the teachers say that Ginny has been taken into the chamber. Lockhart is chosen to find the chamber and save Ginny, but he tries to make an escape until Harry and Ron catch him. It turns out Lockhart's famous past is false; He used memory-erasing charms on witches and wizards so that he could take credit for their great accomplishments. The three find the chamber entrance in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and enter to find a giant snake skin. Lockhart tries to stop Harry and Ron by using a memory charm, but it backfires because he is using Ron's broken wand, causing Lockhart to lose his memory and a rock to fall that separates Harry from the others. Harry finds Ginny's body, and Tom Riddle shows up telling Harry that he is a memory preserved in the diary for fifty years. He goes on to tell Harry that he is attempting to steal Ginny's soul, so that he may regain power. Harry learns that Tom is Slytherin's heir and is actually Lord Voldemort in his teenage form. Riddle sends the basilisk to kill Harry but Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, attacks the Basilisk's eyes. Fawkes gives Harry the Sorting Hat which contains the Sword of Godric Gryffindor and stabs the snake in the roof of the mouth, killing it. Unfortunately, a fang pierces Harry's arm.

Dying from the fang's poison, Harry destroys the memory of Tom Riddle by piercing the diary with the fang retrieved from his arm. Ginny regains consciousness and finds Harry hurt, but Fawkes heals Harry's wound with its tears. Dumbledore is returned to the school and Hagrid is released from Azkaban. Harry learns that Dobby serves the Malfoys and tricks Lucius into freeing him from servitude. Sometime later, everyone who has been petrified is now safe thanks to Harry and Ron's efforts.

Cast

• Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter. Now entering his second year at Hogwarts, Harry faces the accusation that he is the Heir of Slytherin, and responsible for the attacks on fellow students.
• Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, one of Harry's best friends. He takes his father's flying car to Hogwarts after he and Harry miss the Hogwarts Express.
• Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, one of Harry's best friends. She investigates the cause of the attacks on students, only to be petrified herself.
• Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore, the Hogwarts headmaster and one of the greatest wizards of the age. He is removed from his position as the attacks increase. Harris died shortly before the movie was released.
• Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, found to have lied about his accomplishments in the wizarding world.
• Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father, and a former Death Eater.
• Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts groundskeeper, who is initially blamed for the attacks and sent to Azkaban. Martin Bayfield plays him in the flashback scene.
• Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall, the Hogwarts deputy headmistress.
• Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, the Hogwarts potions master.
• Julie Walters and Mark Williams as Molly and Arthur Weasley, Ron's parents.
• Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick, professor of Charms at Hogwarts school.
• Richard Griffiths and Fiona Shaw as Vernon and Petunia Dursley, Harry's negligent uncle and aunt with whom he stays during the summer.
• John Cleese reprises his role as Nearly Headless Nick, Gryffindor's Ghost, for a brief expository scene.
• David Bradley as Argus Filch, caretaker of Hogwarts grounds.
• Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy, one of Harry's rivals at Hogwarts whom he suspects of opening the Chamber of Secrets.
• Sean Biggerstaff as Oliver Wood, Gryffindor Quidditch captain.
• Robert Hardy as Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic.
• Miriam Margolyes as Pomona Sprout, the Hogwarts Herbology teacher, who creates a cure for those who are petrified.
• Shirley Henderson as Moaning Myrtle, the ghost of a Hogwarts student killed by the Basilisk years ago.
• Gemma Jones as Poppy Pomfrey, the Magical Healer at Hogwarts.

Christian Coulson appears as Tom Riddle, the main antagonist of the film. Riddle is a memory of a young Lord Voldermort, imprinted into his old diary. Bonnie Wright acts as Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, who becomes possessed by Riddle's diary and opens the Chamber of Secrets under his control. Harry Melling reappears as Harry's overweight cousin Dudley Dursley. Toby Jones provides the voice of Dobby, the Malfoys' house elf who goes behind the family's back to help Harry. Julian Glover provides the voice of Aragog, an Acromantula that lives in the forest and had previously been cared for by Hagrid.

Production

Production for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets began on 19 November 2001, just three days after the widespread release of the first Harry Potter film. Shooting first took place in Surrey, England as Number Four Privet Drive, Little Whinging of the Dursleys' Home. It was shot on location on the Isle of Man, in several places in Great Britain, and at Leavesden Film Studios in London made several scenes for Hogwarts. Mr. Weasley's Car was created from a Ford Anglia. Other locations were shot in England, including a Hogwarts Express set in King's Cross railway station Platform 9¾. Filming finished in the summer of 2002."Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets -- Greg's Preview. Yahoo! Movies

Hugh Grant is said to have been the first choice for the role of Gilderoy Lockhart but due to reported scheduling conflicts he was unable to play the character. On 25 October 2001, Kenneth Branagh was selected as Grant's replacement.

Frank Oz claims in interviews he was given the chance to direct a Harry Potter movie, however does not remember exactly which one, but strongly feels it was this, the second film. He turned it down due to lack of interest.

Differences from the book

The only significant deviation from the literary canon is in the effects of the Polyjuice Potion. In the book, the Potion causes the drinker to assume the exact appearance of the target, including their voice and any disabilities (such as poor eyesight). In the film, while the potion alters Harry and Ron's appearance, their voices are left unchanged to reduce confusion, and Harry still requires glasses. This alteration is not present in subsequent Harry Potter films.

Release

Box office

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets premiered in the UK on 3 November 2002 and in the United States on 14 November 2002 before its widespread release on 15 November, one year after the Philosopher's Stone. The film broke multiple records upon its opening. In the U.S. the film opened to an $88.4 million opening weekend at 3,682 theaters, the third largest opening at the time, behind Spider-Man and the film's predecessor Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. In the United Kingdom the film broke all opening records that were previously held by The Philosopher's Stone. It made £18.9 million during its opening including previews and £10.9 million excluding previews. It went on to make £54.8 million in the UK, the fifth biggest tally of all time at the time.

The film made a total of $879 million worldwide, which made it the fifth highest-grossing film ever at the time. It was the second highest grossing film of 2002 behind The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers worldwide. However, it was the number one film of the year at the non-American box office making $617 million compared to The Two Towers $584.5 million. As of July 2009 it remains one of the highest-grossing films of all time, at number 14. As of July 2009 Chamber of Secrets is the fourth highest-grossing Potter film in the series and the longest film (161 minutes) in the series.

While Chamber of Secrets was a financial success, it sold 20% fewer tickets than its immediate predecessor. In the U.S. and Canada, it is the second lowest-grossing Harry Potter film.

The film made its way into the Guinness Book of World Records in 2003, for Most Theaters Shown in on Opening Night, with over 2,000 theaters showing it at the exact same time across the United States alone, this would be beaten the following year by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Critical reception

The film's reviews were generally positive and it currently garners an 82% "Certified Fresh" approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes (the fourth most favorably reviewed Harry Potter film on the site) and a score of 63 out of 100 at Metacritic representing "generally favourable reviews" (the least favorably reviewed Harry Potter film on the site). Roger Ebert called The Chamber of Secrets "a phenomenal film" and gave the film 4 out of 4 stars, especially praising the set design. Entertainment Weekly commended the film for being better and darker than its predecessor: "And among the things this Harry Potter does very well indeed is deepen the darker, more frightening atmosphere for audiences. This is as it should be: Harry's story is supposed to get darker". Richard Roeper praised the directing and the films faithfulness to the book, saying: "Chris Columbus, the director, does a real wonderful job of being faithful to the story but also taking it into a cinematic era". Variety called the film "a bit overlong", but praised the film for being darker and more dramatic than The Philosopher's Stone: "it possesses a confidence and intermittent flair that begin to give it a life of its own apart of the literary franchise, something the initial picture never achieved". Dana Stevens from The New York Times said: "instead of feeling stirred you may feel battered and worn down, but not, in the end, too terribly disappointed".

Some negative criticism came from Peter Travers from The Rolling Stone condemning the film for being overlong and too faithful to the book: "Once again, director Chris Columbus takes a hat-in-hand approach to Rowling that stifles creativity and allows the film to drag on for nearly three hours". Kenneth Turan from The Los Angeles Times called the film "a cliché" and noted: "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is deja vu all over again, it's likely that whatever you thought of the first production -- pro or con -- you'll likely think of this one".

Home media

The film was originally released in the UK, US and Canada on 11 April 2003 on both VHS tape and in a two-disc special edition DVD digipack. On 11 December 2007, the Blu-Ray and HD DVD versions of the film were released alongside a bare-bones single-disc DVD release with minimal special features.

Awards

On 14 January 2003, Chamber of Secrets won the award for Best Live Action Family Film in the Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards. It was nominated for seven Saturn Awards including for Best Director, Best Fantasy Film and Best Performance by a Younger Actor for Daniel Radcliffe. The film was nominated for four BAFTA Awards and a Grammy Award for John Williams' score.

Merchandising

The film's soundtrack was released on 12 November 2002, three days before the film was released. As with the first film, John Williams composed the score, but Williams was unable to do a complete score because of schedule conflicts with Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can. Williams hired composer William Ross to Adapt Themes from the first film, put them in Chamber of Secrets in places that they would fit, conduct and write new matierial (if needed). A video game based on the film was also released on 14 November 2002, a day before the film was widely released.