
Credits
EW's Complete Coverage
Harry PotterJ.K. Rowling's gift is finding something revelatory in the workaday: In her Harry Potter universe, wizards solve ordinary problems with extraordinary magic. Director Chris Columbus has the opposite gift: He never fails to make the revelatory feel workaday.
That said, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a better, looser, more vivacious movie than its predecessor. And that's not saying much. But ''Chamber'''s shortcomings aren't all Columbus' fault. Rowling's books are often likened to screen treatments, but a TV miniseries might be a better comparison, as each tome is episodic and chockablock with side stories. Columbus does little to smooth those transitions in adapting Rowling's dark tale of ethnic cleansing, which centers on a hidden menace hell-bent on eliminating Muggle-born wizards. Such a serious story line doesn't mesh well with consequence-free sadism masquerading as kid empowerment (Columbus' usual ''Home Alone'' MO). And the fact that Harry & Co. must once again solve all Hogwarts' problems unassisted makes the wise and mighty faculty look dangerously incompetent.
You Might Also Like
- Movie Review Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Nov 15, 2002) | Lisa Schwarzbaum
- All About Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Movie News ''Potter'' movie producer reflects on the franchise (Nov 15, 2002) | Jeff Jensen
- Movie News A look at the most ludicrous movie-awards campaigns (Mar 08, 2002) | Karen Valby
- Burning Questions Why did Pontiac ad change the lyrics of ''Sex Machine''? | Evan Serpick
- All About Chris Columbus
Add Your Comments
You Might Also Like
- Movie Review Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Nov 15, 2002) | Lisa Schwarzbaum
- All About Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Movie News ''Potter'' movie producer reflects on the franchise (Nov 15, 2002) | Jeff Jensen
- Movie News A look at the most ludicrous movie-awards campaigns (Mar 08, 2002) | Karen Valby
- Burning Questions Why did Pontiac ad change the lyrics of ''Sex Machine''? | Evan Serpick
- All About Chris Columbus


Home




