Last Friday night I was very excited to go to Crossgates Mall with some friends to see a movie. Opening November 15 was the new Chris Columbus film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, based on the second book of the popular child-
ren’s series.
Up until a few weeks ago I was never really into the whole Harry Potter phenomenon, and felt that if I gave in I would be committing some sort of sin. However, I think a strong influence from various sources has contaminated me. In the past week I’ve watched the first Potter movie twice, and started listening to the audio books, since as such a busy college student I have little time to actually read.
Being the intelligent people we are, my friends and I purchased our tickets early. This proved to be a good move since when we arrived at the theatre there was already a lengthy queue of movie-goers waiting to get their seats. And this was a 10:30 pm showing! I stood there wondering if the crowd of adults before me was comparable to the undoubtedly large mass of children that were waiting there for the matinee showing.
After getting our seats, a gallon of Sprite, and watching advertisements and previews, Harry Potter’s second adventure began to unfold before the hushed audience. Harry, played by Daniel Radcliffe, is another year older and ready to head back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Standing in his way, though, is a strange visitor, Dobby the House Elf, whose goal is to keep Harry away from Hogwarts, telling him his life is in danger. Although Harry refuses to not start the new term, his Aunt and Uncle Dursley have other plans, especially after Harry is blamed for the disaster Dobby causes during one of their dinner engagements.
Luckily Harry is saved by Ron Weasley, played again by Rupert Grint, and his twin brothers in their family’s flying car. The Weasleys, who are sending yet another sibling to Hogwarts—Ginny the youngest of the Weasley children—openly welcome Harry and help him on his way returning to Hogwarts.
After missing the train and then having some car “trouble” Harry and Ron finally arrive at the school, where strange things quickly start to happen.
A few new professors have been introduced at Hogwarts, including the new defense against the Dark Arts professor and debonair Gilderoy Lockhart, played by Kenneth Branagh. Lockhart is a celebrity in the wizarding world, and makes no efforts to be modest about it.
Not long after the students arrive Mrs. Norris, the cat of Mr. Filch the groundskeeper, is found petrified along with a message about the Chamber of Secrets. This in turn leads our hero and his comrades on their second motion picture adventure.
As far as how this movie stacks up to the book I can’t say, seeing as I haven’t gotten that far in my literature listening library. I’ve been told though by my ever so reliable Harry Potter fan base sources that the portrayal of the Chamber of Secrets didn’t follow the book as well as last year’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. However, I was also informed that Columbus did a very good job overall, and captured the important aspects of J.K. Rowling’s novel.
Personally, I’ve enjoyed being sucked into the Harry Potter craze. The stories have interesting plots and the characters are fun to get to know. Being easy to get into, the Harry Potter stories are in a way like television, but if I have any say, I think they provide an even better brain numbing tingliness. And besides, anything to get little kids to start reading at an early age must be good for something.
So we’ve learned that although I haven’t become a total Harry Potter drone, I’m on my way, and after watching two hours and forty-one minutes of magicy goodness I’ve decided I’m changing majors to Magic Theory and Astrology. That should fly well with my mother.
