Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets (Widescreen) (UK)
Something evil has returned to Hogwarts
Certificate: PG
Running Time: 161 mins
Retail Price: £24.99
Release Date:
Content Type: Movie
Synopsis:
Cars fly, trees fight back and a mysterious elf comes to warn Harry Potter at the start of the second year of his amazing journey into the world of wizardry. This year at Hogwarts, spiders talk, letters scold and Harry`s own unsettling ability to speak to snakes turns his friends against him. From dueling clubs to rogue Bludgers, it`s a year of adventure and danger when bloody writing on a wall announces: "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened". To save Hogwarts will require all of Harry, Ron and Hermione`s magical abilities and courage in this spellbinding adaptation of J.K. Rowling`s second book. Get ready to be amused and petrified as Harry Potter shows he`s more than a wizard, he`s a hero!
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second installment in the Harry Potter series, follows Harry, Ron and Hermione through their second year at Hogwarts School. The DVD delivers another adventure with more magic, more laughs and more thrills. It has 19 additional/extended scenes, self-guided tours including background characters, an exclusive interview with author J.K. Rowling and screenwriter Steve Kloves and all-new interactive challenges.
Special Features:
19 additional/extended scenes, including more Dobby mischief, more flying car adventures, a frightening encounter with the Malfoys in Borgin and Burkes and much more!
Crystal-clear, self-guided tours, which for the first time include background characters, let viewers have an up-close experience, allowing them to explore the details of the Chamber of Secrets, Dumbledore`s office and Diagon Alley - including places never shown in the film such as more Diagon Alley shops, the sitting room in Dumbledore`s office and more!
Interviews with Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron), Emma Watson (Hermione) and other cast members who divulge all about making the film, favourite scenes, what their friends think and more
An exclusive interview with author J.K. Rowling and screenwriter Steve Kloves letting us in on how the adventure was brought to the screen
Fun-filled activities such as allowing viewers to escape the Forbidden Forest and sneak into the Chamber of Secrets
Visit Lockhart`s class, and get a closer look at his photos and memorabilia through the use of still galleries
Video Tracks:
Widescreen Anamorphic 2.35:1
Audio Tracks:
Dolby Digital EX 5.1 English
Subtitle Tracks:
English
Arabic
Directed By:
Chris Columbus
Written By:
Steven Kloves
J.K. Rowling
Starring:
John Cleese
Maggie Smith
Richard Harris
Alan Rickman
Kenneth Branagh
Robbie Coltrane
Jason Isaacs
Julie Walters
Veronica Clifford
Toby Jones
Harry Melling
Fiona Shaw
Richard Griffiths
Rupert Grint
Emma Watson
Daniel Radcliffe
Casting By:
Karen Lindsay-Stewart
Soundtrack By:
John Williams
William Ross
Director of Photography:
Roger Pratt
Editor:
Peter Honess
Production Designer:
Stuart Craig
Producer:
Tanya Seghatchian
David Heyman
Paula DuPré Pesman
Executive Producer:
Mark Radcliffe
Chris Columbus
David Barron
Michael Barnathan
Distributor:
Warner Bros
Your Opinions and Comments
If you`ve seen my review of the Philosophers Stone, you may have realised that I feel that it isn`t the greatest movie in the world, and it could certainly have been a better movie. The good news for the Chamber of Secrets is that it is a much better Harry Potter movie. The bad news is that it still isn`t a great movie. But it is probably one of the only sequels to improve on the previous movie ten fold, generally because the first movie is so bad. The child actors are better, the direction is better, with Columbus taking some notes from the long landscape shots of Peter Jackson, and it is generally better in all areas. In particular the effects. In a film where most of the audience know the story, the only thing for some to marvel at are the effects, and they certainly deliver, thanks to the very capable hands of ILM. Nothing looks fake as in the first movie. The other good points are the movie is also scarier and funnier, with most of the laughs coming from Brannagh`s Lockheart character. Still room for improvement though.
VIDEO
This has also improved. I felt that the picture on the first movie was slightly grainy, and this is a big improvement. Lucky, as much of this film is darker than the first, but all the wondeful colours and detail are beautifully picked up.
AUDIO
The audio is pretty much just as good as the previous film, with some more surround work in the effects scenes such as Quidditch and the car scenes. Still no DTS!
EXTRAS
The first disc was widely critiscised for being to child orientated, and was just full of clips recycled from the film, which was deemed pointless. The deleted scenes were also too difficult to get to. This disc is a vast improvement. No commentary still, but some much more balanced extras. For the children, there are still the games (which are much better and more fun, apart from the forest one which is nauseating and didn`t go anywhere on mine) and wonderfuly animated menus, still with that voice-over though. The deleted scenes are immediately accessibe, and some are very funny and interesting, and add just that little bit more. There is also a very good interview with JK Rowling and scriptwriter Steve Kloves, again, a worthy addition. As well as that there are many interview snippets, as well as some much improved location scout rounds. Compared to the previous disc which had a murky picture and was slow, these are far more fun and very interactive. The younger ones will love these. To round off the disc there are lots of DVD ROM puzzles and printouts. A much better showing.