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Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets...
Stars:
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Kenneth Branaugh, John Cleese,
Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Richard Griffiths, Richard Harris, Jason Isaacs,
Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, and Julie Walters
Writer:
Steve Kloves
Based
On The Novel By: J.K. Rowling
Director:
Chris Columbus
Feature
length: 161 minutes
Extras:
Additional/Extended Scenes, Self-Guided Tours, Interviews, Set Top Games, DVD-ROM
Games and Features, Trailers
Languages:
English and Spanish Language Dolby Digital 5.1 EX Surround Sound
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions and French and Spanish Language Subtitles
Packaging:
Digipack Gatefold Within A Cardboard Slipcase
Chapter
Stops: 37
Sound:
Dolby Digital 5.1 EX Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 2002/DVD Release: 2003
Theatrical
Distributor: Warner Brothers Pictures
Home
Video Distributor: Warner Home Video
MPAA
Rating: PG
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
Well
I want to say upfront that Warner Home Video’s upcoming DVD-Video release of
“Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets” is a vast improvement over last
year’s “Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone: Special Widescreen Edition:
Two-Disc Set” in part because viewers can enjoy the extra value features such
as the additional scenes without having to navigate through a ridiculous game. Clocking in at nearly ten minutes longer than the first film,
“Harry Potter And The Camber Of Secrets” had critics and viewers alike
stating that it was better than the first film that moved faster too. Personally
I like them both about the same. “Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets”
is a darker film than the first feature and less episodic in nature. Having been
introduced to most of the main characters in the first film and having
established the fantastic world that exists concurrently with our own, “Harry
Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets” gets going fast and never slows down as our
three young magicians in training work together to solve a mystery that
threatens the very school they attend itself. Among the new standout performers
who lend their talent for this film are Kenneth Branaugh as the new
self-absorbed buffoon of a professor against the dark arts and Jason Isaacs, who
delivers another deliciously sinister performance as Malfoy’s evil Wizard
father.
The
special effects and action are superior in this film to the last one and while
the kids are clearly beginning to sprout up, they still retain a bit of their
moppet quality that makes them endearing. Warner Home Video’s anamorphic
widescreen (2.35:1) presentation of “Harry Potter And The Chamber Of
Secrets” is flawless. It could not look better and the 19 deleted and extended
(2.35:1) widescreen scenes that can be viewed individually or as one reel
(17:40) look so good that I have to ask, why not just edit them back into the
movie? While the deleted scenes on disc two are presented with full motion scene
selections and English Stereo Sound, the feature film on disc one includes a
dynamic English Dolby Digital 5.1 EX Surround Soundtrack as well as a Spanish
Language Dolby Digital 5.1 EX Surround Soundtrack and English Captions and
Closed Captions for the hearing impaired along with French and Spanish Language
Subtitles encoded as options. Strangely all of the interactive menus with the
exception of the extended full motion-opening menu on disc one are still frames.
The
menus on disc two are fully animated and thankfully easy to navigate. The extra
features on disc two also include three humorous animated galleries within
Professor Lockhart’s classroom, six game demonstrations for the “Harry
Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets” video game, which is available for nearly
every videogame platform produced today, an interview with Author J. K. Rowling
and Screenwriter Steve Kloves (16:11), interviews with the child actors (8:47)
as well as the adult stars (10:39), and a production design featurette (17:11).
High quality 360 degree viewer explorations of select areas such as “The
Chamber Of Secrets,” “Professor Dumbledore’s Office,” and “Diagon
Alley” are presented with areas never-before-seen on film. Several games that
are surprisingly engaging like a romp through the Forbidden Forrest and sneak
into The Chamber Of Secrets as well as an easy trivia game are among the extra
set top activities for viewers of all ages.
Windows
based PC users with a DVD-ROM drive and an Internet connection gain access to
One VoiceDVD technology that enables viewers to navigate both DVD-ROM and DVD-Video
features using only their voices, an animated interactive timeline that provides
dates in Hogwarts’ history with mini pop-up videos from both Harry Potter
films, a motion video slider puzzle, jigsaw puzzles, matching challenges,
screensavers and much more.
There
are several sketch galleries as well and the first disc also features a cast and
crew list as well as anamorphic widescreen trailers for both “Harry Potter And
The Chamber Of Secrets” (2:12) and “Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone
(1:56). Deleted scenes included on disc two can be briefly spotted within the
trailer for “Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets.”
Overall
I think this is a winner in terms of mixing content for viewers of all ages and
not repeating the mistakes that occurred in the first release, but still
improving upon the entire DVD experience as a whole. “Harry Potter And The
Chamber Of Secrets: Widescreen Edition: Two-Disc Set” will debut on DVD-Video
in Region One North America on Friday, April 11, 2003 from Warner Home Video.
©
2003 Warner Home Video. © 2002 Warner Brothers. Harry Potter Publishing Rights
© J.K. Rowling. HARRY POTTER, characters, names and related indicia are
trademarks of and © Warner Bros. All rights reserved. Courtesy of Warner Home
Video.
“Harry
Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets: Widescreen Edition: Two-Disc Set” DVD
Review At GENRE ONLINE.NET © Copyright 2003 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets...