Opened: November 15, 2002

Directed by: Chris Columbus

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, Harry Melling, Toby Jones, Jim Norton, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Julie Walters, Bonnie Wright, Mark Williams, Chris Rankin, Tom Felton, Jason Isaacs, Robbie Coltrane, Kenneth Branagh, Matthew Lewis, Devon Murray, David Bradley, Alan Rickman, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Jamie Waylett, Josh Herdman, Miriam Margolyes, John Cleese, Hugh Mitchell, Alfie Enoch, Sean Biggerstaff, Warwick Davis, Luke Youngblood, Gemma Jones, Shirley Henderson, Christian Coulson, Robert Hardy, Julian Glover, Adrian Rawlins & Geraldine Somerville

The second installment of the Harry Potter series finds Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) in trouble at Hogwarts yet again.

When the Chamber of Secrets – a secret area somewhere beneath the school that’s home to a monster – is opened, the students at Hogwarts are no longer safe. The mysterious Tom Riddle (Christian Coulson) is able to communicate with Harry about the chamber through an old diary, though his intentions could be dark.

Even though this is the longest entry in the series, there doesn’t seem to be enough to meat in the storyline to warrant that. It’s still a thrill, but it lasts forever.

There are times when the special effects seem cheesy, but Columbus does a fine job of using them as little as necessary.

Final say: An incredible film, just not the best in the franchise. ★★★★☆