Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) Chris Columbus   After first seeing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone last year, my initial reaction was that I had not enjoyed a movie so much since I was a child. But can a sequel measure up to so brilliant a first installment? In this case, the answer is yes. In The Chamber of Secrets, along with Harry, most of the characters are back-Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Hagrid, and Professors McGonagall and Snape. The late Richard Harris also makes his final screen appearance as the benevolent Headmaster Dumbledore (yet it is not without some heartbreak that one hears the strain in the actor's voice, his having played the role as he was dying of Hodgkin's disease). We are also introduced to Ron Weasley's family, and their meager but charming household. There are some new faces in this film as well, including the great Kenneth Branagh in a portrayal of the incompetant egomaniac Gilderoy Lockhart, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Also new is Dobby, a well-meaning house elf who is bent on keeping Harry out of danger but gets him into worse trouble in the attempt. Harry's nemesis Draco Malfoy is back, and we are also introduced to his even more sinister father Lucius Malfoy, played to black-hearted perfection by Jason Isaacs (best known as the villainous Colonel Tavington in The Patriot). In this film, Harry learns of uncomfortable similarities between himself and the evil Voldemort (who may still be at large). Even Harry's friends retreat from him a bit when it looks as though he may have played a part in some diabolical goings on. Nevertheless, there is a generous portion of humor throughout the film. The film also offers up a slew of nail-biting thrills, including a quidditch match in which things go terribly awry when a bludger flies out of control, and a hair-raising encounter in the forest with hungry giant spiders. The climax of the film is also tremendously exciting and spine-tingling. Despite a running time of nearly three hours, there is nary a dull moment. This can be attributed to J.K. Rowling's phenomenal storytelling gift, which balances elements of childlike fantasy, comedy, and mild horror with a compelling narrative, all of which lends itself beautifully to cinematic treatment. This is also a more rich-looking film than its predecessor, as the photography by Roger Pratt (Brazil) is far more expressionistic than John Seale's photography for Sorcerer's Stone. The visual effects are slightly better, too, particularly in the Christmas scene, as hundreds of horse-drawn sleighs skate across the frozen loch beside the school. John Williams' new score is fabulous, with a slightly harder edge than his more fanciful work for the first film. Williams expands on his ideas from the Sorcerer's Stone, but new musical themes also abound. In fact, much of the magic-and spookiness-of this adventure is due to the aura of his music. In the end, however, it is the human elements of this story which make it such a memorable experience. The characters (and the gifted actors who bring them to life) are all drawn with three-dimensional reality. The magical setting is ultimately just a fun framework within which J. K. Rowling spins a tale of loyalty, courage, love, and the triumph of the righteous over the wicked. With so much jaded entertainment flooding our culture today, this film series is a breath of fresh air. Although condemned by some as a glorification of the occult, these stories are genuine moral fables with far more in common with C.S. Lewis than Aleister Crowley. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is, like its predecessor, a stupendous achievement, and a more than worthy successor —Paul Andrew MacLean

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