No mere skeptic am I: I've reread all four novels AND visited filming locations at Oxford's Christ Church College. Slowly but surely, the world I created in my head is being eroded away by the ingeniously unimaginative picture of Hollywood hack Chris Columbus. The mental picture I drew of Harry Potter is now one that oddly resembles Daniel Radcliffe. Must. avoid. Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets.
But wait. special effects! The CGI is exciting and well done-Quidittich is more fluid and the giant spiders childishly terrifying. But the scenes are anti climactic and fruitless as the novel is etched too firmly into my mind-the howlers smolder and Moaning Myrtle ends up much too annoying. Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) may have the facial expression down, but he and Daniel are no Haley Joel Osments. The real acting comes from Emma Watson (Hermione) and the adult cast-Kenneth Branagh (Gilderoy Lockhart) is brilliant.
Still, the fault lies within the story itself. The Chamber of Secrets is easily the weakest of the four books. Hagrid is sent to prison, Hermione is petrified and only one game of Quidittich is played. The story itself is not conducive to the actors-so why so little Lockhart?
Regardless of my HP love, I found myself constantly fidgeting while the eight-year-old next to me sat motionless, eyes glued to the screen, for a full 161 minutes. This is a child's movie: made solely for children, as it should be. I just expect too much-one has to accept that the magic of the books will never be replicated on screen.
Meanwhile, J.K Rowling is cackling all the way to the bank.
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