**Spoilers** Chamber of Secrets Movie Reviews

[daniel4hp]

I just saw it again and was reminded of a couple of things regarding Dan's acting.

On the whole he did a good job, but there were two places which I thought he was rather weak:

At the beginning of the movie, from the time he goes downstairs to the time he begins to talk with Dobby, his acting seems forced, especially while he is talking to Vernon. His lines were awkward to begin with, and while he tried to make them come alive, they just didn't, in my opinion. The second is less important, but his line in the Chamber, "I bet Dumbledore saw right through you," wasn't well done, in my opinion. Its nothing big, but it caught my attention. He seems to be smiling then, but his smile looks rather weird. I think his look should have been one more of anger, concentration, and determination. As I said, not important, but it caught my attention.

[WatsonFan11]

The review said it was good. ( I went on another site.) It told me to stay after the credits and watch a little thing at the end. The movie was great!:)

[xicanti]

Originally posted by daniel4hp
I just saw it again and was reminded of a couple of things regarding Dan's acting.

On the whole he did a good job, but there were two places which I thought he was rather weak:

At the beginning of the movie, from the time he goes downstairs to the time he begins to talk with Dobby, his acting seems forced, especially while he is talking to Vernon. His lines were awkward to begin with, and while he tried to make them come alive, they just didn't, in my opinion. The second is less important, but his line in the Chamber, "I bet Dumbledore saw right through you," wasn't well done, in my opinion. Its nothing big, but it caught my attention. He seems to be smiling then, but his smile looks rather weird. I think his look should have been one more of anger, concentration, and determination. As I said, not important, but it caught my attention.

It seemed to me that he had a little difficulty with Dobby, too, at the very beginning. The parts where he tries to get him into the cupboard and keep him there were good, but otherwise it seemed more like he was acting for the stage than for film. It was like he was over-exagerating to make up for the fact that he was talking to something that wasn't there, even though that thing would be added in later, so he didn't really need to. (If that makes any sense).

[revz]

Hahaha.... about those scenes with dobby... well, who wouldn't feel silly, Dan was talking to a green rubber ball..... which was later digitally replaced with dobby's image...

[go_anna40]

i just came back from seeing it...IT WAS BLOODY BRILLIANT!!!
cept for Myrtle and a few others.....but over all, it was soo cool!! now i can actually say something in this thread.

k, some critisim...
The acting has certainly improved.

Myrtle- WORST CAST CHARACTER...no offence, she was horrible, specially her voice.

Colin- not enough of him, i only saw him like 2-3 times, i would've liked to see him a lot more.

Ginny- was hardly in it too. it really didn't show that she had a crush on Harry, only when Draco said "oh, you've got yourself a girlfriend"

Lucius Malfoy- COOLEST GUY EVER!!! loved him, even though he was hardly seen. but still cool.

Lockhart- loved him when he was there. specially when he asks Ron "Where is this plac? Do you live here?" then Ron knocked him out with the rock.

Dobby- i seriously could of strangled one of the ushers there. annoying, but he wasn't as bad as Myrtle.

SPECIAL EFFECTS-
a way lot better, go ILM!! the Quidditch was done a lot better, Dobby was okay. the cobra just passed my expectations. but the Balisik...i imagined it as a normal snake, green and stuff, but i think it was over-done. Fawkes- okay, i imagined it to be much more majestic, larger and a lot more smoother.

SOME FUNNY BITS:
okay, i nearly burst out laughing when Harry was in Hospital after the bone ordeal, and he was talking to Dobby, he goes:
"Ron and ME could...." then he goes again "Ron and ME could of died..." ME!!! i'm like "Ron and I...Ron and I!!!!" lol.

the handwriting of Riddle when he's showing Harry his anagram, his handwriting!! it was awful, specially for a 16 year old!

okay, some random thoughts:
Harry and Hermione hugging scene and then the handshaking with Ron, loved that tense-ness in there...it was funny!!

Spiders were wonderfully done

Whomping Willow- What the?? i thought it looke to human.

Percy's hair during the burrow!!! hehe...
NEEDED CLEARWATER!!

okay, i'll probably post more later...

[You-Know-Who]

Originally posted by go_anna40
the handwriting of Riddle when he's showing Harry his anagram, his handwriting!! it was awful, specially for a 16 year old!


Well I'm 17 years old and my handwriting is far worse then that :p

[go_anna40]

hehe...

well, some more random thoughts:

i felt that it was rushed...everything was tight and the transitions didn't take that long.

Hermione as the cat- it totally freaked me out, i imagined that she would actually turn into as real cat, but half-half like that...scary

the set for the chamber- really different to what i thought is would be. i bet they re-used the chess board from HPSS

here's another funny thought:
i bet that sword was plastic, coz when Harry was told by Dumbledore to look at it closer (when he's in Dumbledore's office after the Chamber and is talking if he was placed in the right house) Harry grabbed it by the blade!! and i'm like..."wouldn't he cut himself?"

i actually had a lot more thoughts, but i can't really remember them...

[JenBluffheid]

Originally posted by go_anna40
i bet that sword was plastic, coz when Harry was told by Dumbledore to look at it closer (when he's in Dumbledore's office after the Chamber and is talking if he was placed in the right house) Harry grabbed it by the blade!! and i'm like..."wouldn't he cut himself?"

It probably is -- I'm not too sure -- but how stupid do you have to be to pick up a sword by the blade? When that happened, I think the whole cinema gasped. Even my best friend commented on it.

[Qeomash]

Okay, I'm back from the Movies. (Actually, I saw it last night.)

It was (as I voted on MNet) Bloody Brilliant, yet I still had complaints. The "Mudblood" scene came out better than I thought it would. The Basilisk Battle seemed to be reminiscent of the kitchen scene in Jurassic Park, but was still good. However, my biggest complaint was the number of closeups.

The wider shots were few and far in between, and I kept feeling claustrophobic while watching it.

However, the movie was still a Harry Potter movie. Now just for PoA....

[revz]

Nope, the chamber was a hangar.... not the same set as the chess board....

but ur right about that sword.... grabbing it by the blade... how silly....

[DogStar87]

I was glad to see Harry do more magic in this film than in the previous one. If it wasn't for the background in PS it would have been hard to tell Harry was actually a wizard, he did very little magic. This movie was at least 10X better. I've seen it twice and I'm going again next weekend. :tu: :tu:

[Ferrik]

A lot of people have mentioned that really wierd ending with Hagrid. For some reason, I got the impression that they were trying to set up for PoA. Hagrid's eyes were haunted through the first half of the scene, and he looked like he was holding himself together by his fingernails. CoS never really stressed how much being in Azkaban affected Hagrid. JK waited until book 3 for that. So maybe the screenwriters took it upon themselves to lead things a bit better.
I still agree that it was overblown though.

[daniel4hp]

You can have Hagrid's haunted eyes without having everyone go crazy clapping. I think its good he came back, but the scene was just to much. It never settled down...

And I agree that Harry picking up the sword by the blade was odd. I noticed it as well, but maybe it was just dull... :rolleyes:

[Knight]

My two cents:

- It though it was great. I'm eager to get the DVD and watch it over and over again. I won't spend money to see it in a theater again.
- Jason Isaacs was brilliant as Lucius Malfoy. He was the best part of the movie. I love the attempt at "Avada Kedavra" at the end.
- I really liked the look of the basilisk. Recognizable as a serpent but had a bit of an old world sea monster to it as well.
- Branaugh did very well. He could have done a bit more but the scene in his office as he's trying to run off is very good.
- Hermione didn't get a very big role which was a bit disappointing but then again she was petrified for about a quarter of the movie. The hugging bit was a little weird, but whatever.
- The Quidditch scene was great but far too short. I didn't like how we were brought in about half way through the match.
- Where was the scene with Harry at the top of a mountain overlooking Hogwarts and stroking Hedwig? Guess it got left on the cutting room floor.
- This scene:
Draco: Why are you wearing glasses?
Harry as Goyle: Uh, reading.
Draco Reading? I didn't know you could read.
was the funniest bit of the whole movie.


All in all well done.

[daniel4hp]

Where was the scene with Harry at the top of a mountain overlooking Hogwarts and stroking Hedwig? Guess it got left on the cutting room floor.
I hope they put that in the DVD--I'd like to see how it fits in. Perhaps I should say I hope they integrate it into the DVD--not just stuck at the end or in some hard to find reach of the special features...

[DogStar87]

Originally posted by Ferrik
A lot of people have mentioned that really wierd ending with Hagrid. For some reason, I got the impression that they were trying to set up for PoA. Hagrid's eyes were haunted through the first half of the scene, and he looked like he was holding himself together by his fingernails.

About the Hagrid scene, a friend told me how she disagreed with that scene and said "They are really foreshadowing Hagrid's death" as in saying he is going to die in Book 5, that scene alone is saying so. I wouldn't say that scene alone is saying so, but the filmakers could have that in mind.

*Shrugs*

[daniel4hp]

Maybe they are trying to get us to really like Hagrid so when the 5th book comes out (sometime before movie 3) people will be more distraught about Hagrid's death...

[pasalita]

One interesting thing about Harry doing more spells: Is the audience supposed to assume that he got the spell that expelled the spiders from Riddle? I mean, it's after the diary scene, and Riddle does use the same spell against aragog that Harry uses when Harry and Ron are trying to escape from the spiders.


Hmmmm....

[Knight]

Originally posted by pasalita
One interesting thing about Harry doing more spells: Is the audience supposed to assume that he got the spell that expelled the spiders from Riddle? I mean, it's after the diary scene, and Riddle does use the same spell against aragog that Harry uses when Harry and Ron are trying to escape from the spiders.


Hmmmm....

He uses the same spell? I didn't notice that, though I've only seen it once. It'd be a nice bit of continuity. It sounds like a common spell, but Harry learning it from what he saw Riddle doing would make sense.

[go_anna40]

i loved Riddle!! he was soo cool- cept the hair-style *shudders*
i loved how he goes "Parseltongue won't save you Potter!" love that line.

Knockturn Alley- how cool was that, and "the hand" really got me going.

The ending was really weird, clapping for Hagrid...right...

Molly Weasly was nicemy done, i love the howler scene, when she's yelling at Ron, but trails off to congrat Ginny...that's funny.

[MagpieOnaga]

Originally posted by pasalita
One interesting thing about Harry doing more spells: Is the audience supposed to assume that he got the spell that expelled the spiders from Riddle? I mean, it's after the diary scene, and Riddle does use the same spell against aragog that Harry uses when Harry and Ron are trying to escape from the spiders.


Hmmmm....

Ahh, so that's where he got that spell from. I was sitting there during the spider scene, thinking, "oh COME ON....like he's going to know a spell for blasting spiders, for crying out loud," but your explaination makes a lot of sense.

[You-Know-Who]

Didn't Hagrid say at the end of the film to Harry:

"I don't want to go back to, you know what"


That was a very nice foreshadowing of the third book, (although IMO he should have said Dementors, to puzzle the people at the cinema)

Did anyone think during the Fudge scene, that Dumbledore looked to long at Harry and Ron. Because in the books Harry wasn't sure if Dumbledore could see them now it was too darn obvious.

[DogStar87]

Originally posted by daniel4hp
Maybe they are trying to get us to really like Hagrid so when the 5th book comes out (sometime before movie 3) people will be more distraught about Hagrid's death...
Assuming Hagrid is going to die :??:

[revz]

Hahaha.... great... now they've noticed the instant spider-repel-spell... hehe.... I thought the reason they attend school was to learn magic... and then, Harry was immediately able to perform a powerful magical attack that was performed by a fifth year student - Riddle. He just saw it once, and he was already able to do it???

[JenBluffheid]

Originally posted by daniel4hp
I hope they put that in the DVD--I'd like to see how it fits in. Perhaps I should say I hope they integrate it into the DVD--not just stuck at the end or in some hard to find reach of the special features...

I suppose that'll be the equivalent of the "Harry in snow with Hedwig" in PS/SS. It'll probably be in the middle, breaking the beginning to begin the excitement.

[Springy]

I don't think the Hagrid scene at the end of the movie is foreshadowing. One thing was because Chris Columbus doesn't know what is going to happen in the later series!!! SInce JKR had hardly any input in CoS, I think Chris put the scene at the end as a nice way to end the film!!!

[revz]

You got that right.... and now that a new director is taking over.... who knows how the next films are gonna be adapted... uhm, taking their new problems into consideration that is... I just saw the news in this site.... poor harry.... I hope the franchise makes it till atleast the third movie....

[go_anna40]

yeah.
well, about the spells, well, i think it's good to show us more spells so, to show us they've actually learnt over the year. it'll be disappointing if they used the same "Aloharmora (sp?)"

yeah, just a thought.

i loved that green hand in Knockturn Alley...and the music was beautifully done, JW mixed some old ones and recycled em...i loved Fawkes' Theme.

[You-Know-Who]

The music was done fantasticly, even though many people forget that JW had help from William Ross. We should give him some credit as well.

I've noticed that there was a part in the soundtrack that reminded me off SW Episode 2. I'm trying to search which one. I'll be back with you on that one.

[go_anna40]

um, a lot of JW's music does sound like his other works, from other movies.

and yeah, William Ross did a great job helping!!

and go ILM for improving the special effects!!

[You-Know-Who]

Originally posted by go_anna40
um, a lot of JW's music does sound like his other works, from other movies.

I never noticed that one, I really only liked his SW soundtracks (big SW fan) I never cared much about his other works (except HP, Indiana Jones and Jaws)

[revz]

Apparently, a lot of people like Fawkes theme... I'm included.... the music is beautiful... befitting the character it was made for....

I also like the way they showed new spells... but I'm still not sure on why Harry was able to perform the Spider repelling spell immediately when he just saw it being performed by Tom Riddle...

[JenBluffheid]

Originally posted by revz
.... and now that a new director is taking over.... who knows how the next films are gonna be adapted...

They better be good. Especially PoA since that's the ultimate Potter book. I didn't think Chris Columbus was that bad a director. Quite good, in fact, considering that these books are known worldwide. You've got to give him a bit of stick for that. Not literally, of course. ;)

*Thinks Alistair McGowan*

[Rizika]

The movie was REALLY good and I enjoyed it a lot. I really want to see it again. The special effects were amazing and it was a whole lot funnier than the first one. My first line at the end of the movie was:
"Dude, Dobby got skill!"

[daniel4hp]

You got that right.... and now that a new director is taking over.... who knows how the next films are gonna be adapted... uhm, taking their new problems into consideration that is...
I'm worried about the third film--I don't trust the new director. Columbus was quite good, and I'm afraid that the new director will Butcher the movie...

[MagpieOnaga]

I'm actually hoping for a refreshing change of pace with the new director. Even though I really enjoyed CoS, I can't help but feel that it could be so much more.

There's so much potential with these movies, and I think some of that potential is being wasted. That's why I'm excited for Alfonso Cuaron to steer things into a new direction -- perhaps, instead of playing it safe as Columbus has done, he will take some risks to make it a GREAT film, instead of just a highly enjoyable film. You know what I mean?

It's the difference between leaving the theater feeling happy and content because he included your favorite bits and stayed true to the story, or leaving the theater feeling exhilarated because you just can't get over your excitement at having seen what you just saw.


...Of course, there's always the distinct possibility that Cuaron might ruin it, and I will leave the theater feeling pissed off and dissapointed. Now that I think of it, that would not be good...I would be devastated. But I'm willing to accept the risk, if it means we might get an AMAZING movie...

[revz]

Well, I find myself almost in total agreement with you... but....

well, the books have no problems, but the movies are suffering from what we call to musch franchising... meaning... that their ultimate goal is not to probuce a good movie but to produce a movie that pleases the most people... even if it really sucks...

[xicanti]

Originally posted by revz
Well, I find myself almost in total agreement with you... but....

well, the books have no problems, but the movies are suffering from what we call to musch franchising... meaning... that their ultimate goal is not to probuce a good movie but to produce a movie that pleases the most people... even if it really sucks...

That's an excellent choice. Film review is sort of a hobby of mine, and I was thinking just the other day about how so many films these days are geared so strongly towards pleasing the audience more than anything else. Filmmakers take amazing cinematography, combine it with a few really good casting choices, throw in a dash of a plot, and end up with a movie that's visually appealing and maybe even exciting on some level, but not truly great.

Now, I'm not saying that this's what's happened with Cos, though I've got to admit that I see a lot of those elements at work in that movie. I've only seen it once, though, so I'm reserving my final judgement on the film until I've seen it a couple more times, without relying too heavily on my pre-conceived notions from the book.

[daniel4hp]

It's the difference between leaving the theater feeling happy and content because he included your favorite bits and stayed true to the story, or leaving the theater feeling exhilarated because you just can't get over your excitement at having seen what you just saw.
Are you indicating that the movie should differ substantially from the book in order to be more exciting? I think I don't quite get what you are saying... Columbus toned the movies down? The movies were to true to the book? They needed better cinimatography? Could you explain a little more?

[pippinsqueak02]

The best part was at the end of the movie..w/ the tense scene between Ron and Hermione. That was hilarious. There's obviously some action going on there :: wink wink :: I thought they should have added more Fred/George lines. They're hilarious as well. But otherwise the movie was absolutely WICKED!

[InkyoctopusJA]

I was so excited to hear Alfonso Cuaron is doing the third Harry Potter, being a huge fan of "Y Tu Mama Tambien" and "A Little Princess". I was especially relieved he was taking over after that last dreadful scene of CoS with Hagrid. Did the whole bloody school have to clap? And what was the explanation for Slytherin NOT clapping? They're just unreasonable baddies?
Anyway, for those who want to see examples of Cuaron's work, I recommend "A Little Princess" to show you he *can* do a magical movie, and very very well. He has an amazing eye for color, which can especially be seen in "Great Expectations". Everyone makes a big deal about the fact that he directed "Y Tu Mama Tambien" (Spanish for: And your mother, too) and that he's somehow going to turn PoA into a porno movie. For those over 17, I recommend watching the movie, noting the color, once again, the fuzzy, dreamlike surrealism of the cinematography and its contrast to the raw issues at hand. Cuaron is going to bring an edge to HP that is needed in these next two books. My only fear is that Cuaron's version of HP may be visually dissimilar from Columbus's style of directing, and, no matter how small the differences may be, it will be jarring to the audience.
I do, believe, however, as someone else here noted, that Cuaron might bring the edge needed to make PoA a great "movie movie" and not just an entertaining adaptation of a popular book.

Plus, I gotta give love to Latinos starting to make it big in "the biz". ;D

[owl post 1992]

I think the hugs were over the top and could be shortened even cut since by that time even I a 19 year was getting a bit restless. I believe one or more scene showing Colin as annoying i.e. signed photo bit from the book could have been added or the Valentines day to improve the style of there character towards there intended vision.

[go_anna40]

yeah, they didn't include Colin that much, i would of liked it more if they actually intoduced him and showed the people who hadn't read COS, how annoying he could be.

[daniel4hp]

I think the hugs were over the top and could be shortened even cut since by that time even I a 19 year was getting a bit restless. I believe one or more scene showing Colin as annoying i.e. signed photo bit from the book could have been added or the Valentines day to improve the style of there character towards there intended vision.
It seems that Chris Columbus chose action over character development... I really think he should have spent more time with scenes like the ones you mentioned above where he would have plenty of opportunities to develop characters and flesh out the story instead of the extended action scenes like the flying car and the spiders with the car.

[lleyki]

Okay as usual I was too lazy to read every post; so if some of this has been said I'm sorry. However, here's my opinion after watching the movie four times.(Don't think me weird; there were special circumstances). Anyway here goes;
(1) The movie was alot faster and sometimes this was great and other times a bit much. While I loved the Quidditch scene; there were a few times I got a headache from watching the swiftness of the characters on the brooms, the rogue bludger mixed with the bright colours. It was a bit dizzying; but still good.

(2)There were times when the movie didn't seem to flow well enough. Most disappointing for me was the scene after they leave the chamber. This eleven year old kid has been through a horrific situation and the audience is left with no clue as to how she reacts after they escape the chamber. My sister who was watching with me and has never read any of the books was asking" but what happened to the little girl?" It was a bit anti-climatic for people who never read the book. I know it's hard to imagine there are people like that left but they are there and CC needed to make consideration of those people.

(3) Loved the entire scene with Aragog and the spiders. True it might have gone on a bit longer than in the book but it was interesting, fast-paced and exciting. No dull moment there.

(4) Okay the actors. I never understood why people had reservations about Kenneth Branaugh playing Lockhart. Bit insulting to Kenneth since he is one of the greatest character actors of the modern age. There hasn't been a character the man has played that he hasn't encompassed fully and my goodness; he was Lockhart in every way. Nothing left to say but brilliant.

(5)Jason Isaacs I didn't really know so I had no opinion on him playing Lucius Malfoy. However before the movie came out I saw him in The Patriot and I knew he'd be brilliant. The man plays evil to an almost appealing point and boy did he deliver in this movie. My goodness the man was just chilling at times. Perfection is the only way to describe this performance.

(5) Dobby was well done in my opinion. Some people after seeing the first pictures felt Dobby was too ugly but if you read the book carefully you'll notice that Harry makes mention of Dobby being ugly more than once. He's had a hard life; it's not his physical beauty that makes him special but his heart and good nature.

(6) Okay Moaning Myrtle I had huge problems with. Her physical appearance was really good. She captured looking pathetic very well. However, the delivery of lines was the main problem here. Yes Myrtle whines alot which means she mumbles alot but for crying out loud; the audience must hear what she's saying. Too many times she was too soft and would just burst out with a scream. I certainly wasn't the only one bothered by her because after awhile the moment she'd appear on screen the other people at the cinema would sigh or make loud noises of irritation. Disappointing portrayal in my opinion.

(7)Okay why was Ginny so invisible in the movie? When Mcgonagall announces Ginny was the one in the Chamber my sister asked who that was again. During the course of the movie she'd actually forgotten about her. I have a major problem with the character of Ginny on a whole because I find her most of the times to be insignificant in the other books and serving no purpose. However, this was the one book where she actually was significant, where the reader really got to know Ginny and they cut the part down to a 1/3. It will be that much harder for people who don't read the books to really connect with this character seeing as she is even more invisible in POA. That aside what litte of her there was; Bonnie did a good job.

(8)I think Rupert's a very good child actor and Ron is certainly an amusing character. However, I found the humour and comical faces of his a bit too much at times. I'm amazed that people who say how much they love Ron so much; thought this was such a great portrayal of him. Yes Ron is sarcastic, amusing because of it and most times alot more frightened than the other two. However, he is not a coward or whiny and too many times in this movie he came out that way. Also the facial expressions were just too forced sometimes. All that said I still think he did a good job and is a very good Ron.

(9) Emma Watson is too pretty to play Hermione, but before anyone gets upset, it's forgiven because she so **** good at being Hermione. She has made this role hers and shines even more in this one. When I say she's too pretty; I'll give you an example. My sister said how come these boys don't like her; she's gorgeous. I said well Hermione in the book isn't gorgeous. She's not ugly but by school conventions she's not the 'pretty girl', that's Parvati. That aside she is wonderful, natural and perfectly fit in the role.

(10) Finally Daniel Radcliffe. Let me say off the bat that I think Daniel's brilliant as Harry. He encompasses Harry's quiet nature, determination, bravery, etc. very well. Alot of criticism I have heard is how stiff he is as Harry. I don't get that, because unless I've read a separate book Harry has never been a very emotionally charged person. One of the things people complain alot about when discussing future romance in the book is that Harry doesn't seem to fit with anyone because he seems emotionally distant to everyone. That's true and it makes good sense. People seem to brush aside the fact that Harry had no parental love and guidance for TEN years of his life; has been verbally and emotionally abused and had no friends and no one to laugh or talk with for TEN years of his life. Therefore of course he's a little stiff and emotionally withdrawn. Thus to say that Daniel is a bit stiff in the role is really a compliment because that means he's captured Harry very well; which he has. The scenes between him and Mr.Malfoy and him and Tom Riddle are absolutely superb; chilling but exciting.

Last thing, the oh so famous hug scene. I found that to be pointless and the moment between Ron and Hermione to be very forced. Personally I never agreed with the idea of putting shipper stuff in the second movie when there was no romantic interest between any of the kids until possibly GOF. That said CC still felt the need to put it, made this whole production of talking about the tension between R/Hr and even bringing in GOF. Fine, I went in to see the movie prepared for hints of R/Hr. The whole thing backfired. The first problem was Hermione and Harry's reunion in Diagon Alley. Hermione can't stop smiling and she and Harry get that same expression they had at the ending of SS. They smile at each other like they know something no one else does. Then they put in these actions and lines that Harry never said in the book which only defeats the purpose more. Harry does not caress Hermione's hand in the book but sure enough he does it twice in the movie. Plus they have him saying how much they need her. Wouldn't it have helped the case if Ron had said that, instead of simply looking sad and hopeless? My point is there was no hint of Ron and Hermione throughout but at the end she just all of a sudden can't hug him and he starts babbling like an idiot. Even that was done wrong because it would have been more convincing to have Hermione approach both boys, see Ron(he was infront) be tense and awkward and then notice Harry. I mean Ron is the one she likes after all. Instead she bypasses him, goes into Harry's arm and immediately after being too uncomfortable to hug Ron; when Harry mentions they couldn't have figured out the stuff without her; she goes back to smiling at Harry in that same romantic way. That whole thing was stupid and next time it would have helped if they had simply stuck to the book.

I know this is reallly long but sorry I had alot to say.:)

[go_anna40]

I agree with almost everything you said in your post lleyki.

Especially after the Chamber, and the matter of Ginny. I think they should of at least have a smile from her when they're clapping for Hagrid. She did disappear after the Chamber, that is a problem.

[hpfan]

The Movie was good...

I liked the weasley's house

The basilisk I like...even though they showed it on the movie previews.

I thought they picked the perfect boy for Collin Creevy and Tom Riddle..


I had read the 3rd book and now I'm going back and I started yesterday and I'm half-way done! I want to ask JK ROWLING for the Mauderer's Map.

[Ronman]

My Movie Review

Daniel: Daniel Was Great Playing Harry, Even In The Quidditch Game Scene. I Rate Him 10/10.

Rupert: He Was Great Ron, Even In The Slug Scene. I Rate Him 10/10.

Emma: She Was A Great Hermione, Even When She Was Petrified. I Rate Her 10/10.

Tom Felton: A Great Draco, Even In The Quidditch Scene. I Rate Him 10/10.
Richard Harris: The Acting He Did As Dumbledore Was Great. I Rate Him 10/10. May He Rest In Peace.

Prof. Sprout: Her Acting, Not Bad. I Rate Her 8/10.

Hagrid: His Acting Wasn’t Bad At All. I Rate Him 10/10.

Mr Malfoy: Enjoyable Acting. 7/10.

Gilderoy Lockhart: Excellent Acting. 8/10.

Mr Malfoy – Mr Weasley Confrontation: 8/10.

Prediction
I Saw That Hermione Likes Harry & Ron Likes Hermione
So I Have A Prediction That It Will Be A Love Triangle.

[created_to_worship]

I can hardly wait until April 11! I can't afford to keep going back to the theater, and I'm dying to rewatch some of the scenes you've mentioned.

I for one loved the movie. Yes, it was rushed, but I certainly didn't expect it to be otherwise. After all, it takes me almost all day to read CoS, and I'm quite a fast reader, so they certainly couldn't include everything. I think they did the best they could, and I commend them for it!

~* http://www.geocities.com/hands_lifted_high *~

[Turambar]

Thought I'd put in my two cents.
I think COS is one of the most enjoyable films I've seen in a while. It's not a great film but it's a fun ride, looser and brighter than PS.
I don't think anything Colombus does could be considered great. That's just my opinion. He just likes to homogenise, cutsify, wrap everything up a bit too neatly. He doesn't have the passion, edginess or vision for greatness. But this film works well with his limitations. At least this time he tries to put a bit of life into the camera work and keeps the film moving forward.
I think I said in another thread that he was really the right director to establish the series, establish the look, get it off on the right foot. He works for the "child" end of the series but it's good someone new will be dealing with the "teen" section. Maybe they could think about Peter Jackson for the final two books. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that he's an HP fan. The only problem they'd have would be getting him to work outside NZ.
I thought the cast was generally excellent. It helps as an adult viewer that the kids are a bit older, you can relate to them more as actors than think of them as kids.
Love Dan as Harry, he just is my Harry and Emma, apart from being better looking, is Hermione. Rupert is funny but I think Colombus did him a diservice in a way by getting him to mug alot for laughs. It unbalanced the character. Ron is edgier, more fiery and more gutsy than that. I hope Cuaron does a good job with him because Ron has to get across pretty conflicting emotions in the next two books.
Loved Dan's reading of the line "Are you going somewhere?" You can just feel that he'll really hit his straps with the next film.
The adult actors were generally good. Branagh is such a master.
Maggie Smith's lecturing turn on the chamber was brilliantly done. Thought the woman who played Prof Sprout did a great job in a very short space of time with very few lines. Just got the essence of the character across brilliantly.
Some technical things: since they are filming kids at an age when they are changing rapidly why couldn't they have filmed a bit more in sequence? It got a bit distracting going from older Harry at Diagon alley to young Harry the next scene at the railway station. The spider scenes were obviously filmed early as well. I loved the lighting in the scenes where the trio discover the first message and Mrs Norris. Found the makeup a bit overdone in the scene where Harry is in Lockhart's office.
Agree what people have said about Ginny not being developed and then sort of disappearing. Thought some of the Pommie quirks from the books had been blanded out in the script yet again.
I was really surprised at the way the chemistry between the kids was amped up in the movie. My impression the first time I saw the movie (having read the books several times) was that they were hinting at H/Hr long term. My suspicion is that if JKR has told them that, the filmmakers have decided to establish a clear bond between the two so it won't seem ridiculous if H/Hr get together eventually even if R/Hr are together in the short term. I wondered at first if it was mainly a Dan/Emma vibe but I think it's a mixture of that and some carefully choreographed scenes and pertinent sentences.
Final thing, I hated the happy clappy rubbish at the end. It gave the whole thing a slurpy Hollywood sheen which didn't seem appropriate since it's a very British story.

[Marina]

:yup: I agree with everything you said-esspecially about the clapping at the end. :grumble:

[hpfan]

Originally posted by hpfan
The Movie was good...

I liked the weasley's house

The basilisk I like...even though they showed it on the movie previews.

I thought they picked the perfect boy for Collin Creevy and Tom Riddle..


I had read the 3rd book and now I'm going back and I started yesterday and I'm half-way done! I want to ask JK ROWLING for the Mauderer's Map.


I really liked the way they looked because they made avatars great!

I'm now done with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban. It was so great! DIE WORMTAIL!

[snitch14]

I didn't like Aragog much, looked so much like a robot. They should have used computer graphics. The basilisk was also real fake. Robots...

[go_anna40]

I believe that the baslilisk was CGI, except for when it died...

[Sebastian06]

Originally posted by snitch14 (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=153187#post153187))
I didn't like Aragog much, looked so much like a robot. They should have used computer graphics. The basilisk was also real fake. Robots...


The basilisk was CGI.

[Yaros]

who thinks though the 3rd movie would come out in the beginning of 2004, i do, there r already at hogwarts, i have seen pics of the night bus, its a purple bus with 3 floors and so on...

[Picko]

I didn't like Aragog much, looked so much like a robot. They should have used computer graphics. The basilisk was also real fake. Robots...

Computer graphics probably would have looked awful, have you ever seen a realistic CGI character??? I'm guessing not, every CGI character has looked CGI, so therefore I would have to say that a robot was the better option.

[tizzy weasley]

I think the movie was ok. I was just mad because they neveer showed Ginny trying to tell Ron and Harry something and when Percy came by she ran. And he would say it was because she saw him doing something. And then at the end when they asked Ginny what Percy was hiding and she would tell them he was meeting with Penelope Clearwater. I thought that was the best part in the book..but I guess the movie was too long for Chris Columbus to add that little bit. Oh well. Over all It was good. And I know this was mentioned proabably before but I think that they should've had a bigger fight between Mr. Malfoy and Mr Weasley.

[owl post 1992]

Alot of criticism I have heard is how stiff he is as Harry. I don't get that, because unless I've read a separate book Harry has never been a very emotionally charged person

Call me stupid but won't you feel pain from a broken arm abuse/no abuse:??:

[snitch14]

The basilisk was only CGI in SOME places. Didn't u guys read Daniel's interview when he said that he kept knocking the snake and they had to fix it many times?

[Alorra Spinnet]

I read that interview. He kept knocking the teeth out with the sword. So they did have a model of some sort. The CGI effects were fairly good. It moved very smoothly.

[snitch14]

Yeah, i was laughing hard when i read that

[Puffskein]

Terrible confession time...I only saw the film yesterday! And I have a few criticisms that I haven't seen here yet.

The first thing to say is that I enjoyed it very much and the time went quickly. The kids were definitely better.
The biggest criticism I have is that some parts were underemphasised, especially the discovery of the various petrified victims. Maybe it's just because I knew what would happen, but I didn't feel very much when the petrified people and messages were found. I would gladly have sacrificed some of the excitement of the two bits with the car in order to make the discoveries more dramatic.

Also, the film assumed quite a lot of prior knowledge about what the characters are like and how the audience feels about them. For instance, I agree that Hogwarts isn't the same without Hagrid, because I've read the books and I happen to like him. But would anyone really think that if they were only going by his character development in the film?

A few minor niggles:
- Lockhart should have announced his teaching appointment in the bookshop, otherwise it doesn't make much sense when he turns up in class.
- It seems a bit strange that no students, not even Hermione, comment on Harry and Ron's journey in the car.
We should have heard more about the students suspecting Harry of being the heir.
- It should have been made clearer that the diary dated from the time of the Chamber being opened, or else it doesn't make much sense that Harry goes away and writes in it rather than throwing it away again.
- Ginny was neglected in the middle of the story, but I feel this about the book also.
- Tom should have gone over the similarities between Harry and himself.

Other than these points I think it was a good film. It will always be difficult to adapt a book as tightly plotted as HP.

[Picko]

Your minor "niggles" are reasonable Puffskein, I agree with every one.

[hawk1245]

Wow! It's been a while since anyone has posted here huh? I just thought I would go through here for old times sake, boy does it bring back memories! How about this: since there is so much talk about POA, why don't we continue this thread and talk about COS for a while, just for a change of pace?

[Drusilla]

I liked Chamber of Secrets much more than Philosopher's Stone.The performances improved,the story was a lot more interesting,and I loved all of Emma Watson's scenes-my favourites being the one where she was on the verge of tears in Hagrid's hut after Malfoy insulted her,and the non-hug with Ron at the end.Bonnie Wright was perfect as Ginny Weasley-she's exactly as I pictured her after reading the books,and it's a shame she wasn't given more screen time,but the movies can never be perfect,I guess.Better Quidditch this time,too.Maybe it was okay as a movie,but it's still not great-partly thanks to all the minor quibbles listed by [/B]Puffskein[B].

[RadicaL]

I liked Chamber of Secrets more than I like Prisoner of Azkaban. But, I thought SS was the best of the three because out of all of them, I think it was the only one to hold strongest to the book. CoS was great, but there were some things that could have done to make it even better. As for PoA, well that's a whole other story. But, CoS wasn't as bad as people say it to be and overall it was pretty good. SS, for me, just holds the title as the best HP movie (so far i hope :p ).

[Jillstar03]

I was watching my CoS DVD this afternoon, and in the scene where Harry and Ron discover petrified mrs norris, I find it a bit weird in the way that they left Peeves out in this scene screaming that she had been petrified like in the books, or at least having Filch notice it and him alerting the staff, instead of the whole school just clamboring in like that as if they knew exactly what was going to happen. I just thought that was a bad move.
Another thing I noticed that the girl who played Susan Bones who was sorted into Hufflepuff in PS has been magically changed into a Griffindor student, as she was sitting near Hermione in both the Herbology and DADA lesson! If I am not mistaken, is this the reletive of Colombus who he desperatly wanted to get a part in the movie?
What do you think?

[hawk1245]

Another thing I noticed that the girl who played Susan Bones who was sorted into Hufflepuff in PS has been magically changed into a Griffindor student, as she was sitting near Hermione in both the Herbology and DADA lesson! If I am not mistaken, is this the reletive of Colombus who he desperatly wanted to get a part in the movie?
What do you think?

Actually, no. In all the HP movies the classes are tought by YEAR not by HOUSE as in the book. So each classe has first years, second years, third years, etc, from each house all in one room. Her badge says hufflepuff in all the classes.

[Jillstar03]

In all the HP movies the classes are tought by YEAR not by HOUSE as in the book.
Yeah, I know that, but that girl was in the Herbology class, and although in the book this class is Hufflepuff and Griffindor, in the film it is Slytherin, so how can it be slytheins, hufflepuffs and griffindors if there are only 2 houses in each class?
Also, here is a picture of the girl in DADA with Hermione (Emma Watson)
http://www.blackforests.com/albums/ChamberofSecrets/Hermoine4.jpg
If you look closely at the tie you can see the colours are that of Griffindor.
Here is the link if you can't see it: http://www.blackforests.com/albums/ChamberofSecrets/Hermoine4.jpg

[icecubecat14]

Yeah, I know that, but that girl was in the Herbology class, and although in the book this class is Hufflepuff and Griffindor, in the film it is Slytherin, so how can it be slytheins, hufflepuffs and griffindors if there are only 2 houses in each class?
Also, here is a picture of the girl in DADA with Hermione (Emma Watson)
http://www.blackforests.com/albums/ChamberofSecrets/Hermoine4.jpg
If you look closely at the tie you can see the colours are that of Griffindor.
Here is the link if you can't see it: http://www.blackforests.com/albums/ChamberofSecrets/Hermoine4.jpg


she's got a different tye to hermione's. I'm sure their's no law against people from different houses sitting next to each other. Her tye is hufflepuff.

[Pigleto972001]

just finished seeing cos on dvd the other day and so i thought i'd check out an older thread about what people thought about the movie. i love the scene where hermione reunites with harry and ron. after neville says "it's hermione!" i love the way they lean back and smile when they see her coming :)

as for the ending with hagrid, i can see why people were annoyed with the excessive clapping for hagrid. to me, i thought it was poignant (although i don't know if the kids knew) because of his back story and how he was falsely kicked out of school based on tom riddle's word. despite all this, he comes back to his home, Hogwarts. i also thought it was a nice touch how he looked 'haunted' as a previous poster said due to his brief but i'm sure horrible stay at azkaban.

can't wait for poa on dvd :)

[Azalea]

Sorry if I'm asking this in the wrong place, but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to access the added scenes on this dvd. Can anyone tell me what exactly I need to do, what to press, etc? Any help would be greatly appreciated! :)

EDIT: Never mind, this is the wrong thread. I meant SS. :rolleyes:

[examquills]

Did you see the part where Harry enters the chamber , he sees an large statue which is considered to be an Salazar Slytherin . But to think over it ,He hated mud bloods and only accepted pure blood so he is kind of rude. But in the statue he looks like Dumbledore but Dumbledore is kind.So I think thats not how Salazar slytherin.So what do you people think.