Blu-Ray Review:
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Ultimate Collector's Edition
By Jason Gillard
*Screenshots are not from the Blu-Ray source.
Movie
Harry Potter (DANIEL RADCLIFFE) has not had a good summer. Not only has he had to put up with his overbearing Aunt Petunia (FIONA SHAW) and Uncle Vernon Dursley (RICHARD GRIFFITHS) and their dread... Harry Potter (DANIEL RADCLIFFE) has not had a good summer. Not only has he had to put up with his overbearing Aunt Petunia (FIONA SHAW) and Uncle Vernon Dursley (RICHARD GRIFFITHS) and their dread of his magical abilities, but it seems as if Harry's best friends Ron Weasley (RUPERT GRINT) and Hermione Granger (EMMA WATSON) have forgotten him as they haven't replied to a single one of his letters. Then, suddenly and mysteriously, house-elf Dobby appears in Harry's bedroom and warns of great danger if the aspiring wizard should attempt to return to Hogwarts. Dobby is so keen to prevent the young Gryffindor from returning to the school for witches and wizards, he has blocked all of Ron and Hermione's correspondence from reaching Harry. But despite the elf's mischievous efforts, the ever-determined Harry is rescued from the Dursleys dreary clutches by Ron and his brothers with the aid of a flying car! and welcomed into the warmth of the Weasley household. But when Harry and Ron are suspiciously prevented from entering Platform 9 and boarding the Hogwarts Express back to school, the boys take emergency action to avoid being late for the new term only to incur the wrath of Professor Snape (ALAN RICKMAN), who calls for their expulsion. Meanwhile, news of Harry's first year heroism has spread throughout Hogwarts and he finds himself the center of much unwanted attention. His new fans include Ron's little sister Ginny (BONNIE WRIGHT); first year would-be photographer Colin Creevey (HUGH MITCHELL); and most irritatingly, the new Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Gilderoy Lockhart (KENNETH BRANAGH). Outshone only by his own vanity, Lockhart craves the attention that Harry shuns and is only too keen to associate himself with Hogwarts young hero. But not even Lockhart can offer an explanation or solution to the slippery and sinister new terror that is gripping the school. Now all eyes are on Harry, and his so-called friends are beginning to doubt him. Everyone, that is, except Ron and Hermione and fragile young Ginny, who has shifted her focus to her mysterious new diary. But Harry is not about to let his friends down and, with or without the support of Gilderoy Lockhart, he will confront the dark force lurking in his beloved school. -- 2002 Warner Bros.
In the series of Harry Potter movies, Chamber of Secrets was not my favorite, but I still enjoyed the movie a lot. If you're a fan of the books how could you not like the movie. In this film things start to get a bit darker, with the opening of the Chamber of Secrets. There is a new defense against the dark arts teacher named Gilderoy Lockhart, played by Kenneth Branagh, and I should point out that he is quite hilarious. Harry has to deal with many obstacles. Things keep happening and Harry becomes the prime suspect. The actors are definitely getting older in this film and there acting is improving from the first movie as well. There are some well done effects in this movie as well. Examples of this are Dobby the house elf and the Basailisk. I also really enjoyed the dual between Harry and Draco. For me Chamber of Secrets was my least favorite book, but I still enjoyed the movie and I think you will too.
7 out of 10
Video
Compared to the first film the transfer is a bit better here. Colours are bright and vibrant, with flickering candles to bright sunlight, the transfer does a good job here. Black levels for the most part are inky black. This is a good thing because a lot of the movie is bathed in shadow or only lit by a flickering candle in a dark hallway. Detail is also quite good. Textures are sharp although not as sharp as movies that appear later in the series. The film has a nice film-like quality to it with a nice layer of film grain in the image. I didn't really detect any major problems with this transfer which is a good thing. Fans that only had the previous DVD's should be more than satisfied with what they see here because it is quite an upgrade over the soft sometimes murky DVD. I would have liked a complete restoration and rescanning at a higher resolution but what we are presented with here is still quite good.
8 out of 10
Audio
On the original Blu-rays Warner included a lossless PCM track but for these new ultimate editions we are treated to a DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 track(Theatrical) and a 5.1 track for the extended edition. Both of these tracks sound fantastic and audiophiles and HP fans alike should be pleased. Dialogue comes across sharp and clear and not once did I have to reach for the remote. Surrounds are heavily active with examples being the Quidditch match where crowds envelope the listener and Golden Snitches whiz around the room. For the reference scene in this movie one has to look no further than the battle with the Basilisk. LFE channel is alive and well, adding weight to spells and slithering giant snakes. I also really enjoyed the movies score and it sounds great with this DTS track. Overall they have done a wonderful job with the audio and it's certainly worth of the Ultimate Edition title.
9 out of 10
Extras
This is Warner's Second Harry Potter Ultimate Edition in a series of 8. If you have owned the previous releases most of the content here will not be new. The reason for getting this set if you're a fan is the second part in an 8-part documentary. Before I get to all the extras that are included, let me tell you a little about the packaging and trinkets inside. The case is made to look like a hard cover book. It's very sturdy and closes with a magnetic clasp. It looks very nice and large, some might say to large, but I think it looks awesome. Inside this case you will find:
48-Page Hardcover Booklet
2 Bonus Character Cards
Inner 3-Disc Digipak
Digital Copy of the film
The 48 page Hardcover Booklet is mostly made up of photo's, but for a HP fan it's nice to see production art and behind the scenes photos. It's a nice little edition to the overall package. I am not sure what one would do with the Character Cards, but they are made on sturdy cardboard and I do like the design. The 2 cards you get are Harry Potter and Rubious Hagrid and Severus Snape. One thing to note that I am sure I have not seen before is that the digital copy of the film has an expiry date. So you must download it before the date.
Disc 1
Theatrical cut of the film
Extended cut of the film
PIP track
Disc 2
Creating the World of Harry Potter, Part 2: Characters
The Chamber of Secrets Revealed
Screen Tests
Deleted Scenes
Trailers and TV Spots
Disc 3
Behind Hogwarts
Additional Scenes
Game Preview
Lockhart's Classroom
Activities
Spellcaster Knowledge
Once again for me the reason to own this set is the expansive 8 part documentary. In the second part it's all about the characters. In a really nice touch each actor reads their character's introduction from the book. They focus on characters from the entire series and not just Chamber of Secrets. Producer David Heyman is the dominant person speaking in the documentary and he has so much insight into the production. Every actor shows up to talk about their character and what influenced them. Not only do we get interviews from past and present there are lots of behind the scenes video, outtakes, intimate chats between actors and overall an absolutely wonderful entry into this 8 part series. For me this is what I have been waiting for all along and is the main reason these sets are worth it. I also really enjoyed seeing the early screen tests for Daniel, Emma, and Ruprit. They are cute and I am surprised how well they do in these early tests. On Disc 3 there is not much that is worth your while. But if I had to recommend one extra, it would be in the "Behind Hogwarts" section. This section includes a discussion with JK Rowling and Steve Kloves. This is a 17 minute piece that is worth a watch. There is also a feature called "Build a Scene" where they look at the design of the movie, tour Dumbledore's office, and do an interactive fly-through of the final set. Most of the extras you're going to find worthwhile are in this section. The rest of the features are games and puzzles that if you're little might interest you.
Overall the extras are mostly the same as previous sets but the outstanding documentary more than makes up for this.
9 out of 10
Overall
I am really happy they are bringing out these sets. The video and audio are both great and there is that amazing documentary. If you're a fan, this is a set you can't miss.
9 out of 10