The Chamber of Secrets: The Most Underrated Harry Potter Film (Video Essay)

[@mintman325]

When Dumbledore says, “Ah fascinating creatures phenixes” and smiles. THAT is Dumbledore, perfectly there.

[@acdragonrider]

Meanwhile we have “how did you put your name in the goblet of Fire?!” 😤 “I know how you feel Harry.” 🥴 Harry you wonderful boy. Let us walk.” 🤦‍♂️

[@Tabbychu]

This. This so much. While I do enjoy Michael Gambon's take on Dumbledore more than most, the writing and directing from the fourth movie onward didn't do his character nearly enough justice. It's a shame Richard Harris passed, because he was 100% the perfect Dumbledore

[@thecoolesthana]

And then we have “ HARRY DID YOU PUT YER NAME IN THE GOBLET OF FIYAH!!!!”

[@Ty-qv3ml]

@@thecoolesthana he said "calmly"

[@oofoofington6871]

*pheonixes

[@Maturas]

I find the scene, when Harry has a written conversation with Tom Riddle's diary, absolutely chilling and amazing, one of the best and most climatic scenes in the entire series.

[@XimenaConstanza]

Yes! i had totally forgotten that part in the book so when i watched the movie it blew my mind

[@martincholand]

The soundtrack is amazing. It's the same used in the Restricted Section scene in HP1

[@Notnotnotnotnotjennyboy]

To many commas

[@jasminelee2275]

I know, though normally I just point out that scene to my brother and go: Look. Look how pretty Harry's handwriting is compared to yours.

[@danpresley146]

@@Notnotnotnotnotjennyboy it's grammar lmao

[@treetrunx9434]

Best improv line by Tom Felton is in here to : "I didn't know you can read!"

[@alicephiri283]

does anyone know what the original line was ?

[@corywalker8551]

@@alicephiri283 there is no original line because Harry is not wearing his glasses by the time he and Ron find Malfoy because Goyle doesn't need them. One of the first things he does after he becomes Goyle is take off his glasses because his vision becomes blurry. It's a hilarious line in the movie though, especially the way he delivers it! I laughed so hard.

[@jacinta798]

IT HAD ME DEAD BC IT LOOKED LIKE HE WAS ACTUALLY IMPRESSED SJSKRGVRHIL

[@leothebeagle3269]

Nah best improv is when Draco's dad threatens Harry , and Daniel replied

[@RA-hs6ry]

@@alicephiri283 there was no original line because the other actor improved "reading" as well

[@jessp3585]

I honestly love the ending. Is it cringey? Yes. But is it wholesome? Yes! I think the ending gives Hagrid the appreciation he truly deserves.

[@ggr.]

Agreed it’s a bit corny but it’s way less goofy than the Azkaban freeze frame.

[@ashhabimran239]

I mean, the ending now has a whole new meaning

[@raphaelhcunha]

I always cry watching Harry say “There’s no Hogwarts without you, Hagrid!”

[@conoroshea5271]

Its what Richard Harris would've want

[@Irn-BruMan]

@@raphaelhcunha R.I.P Robbie Coltrane.

[@RodrigoColimodio]

To be honest, the thing about Harry hearing the basilisk through the walls scared me a lot as a little kid. No mention the blood writing on the walls...

[@albabhamdani3415]

Same it was creepy. But when I watched it again in my 15th I like the tension much more than when i was a kid 😅. I think puberty change our feelings

[@annalisabrown4886]

Me too!! I was terrified by this book when I was younger

[@izelhatirnaz9075]

Same, and maybe that’s the reason why I have been avoiding the movie for so long

[@Cici-lt1sq]

Legit I thought it was ketchup

[@callmehjessica6572]

Same here 😅

[@fernando98322]

I feel like Chamber of Secrets is the movie that was shown on TV the most during my childhood. I love it very much.

[@kaenachoo4783]

Same! I saw it on tv when I was 3 and it was technically the first Harry Potter film I saw!

[@R4l3yt]

Me to

[@prinitykat]

It’s honestly one of my favorites, if not my favorite, so I appreciate this.

[@el_2738]

for me it was the prisoner of azkaban

[@rohitsawant5813]

Same

[@fortmchopper3880]

I love the line by Mrs. Weasley in this movie and it went: "wHeRe hAvE yOu bEEn?"

[@soph.136]

Best line in the series

[@zachrobledo2252]

Beds empty, no note, car missing!

[@haneq]

Where *HAVE* you been?!! Beds empty, no note, car gone! You could have died! You could have been *SEEN* ! 😤 Its the best line in the series, point blank 🤣

[@catrionah3207]

YES!! 😂 Except for "not my daughter you bitch" THE BEST X

[@alexisvlogsandkpop9780]

What about “Ronald Weasley! How DARE you steal that car?!?! I am ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED”

[@intergalactic92]

Never forget that Richard Harris was perfect as Dumbledore. Even though he was clearly very ill while this one was being shot, he continued to give it everything.

[@Wakaflockabach]

I think he was perfectly cast as the early Dumbledore, but could you imagine Harris Dumbledore fighting voldemort in the ministry? Or the cave horrocrux mission? He would not have been able to do any of the action required of him. A more, for lack of a better word, "spry" Dumbledore was absolutely necessary moving forward.

[@elliottknifton8902]

​@@WakaflockabachI think Connery could have been a decent replacement

[@mr.metamovies2419]

@@Wakaflockabach Christopher Lee had a body double in the Hobbit. Obviously they would've used one for Richard Harris in those scenes.

[@Davidofthelost]

@@mr.metamovies2419they had stunt doubles for Gandalf and Saruman in the Fellowship of the Ring for when they were being flung around. So they could’ve had something similar.

[@mr.metamovies2419]

@@Davidofthelost Nah. Harry Potter isn’t centered on action.

[@nikdaa178]

I seriously don't understand why this is so underrated its such a good movie its my favourite Harry Potter movie

[@General_brasch]

Mine too

[@dreamiesnoona6423]

Same.

[@nikdaa178]

@@dreamiesnoona6423 FINALLY!!!!! I found to people who's favourite Harry Potter movie is Chamber of Secrets

[@nikdaa178]

* Two* my bad

[@Magical_Wizard]

I agree I'm so confused why people hate it

[@sofian8571]

Did you know that the actor who plays Lucius Malfoy wanted a cane, not because he had problems walking, but because he thought it would look posh to pull his wand out of a cane.

[@NobodyC13]

His original costume design was something along the lines of "Draco Malfoy but grown up and in a businesssuit," his actor looked at it and thought it was too mundane. The logic being that if Lucius Malfoy was a wizard supremacist, then he'd want a look that distance himself from muggles as much as possible, so he suggested the things like luxurious robes, cane, long hair, etc.

[@naly202]

Really? I didn't know. Lucius' wand in cane is by far my favourite one . His appearance is simply amazing, reminds me of one of those dashing anime warriors . I didn't know the actor was the one responsible for all these. Wonderful taste.

[@nanoff815]

It fits so well that when I read the books years later I just assumed he had a cane.

[@sunfish..]

And I think it was also so that when he would swing the cane around, it would look like he was hitting dobby.

[@varianmetcalf8220]

I frickin love how he plays lucius its top tier

[@balrogsareop4773]

FINALY! COS is actually my personal favorite of the movies (by far). The visuals for the spiders and the basilisk are fantastic, Lockhart and Lucious (the way he roasts the entire Weasley family always got me cracking up) are both wonderfull, not to mention Dobby, and the whole idea of a ancient horrible secret existing right under peoples noses has always excited me. While Im probably in the minority, i always preferred the more childish wonder of the two first films, and I think COS did a good job at keeping that same feeling of the first while still making it feel more sinister and unsettling.

[@acdragonrider]

For me it’s 1 2 7 parts 1 & 2 4 6 5 3

[@RedDeadDepressionist]

Acdragonrider Videos is that from best to worst or worst to best

[@Anyeeh26]

Mine too!

[@yr1183]

Yes, the child's wonder. That capture the first two movies' tone. Love them

[@mono8476]

I agree! For me personally, everything after goblet of fire was too dark and serious. And that made them a bit boring for me :(

[@SkilledYetTalentless]

People find the ending corny!? That scene, more than any other in the film series, reduces me to tears with how beautiful it is.

[@rmm9222]

Honestly it's amazing. And the music 🎶

[@bodycounter9386]

The hug and applause between Harry and Hagrid is just too much in this setting. The scene was funny and emotional up to this point (with both Hermione and Hagrid) but completely shifts into cringe when Harry stands up to hug him. He is still his professor.

[@nachmanmeumanbaby]

Just finished watching the movie again... Such a nice ending 😁😢

[@al3x4nderthegreat80]

​@bodycounter9386 He wasn't at this point though. he was one of Harry's only friends and he hadn't seen him for weeks/months!

[@TimDaco]

Me too! How could people be so shockingly mean to such a Beautiful Ending?

[@DomeMoon]

That lighter feel is exactly what I miss about the other films. The first 2 films have a magic to them that the others don’t! That magic is given by the tone, and John Williams’ music

[@whoamomma8050]

Yeah the first two films are the best at capturing the wizarding world and coolness of it.

[@jennipark6107]

I so agree. The later films are ridiculously dark and change one of my fave characters too much (Ron)

[@HarryPotter-ug8ew]

Ron’s great in the first two I don’t really like the way they portray him in the other ones

[@oscaroscar7904]

I never thought champer of seacrets was a light movie though, i feel its really scary( no joke)and the most scary one of them all, the isolated and tension with the snake and voldemort under the castle gives it an almost horror feel, the worst part is that the movie dont try to be that way but it only comes of more autentic beacuse of it lol, but seriously it has a really spooky atmosphere, its weird the movie might be light in a way since its a children movie but its easly the most spooky and scary one for me beacuse it dont intend to be, but there is a kind of alarming shadow about whats under the castle thats just creepy, i dont know not a bad film of course though 🙂

[@kushalrijal9453]

@@oscaroscar7904 my 11 years old brother calls it the scariest Harry Potter movie.

[@GabrielTorres15]

I've always thought the ending was heartwarming, as a kid and nowadays, when I re-watched it a couple days ago. This movie brings me a lot of memories of the time when I had 3 options of things to do when getting back from school: I could watch this movie on DVD, watch Spider-Man 2 on DVD and play Super Mario World. Good days

[@acdragonrider]

It was heartwarming. I don’t get how it’s “corny”

[@alexlanyi2329]

Yeah this one was my favourite film durinv my childhood

[@areejal-balkhi741]

I also was one of those who always appreciated this film, ending included!

[@flowerzaldc4069]

Acdragonrider Videos yes! I’m 18 and still love the ending

[@yr1183]

same here.I don't feel the ending was anything corny the first time.and when I watched it this second time recently, I was very touched, heart warming as many said. I think if you put yourself into hagrid's character, it kind of give him the justice after all these years being blamed for the death of martel, isn't it? So the ending only make the audience feel good.

[@jondavidtheauthor6318]

It's my personal favorite Harry Potter film. Strong story, good performances, and it hints that there's more to Voldemort than meets the eye, meaning the horcruxes. It also felt like it had a good beginning, middle, and end. Where as the other films felt like they were chapters.

[@blessedevelyn339]

Movies 1 and 2 are the best, yes.

[@mono8476]

For me.. 1. Prisoner 2. Chamber 3. Philosophers 4. Goblet 5. Half 6. Order 7. Deathly

[@JoshD9-4]

I totally agree. Chamber of Secrets is actually one of my favorites too

[@RustyWindChimes]

I just care about the story line, and not mistakes in the visual cues.

[@sameerhafeez7029]

You're probably the only one who agrees with me

[@ProfessorZoom2140]

I have literally no idea what people are complaining about, I freaking love this film! Out of all the films I think it's the best adaptation. The story is also great, I love the dairy plot and the mystery elements. At some point we even see Percy and Penelope saying hello to Sir Nicholas while holding hands. It's quick but it's there. I love small details like that, so even though their romance plot wasn't explicitly shown, they still made sure to put those Easter eggs in there to show us that other stuff from the book are taking place in the background even if we don't see them.

[@diegoleal1207]

You have bad taste!

[@Anomander5622]

@@diegoleal1207 most of the films are good. It becomes a subjective choice. Also harry potter movies are attached to our childhoods. Which movie we like depends a lot on at what statge of childhood we saw it. Chambers of secret was the first Harrypotter movie I had watched and thus nothing can change my feelings for this movie. It remains the best one for me

[@ariellasmith7480]

I think its completely underated because its actually the closest to the book

[@theblackswordsman9951]

Makes sense considering it's the longest film.

[@natspencer174]

Being close to the book is a good thing. The movies ruined Harry and Ginny’s relationship by not sticking to the book.

[@medalgear654]

and its a great movie

[@maciejatkowski5524]

Just because a film is close to the book doesn’t automatically mean that it’s good, or more precisely, better than if it would be different from the book.

[@medalgear654]

@@maciejatkowski5524 no it doesn't but it does help make it great.

[@juliamarques4404]

Chamber of Secrets is actually one of my favourite HP movies to rewatch. I love the Basilisk mystery and really like the first two movies aesthetics, it is just so nostalgic and literally magic.

[@lalkiran1950]

And it is the only movie in the HP series that is way better than the book

[@Dianafreaken]

Wait, Chamber of Secrets is the least favorit of maney fans? It’s one of my favorits!

[@Kille483]

Yup, I 've seen like 20 different ranking videos on youtube, and almost ALL of them rank CoS the lowest. Even people in the comments do :)

[@shoobsinator]

@@Kille483 even book fans rank chamber of secrets as their least favorite which in my opinion had one of the best twist that nobody saw coming.

[@lucianaqueijeiro3167]

Same i love it

[@isa-br4sd]

same ! i always loved that movie

[@delirious_4000]

lol the spelling is amazing

[@leviosa5405]

I'm actually surprised to know that the 2nd film is not that appreciated. I love that movie. I love the ending where Hagrid gets applauded. It was so heart warming. And the added scenes were all awsome , Vernon falling off , Dumbledore asking harry the same as he did to Tom. The casting of Jason Isaacs and Kenneth Branagh was also great.

[@chamalikodikara2290]

Did you notice at 4:35 when they show that parallel scene, even if the lines said are exactly the same the expressions on Harry's and Tom's faces are different. Harry blinks shakes his head because he doesn't really want to lie but Tom does it with a straight face.

[@saeeajri5970]

Ya... N harry kind of shows some reflectance to lie and guilty about it

[@samisikdar5417]

Yeah

[@neutralamity]

that's actually a really subtle way of showing the differences between the two. well played :)

[@Pleasejustgivemeaname]

the scene was actually mentioned in the book, Harry when seeing dubmoldore do it to tom knew tom had the same lying face or tone he did. its in one of the books anyway but I think chamber

[@AlaapLove]

CoS is criminally under-rated. Both the book and the movie. Personally, I like it much more than Philosopher's Stone. It has brilliant mystery around who opened the CoS, Harry being a Parseltongue, Hagrid being accused of opening CoS and the Ginny & Tom Riddle reveals are amazing. Like you said, it has quite a few comedy scenes, punchlines but it never takes over the dark theme of the book. My favorite line is "Harry Harry Harry, Can you possibly imagine a better way to serve detention than by helping me to answer my fan mail?" Lockhart is one of my all time fav characters. The action scenes are amazing, the car scene, Potter & Malfoy chase, Aragog escape and the Basilisk scene. I remember being on the edge of my seat watching these. One of the best points that I think you brought out here is that this movie gives you that feel of experiencing Hogwarts unlike any other. And, Dobby!! This movie/book defined HP for me in my childhood. My brothers and I used to watch it so many times and knew the dialogues by heart. We even used to play a game of continuing dialogues. Someone would just randomly say "Where have you been?" and the other one has to say "Harry, How wonderful to see you dear!". There were times when these chains would go on for minutes. Ahh, sweet nostalgia.

[@sienna230]

i totally agree!! this movie is filled with nostalgia and was definitely a great mix of a scary and mystery story but still funny and kid friendly!! :)

[@Flohaiique]

Same the plot was really enjoyable and I really loved This book and movie Some people say it had too many plot convenienves but I think it just shows the magic of the world - the magic apart from casting spells with a wand

[@timtam3730]

I like how Rowling found a creative way to make Voldemort the main antagonist of the Chamber of Secrets by including the Dairy.

[@skigr2205]

Bruh

[@eddiefisher3093]

I prefer the novel to Philosophers Stone as well. Its darker and just a better written book.

[@Zahra-do3bj]

Chamber of Secrets is one of the best Harry Potter movies. The suspense, thrill, and the plot twists were perfectly played out.

[@Maddym365]

There’s also no other movie like it. So good. It used to scare the crap out of me. Now I’m older it’s one of my favourites.

[@Zahra-do3bj]

@@Maddym365 My thoughts exactly

[@Thrillmaster100]

Chamber of secrets was my all time favorite one! Especially how it had that spirit of the value of having your friends and loved ones around and how together, anyone can accomplish stuff. Kind of like the fifth one did where it had that similar spirit of Harry learning the value of friends standing by him.

[@Gamelover254]

This movie will honestly always be my personal favorite. I loved the new lore about Hogwarts we got, I loved the mystery/horror aspect, and I loved how this movie directly contrasts the last movie by turning Harry from “The chosen one” to “Slyherin’s possible heir”. Also I don’t care what you say, the basilisk is the coolest creature we’ve seen in the films. The cgi/puppetry still holds up amazingly to this day. Aragon as well. I don’t care what anyone says, the ending with the clapping and Hermione & Hagrid crying will always make me bawl like a baby. Not to mention that last closeup on Richard Harris as Dumbledoor. Nostalgia may have something to do with it, but I don’t care, I’ll always love it.

[@Sophia-ro9xf]

Y’all are insane lmao, anyway Chamber of Secrets is soooo underrated it’s sad

[@arghadeb9180]

nUmBeR-Nine agree

[@avag4334]

Agree

[@fortmchopper3880]

I agree it has always been one of my favorites

[@biteeyes437]

❌ 🧢

[@RealMasterpieces]

NUMBA NINE

[@CZsWorld]

This is actually my favorite behind TDHP2. I assumed that it was universally liked. I guess that's to be expected as a horror fan though.

[@RachanaAgarwal-t1e]

Same

[@frde2190]

Ye this film is the scariest out of them all

[@apollopapadopoulos4226]

Yeah!

[@apollopapadopoulos4226]

Plus the score was just perfect. The Basilisk part,

[@BucolicPoet]

This movie has the best Voldemort cast of all movies

[@Calum02]

the spider scene was terrifying imagine being ron who is scared of spiders and then getting headlocked by a huge spider

[@merafirewing6591]

I would be freaking out if that happened, being headlocked by a spider the size of Fang.

[@_stephthecreator]

Chamber of secrets is actually My favorite Harry Potter movie

[@ZyliceLiddell]

Same! 😃

[@SomeStickmanGuy]

@@ZyliceLiddell Same

[@malekouerhani5111]

PERIODTTT

[@vstopbiaswreckingme7194]

same, i'm shocked so many people think its one of the worst

[@haleychl]

it's mine toooo

[@marceldoesstuff7290]

I think the Chamber of Secrets film was the most nostalgic film in the series.

[@Gabriela.Lamira]

Exactly! I feel the same!

[@zjean3417]

And the things they left out from the book weren't very important.

[@highroller4203]

Thank you! No other Harry Potter film brought that nostalgic, vintage Harry Potter feel to the film. The directing and the writing were perfect, making the movie feel like classic Potter and being loaded with memorable, legendary scenes. The cinematography is also underrated. The lighting and way Hogwarts was filmed brought a real mysterious yet vintage Harry Potter feel to the film. It’s my 2nd favorite movie in the franchise

[@Gabriela.Lamira]

@@highroller4203 I got curious... Which HP movie is your fav?

[@pacesplace]

True

[@therealbricker]

This is definitely my favourite out of all Harry Potter films. It is also very underrated. The reason? This movie is the closest to the books. The book itself was amazing and the movie adaptation is equally as amazing!

[@delfi__arts]

Agree!

[@auriculus3058]

Yesss! That's exactly why it's also my favourite HP movie. The only things that bother me are Hermione explaining the word mudblood, although it's Ron who does this and Lucious Malfoy who wants to kill Harry with Avada Kedavra after he freed Dobby. The ending is also too cheesy, but apart from that the movie is quite good.

[@thecoolesthana]

I think the only thing that wasn’t included from the book was Nearly Headless Nick’s deathday party.

[@delfi__arts]

@@auriculus3058 yes! I totally agree here, they don't do ron justice, but that's in every movie of the series so I can't point it out as being a chamber of secrets problem

[@nahor88]

Agreed... it's also why I absolutely HATED the 3rd movie when I first saw it. Alfonso Cuaron took so many creative liberties it felt like a different story altogether.

[@Jaws1015]

I have always felt that the first two movies were the best in the series, followed by the Deathly Hallows movies. They more faithfully follow the books, and Richard Harris as Dumbledore is absolutely perfect. I had no idea people were down on CoS.

[@ultrairrelevantnobody1862]

On the bright side, it has the best line-up of video game adaptations.

[@nintendonut100]

​@@ultrairrelevantnobody1862the CoS PC game especially was brilliant

[@pzwestern]

Deathly hallows sucked though

[@thebegleyshow3320]

1:15. In that scene Jason Issacs was told to improvise what he was going to say, and Arvada Kadavra was the first thing that came to his mind. Maybe Columbus thought nobody would notice.

[@OutFreak28]

This is probably my second favorite after Prisoner of Azkaban. I loved it how you feel like you are in hogwarts in the first 3 movies, specially in Chamber. In the 4th to 6th you can see Hogwarts, you can see the gang taking some magic classes, but it's not the same, I guess the focus was way too different in those movies, specially in Goblet.

[@filipfilip1507]

Ah yes, everyones favorite harry potter movie, *Goblet* Not Goblet of Fire just *Goblet*

[@jessicatherik2622]

Me too!

[@cypress9855]

@@filipfilip1507 if his comment was such a piss take. Why did you know he was talking about the goblet of fire? Champ fuck off

[@Psychadelicio]

@@filipfilip1507 by being the guy who types the most cliche type of comments i.e. making fun of some dude's spelling mistakes or one or two words he missed, you don't seem cool , you seem desperate for some brownie points from Grammer Nazis

[@AddieP91]

CoS is perhaps my favorite of all 8 films, and I think the book is underrated and often overlooked as well. I loved how they stayed true to the source material and the overall feel of the book, and how the film is more mature then the 1st one (my second favorite). After those two, the film franchise drifted away from the books, in my opinion.

[@beestoenail]

Agreed. CoS is personally my favorite movie, and 2nd favorite book. (1st is POA.) It’s very underrated and I don’t understand why people say it’s the worst, when GoF-DH movies don’t really stick to the book!

[@indy_go_blue6048]

Actually the problem with the later movies is that they were being cast and scripted before the books were even published, esp. the last two.

[@ashhabimran239]

What people don't understand is that the later books are longer than the first two, so they can't incorporate every little thing in the later films

[@oceanussolis1137]

All the assessment about the horror elements and action scenes is so true. As a kid, I was so scared after watching the movie, the blood on the walls and the chamber itself still give me chills even after rewatching it multiple times.

[@krystalccameron7689]

Chamber of secrets is one of my favorite Harry Potter films because it’s truest to the book.

[@youtubeistryingtocensorme]

Amen

[@cyberquasar2267]

I THINK the only main thing they left out was deathday party

[@dennisardakis5857]

+Krystal Cameron Yeah! I have the exact same opinion!

[@ikewangen]

This movie has always been one of my favorites. Literally every scene with Tom Riddle is amazing and the mystery aspect is really well done. Gilderoy Lockhart is hilariously stupid as well.

[@WheresSeamus]

It's by far my favorite. It captures that wonder and familiarity perfectly in the opening scenes and really gives you that warm exciting feeling as the characters reunite for the first time since the first film. There's so much mystery and variety in the scenes and themes. Dobby, Flying cars, Womping Willow, the greatest Quidditch scene in the series, Malfoy v Potter duel, Aragog and the spiders, the chamber and basilisk fight, the list goes on. While most of the films are focused on following one direct theme, this film explored so much more than anyone bargained for. It hit that perfect balance of whimsical fantasy and haunting mystery that the later films lose.

[@raphaelhcunha]

CoS captured perfectly the Tom Riddle lore in a way HPB couldn’t, so I’ll be forever grateful to Chris Columbus for giving me a piece of an accurate Voltemort’s memories.

[@RabiyaRavenclaw]

This!! Exactly, HBP was all about Voldemort's past, but they made it into some dumb and cringy teenage romance

[@KurtisC93]

The Chamber of Secrets is my favorite Harry Potter movie. It was extremely faithful to the source material-atmosphere, sequence of events, character development-but it also pruned out some of the... let's say "goofier" segments of the novel, like the Valentine's Day nonsense or the Mandrake life cycle. The changes they made to the dialogue between characters generally improved the story as opposed to detracting from it. All in all, I would say that the Chamber of Secrets is the only entry in the Harry Potter series where the movie is superior to the novel, top to bottom. There are some imperfections, yes, but not enough for me to stop loving it.

[@indedgames4359]

Ufff sayi g the book is worse.... wrong

[@BucolicPoet]

Chamber of secrets has the best Voldemort actor

[@nocturnalanimals5884]

the only thing that i remember about this movie is “bet you loved that didn’t u pottah the famous harry pottah can’t even go to a bookshop without making the front page”

[@xakirax_8864]

Same 😂

[@flxrence0420]

I love how whenever anyone types malfoy quotes it's never 'potter' is 'pOTtaH.'

[@marauders185]

Same it’s a great line

[@marz773]

Then ginny goes "Leave him alone" all anger and then Draco goes "look pottah youve got yourself a girlfriend"

[@marz773]

I love how i cant remeber information for tests but if its about harry potter I'll just start s.p.e.w.ing(puns intended) facts about it and i love that about me.

[@Kevin-gb8gp]

'I didn't know you could read' -Draco Malfoy

[@LaneWinn]

Best line in the series

[@comicalcosmonaut959]

The fact that it was improvised by Tom is even more hilarious

[@babyelias3992]

No, I actually loved when Harry hugged Hagrid, and i also loved when everyone clapped, they all acknowledged Hagrid's importance which he truly deserved

[@rorydonaldson2794]

I didn't even know this was one of the most disliked of all the films. This movie is amazing

[@ignatzmeyer1978]

Least favourite =/= most disliked I think the most disliked is the HBP film

[@joeyjerry1586]

@@ignatzmeyer1978, I actually think it’s GOB for some reason. How on earth is HBP better than GOB?

[@dannyjorde2677]

It is not actually

[@hoorumii]

1:35 OMG! That is the most cutest, adorable ending in that movie!

[@saklee1777]

i cried at that end

[@cinnagrits]

I know!! It’s so fricking corny and cringey but GODDDD I love it so much, and I always stare at the screen like 🥺🥺🥺

[@KXCREATEZ]

This is actually my favorite out of the franchise. It still feels kid friendly and we’re still new to the wizarding world and we see new stuff and characters but it’s also where it starts to get dark. It also shows more of Slytherin house which I think is great since I’m a Slytherin myself 💚🖤

[@AverageKingBooEnjoyer]

Lol I’ve been wondering when I’d find another slytherin

[@sadface6635]

I always liked this movie more than the first one and more than most of the others! I like that it feels darker but just as wholesome. Part of that is because I like the book a lot but I feel like the movie executed well, especially with the music and the basilisk. The stakes feel higher and it’s overall more engaging.

[@elehcarykztorban0360]

I was around 2 years old when this movie came out and it is my favourite in the series for one simple reason, toddler me knew how to use a VHS player and not a DVD player which we had for all the other films including the first one. So it’s the one i’ve seen the most.

[@NirovroShoumikHere]

I agree. It's my favorite in the series, too.

[@DANNYTHEFROG123]

You a baby.

[@bloodysimile4893]

I still get chill from the first scene where Harry hears the basilisk said "I ...smell... blood," and "kill," in that snake tone, especially when it nighttime and turn off the lights.

[@derekbarnes1713]

I know I'm one of the very few that would probably say this, but this is my favorite Harry Potter movie out of the series. Do note that I love all of the movie by the way. However, this was the first one that I saw in theatres. The first one came out and I didn't think it would interest me and I eventually just decided to watch Sorcerer's Stone just to see what the fuss was all about. I was a big fan of the series almost instantly. There was something incredible about this one being the first one I got to see in theatres and I suppose I'm partial to it for that very reason. I love the creepy vibe this one sets up. Something lurking around the school and petrifying students, the creepy messages that were written on the wall, never knowing who would be attacked next or when, wondering who was behind it all, Hermione being petrified and seeing how it impacted Ron and Harry when they feel they were going to be so lost without her and them going into the woods again to find Aragog. We also see Harry and Draco duel against one another, them two going head to head being the Seekers in Quidditch and seeing Harry speak to the snake in front of everyone, ultimately turning the whole school against him. Chamber of Secrets to me was phenomenal.

[@apollopapadopoulos4226]

Aw!!😍😍😍😍This was my first movie too! The first even before I ever read the books.

[@apollopapadopoulos4226]

The Nostalgia🥺

[@derekbarnes1713]

@@ridanadir2800 I’m right there with you. All of things I stated above and more just go to show how great Chamber of Secrets is. The best scene in the whole movie is Ron and Harry figuring out the monster in the chamber is a basilisk, chills everytime.

[@derekbarnes1713]

@@apollopapadopoulos4226 I get chills every single time when I see Ron and Harry discover what the monster in the Chamber is. The way it was shot, freaking creepy as if the monster is close by listening.

[@jennipark6107]

It’s my fave as well!!! The later movies add too much that isn’t there… and they are sooooo dark… this one hits the nail on the head and is perfect.

[@Katie-rv6hm]

Chamber of Secrets is one of my most favorite of the movies especially when the cut scenes are put back in. The mystery of who opened the Chamber had me on the edge of my seat because of how well they set it up. I also appreciate that they didn't go full CGI with this film and made Fawkes and the baslisk animatronic puppets.

[@609collector]

The dueling scene between Malfoy and Harry is one of my favorite in the franchise because you see and hear Harry speak Parselmouth.

[@ShrishGamerTV]

*Parcel Tongue

[@609collector]

@@ShrishGamerTV a parselmouth speaks parsel tongue One is the language The other is the person

[@cosm1c_rose]

Mhm

[@monsieurnick8443]

@@609collector that's exactly what he said 🙄

[@cinnagrits]

I know! It’s awesome, and I know this doesn’t really matter but Severus smiled/smirked twice in that scene, idk why but it’s just such a big bonus for me😂😂

[@ashhabimran239]

CoS is too underrated. The tension and eerie feeling was excellent, as well as the plot twists. I always found it bone-chilling which is why it’s my personal favourite. It's darker and spookier than most people give it credit for and I’ve always hated how it’s often ranked low to most HP fans

[@mill1757]

for me, chamber of secrets > philosophers stone

[@upasnabharija8804]

Me too philosophers stone is my least HP movie ,it still great tho

[@voiceofneha7196]

YESS

[@alannii1182]

Samee I love the chamber of secrets!

[@karimbelaribia9571]

Same

[@anitanoterajes]

But that chess scene tho.

[@secondcoming9789]

I think why I always found this my favourite growing up is because you can alter a few elements of the story and get a damn good horror mystery film out of it.

[@LightningPitch2001]

The actor who played Tom Riddle played his part perfectly every time I see him it makes me forget about the cringy ending.

[@ptxaholic]

Yes! He did it perfectly

[@PolishAxolotl]

His name is Christian Coulson.

[@darylsdesigns6679]

As underrated as the Chamber of Secrets may be, I kinda liked the soundtrack, particularly Harry’s duel with the Basilisk

[@espressopatronum1271]

Same here

[@oggiekrstic7171]

I've always wondered what the movies would have been like if Chris had stayed for the entire series.

[@shara26dimpy]

I doubt Chris would have been able to adapt the films into the darker themes that rest of the HP films dealt with because Chris is known for making kid movies. He definitely was perfect to set the foundation of the films but he would not have been able to bring the complexity of the later books into the films. David Yates did well with using the characters and their emotions/humanity to move the story forward but he failed the moment he decided to experiment with Half Blood Prince. If he had kept the style of direction he used in OOTP then later films would have been alot better.

[@Nicamon]

@@shara26dimpy Oh,c'mon,are you telling me a kid turning a man into dust,a brainwashed kid,a bunch of petrified students,a giant snake and a giant spider with a whole scary family are not dark enough for you?!?X-[ What I appreciate about the 1st 2 movies the most is that they don't use the shortcut of _looking_ dark and dull *ALL THE FUCKING TIME* in order to look"grown up"!X-[ If there's a thing that I *HATE* about ALL the movies that came after his(YES! Including"The Prisoner of Azkaban"!!😠)is that you can BARELY SEE COLOURS most of the time...and in a lot of moments *there's no reason for it!!* I mean...how much more effective would the presence of the Dementors have been if _when they arrive_ the colours went progressively darker and duller to visually communicate their ability to suck the joy out of the world?And instead...the very 1st time the world simply becomes _a blue filter_ and after that I don't recall any significant visual difference between the enviroment with or without Dementors.Such a wasted potential!Or..let's think of the Tournament from the 4th movie..I'm ok with the underwater scenes being all greeny and kinda dark..but BEFORE THAT,while the characters are on the surface,why can't I enjoy a bit of colours,also to increase the contrast with the underwater scene?!?You wanna make the labyrint part all dark and dull?Fine,but why can't you give me a bit of colours during the dragon one?!?Why does the Quidditch game from the 3rd movie have to be during a fucking storm?!?!Couldn't it be like the ones we saw in the 1st 2 movies and _THEN_ you suddenly see clouds forming the Grimm and _at that point_ everything starts to become more dark and dull,since the Dementors are present?!?Just to make a few examples....

[@viewzation]

@@Nicamon I agree with every single word you said. I wanted to write a very similar comment and you already put it brilliantly. Thank you

[@Nicamon]

@@viewzation ❤🧡💛💚💙💜 See? *COLOURS!* It's not that difficult!;-P They're so beautiful,LET'S USE THEM!!!!!

[@Nicamon]

@@t.hussain921 I'd rather taking all Cuaron's artistic choices _while_ maintaining Chris Columbus' colors 😉...I don't see why I must _choose_ a benefit over another instead of having both.🤷‍♂But I'm glad we at least agree about Yates.😓Such a shame he was the director of _most_ HP movies.X-(((

[@sjc9029]

As a child who was just young enough to not be able to read the first few books, the chamber of secrets was my favorite movie for a long time. It had the perfect amount of comedy and mystery. You meet some key characters and a lot of important things happen. Also, the relationship between Harry and dumbledore really begin to bloom and their interactions are really sweet.

[@ellievalentine1348]

I love how they start to develop Harry’s brooding personality in this. They slightly touch on it which sets him up well for the rest of the series. For a lighter movie, this is a hard topic to address

[@joeyshofner639]

I already saw the first movie and after seeing The Chamber of Secrets I went to my local library and picked up the first book. Wow! I had no idea how much better the books were than the movies. When the 5th book came out at midnight I talked my 12 year old niece to come with me to pick it up because I was embarrassed (at the time) to show up by myself to pick up a children's book. Not realizing that I just created another life long Harry Potter Fan. Great memories!

[@dreamiesnoona6423]

Same. The movie had such an impact on me that I got my hands on the book as soon as possible. And it didn't disappoint. It's my favourite next to the Half Blood Prince.

[@Gurra88]

The movies are cancer. The books are where it's at

[@willpell6396]

This happened right as I was hoping for a new Harry Potter movie review

[@vromaki]

1:30 I honestly thought that the ending of the film was quite brilliant and puts a smile on your face.

[@PTSmash]

This is my favorite of the movies. To me, it feels the most well-paced, focused and self-aware, and I think these are important factors for any movie.

[@P-SharanyaShanbhag]

Am I the only person who thinks chamber of secrets is the best?

[@aravindnair4468]

i also think its the best

[@loraaa_7928]

No I think so too

[@sinhmona]

No

[@anneclough7064]

No it is my favourite, too! The next on my list is PS. They are the only ones I love and will watch over and over. In all the other movies there are scenes that I detest and that make me angry at the screen writer and director. The one I hate the most is PoA followed by GoF.

[@Peyton_S]

I think so too

[@pigeons_and_ghosts]

Makes me sad bc thats my favorite one in the series :(

[@elizabethherrera9618]

Me too! That was my favorite movie!!! :(

[@onecrispyfrie1932]

Chamber of secrets gamg rise up

[@spiderneil]

Me too!

[@roguechevelle]

It's my second favorite. I never understood why it gets no love. The mystery was fantastic, the subject matter was dark but the colors were vibrant. As much as I love The Prisoner of Azkaban and I don't have any issue with how it's shot unfortunately the other movies that followed felt they had to have extremely dark color grading and it got really dark color wise in the last 2 films to the point were I had a hard time seeing what was happening on screen during important parts. I actually missed how pretty and inviting Hogwarts could look from the outside. It kinda makes me wonder what would have been if Christopher Columbus had come back after Prisoner of Azkaban to do the Goblet of Fire movie, maybe it wouldn't have been so far off from the book as it seemed that directer Mike Newell had no respect of the source material and was at constant odds with producers etc. because of that.

[@curiouserr4782]

Me three! I love it so much

[@e.zbabytv8574]

Thank you so much for appreciating chamber of secrets. It’s the most nostalgic to me, holds a special place in my heart. Fr.

[@Monicalia]

I rewatched all 8 HP movies recently and The Chamber of Secrets is definitely one of my favorite movies basically for all the reasons you listed. It's still that time when you felt like you were at Hogwarts with them, you felt like a student and the brighter lighting of the movie added to the magic of this world. And I agree with acting, sometimes I forget they were 12-13 y/o kids with barely any experience (aside from Tom or Daniel). And the spiders in the Forbidden Forest freaks me out to this day, they look soooo real.

[@Wierdgirl5834]

I liked the warmer and lighter colors used in the first two movies. I get that the movies got darker as they progressed and so they had to change the lighting but in my opinion HBP was wayyy tooo icky and grey-looking to the point where it felt like the magic was gone.

[@ESparkAster]

Thats what happened to most of the movies 4th onward. PoA was fine being dark I mean the dementors are her after all and its a really dark one, but many do thye take it over board towhere it makes it look just unnatural how grey everything is like they may as well have spray painted evrything black and recorded that for like 10 hours and I wouldnt find a difference

[@becca3445]

My little cousins are watching Harry Potter for the first time and they are on the fourth one and decided that the chamber of secrets was the scariest because of the basilisk wait until they watch the later ones lol

[@bad6835]

Tbh if i was in charge i would make them wait a year or so each movie so that they can grow alongside them.

[@Julia-ez7xi]

Talk about the suspense

[@lauxeystan4264]

hahahaha

[@hogwarts_edit3726]

Same o went to watch it the outside cinema and ab half way I told my perents I wanted to go home 😂

[@occheermommy]

This is one of my favorite movies actually. It is closest to the book. The special effects are better than the first. Dobby is my fav. And Kenneth Branagh is such a great actor and does such a great job as Lockhart

[@loosygoosy_0977]

the soundtrack. the suspense. the plot twists. the improvisation from the actors. the internal conflict harry had. the magical creatures. the authentic hogwarts feeling. the special effects.

[@jamesongaertner9416]

Last time I was this early, MovieFlame wasn’t the best film analysis channel on KZbin.

[@harrisonellis1936]

So never

[@youtubelife921]

So before 1st September 2012?

[@4iq865]

KZbin Life movieflame wasn’t the best when he first created the channel

[@4iq865]

KZbin Life I assume u don’t get the joke, even though it’s not funny anyways

[@georgefloyd3468]

Please someone say to me the background music name on this video

[@skylarnovak2669]

Chamber of Secrets is my favorite simply because it followed through with the book almost perfectly.

[@austinjones1528]

And it was one of the best books too

[@Enowise]

@@austinjones1528 I think it is one of the worst book, if not the worst. It's the one with the highest amount of plot conveniences. Like, how lucky is it that every single attack end up with a petrification and not a death ? I'm fine with Hermione being careful once she figured out it was a basilisk and started using a mirror and getting petrified. But the others ? Nah Also, how in the world did no one notice that every attack happened around the same spot in the castle ? Besides, Dumbledore knew Moaning Myrtle was the victim 50 years ago, and when the attacks happened in the present, he still didn't suspect anything or ask her anything ? This is the book in which it is the most obvious that adults are stupid af so that the kids can shine. Finally, there are no real twist, except Riddle being Voldemort. The monster being a snake was obvious since in the same book we learn that only Harry can talk to snakes and it's a bad sign. Not mentioning the fact that Slytherin's sigil is a snake. Riddle being the vilain is obvious since we had no suspect at all. Malfoy was at first too obvious then proved innocent. Then we have 2 characters from 50 years ago, Riddle and Hagrid, the former accusing the latter. But again, we know it's not Hagrid, he was to kind, and to dumb to figure out where the chamber was. Then Aragog confirmed it. So it was either Riddle or someone we haven't met yet.

[@anneneville6255]

It’s easy as the book is only 200 pages.

[@ImpactSpace]

The book had more like 400pgs

[@ultrairrelevantnobody1862]

@Enowise Eh, all of the Harry Potter books have plot contrivances here and there. Really, any story does, and the stuff you point out feels less egregious than Voldemort's convoluted plan for getting Harry in The Goblet of Fire, in addition to how the Triwizard Cup worked as a back 'n' forth portkey that wasn't hinted at earlier in the story.

[@leonardoleal5092]

I’ve always loved The Chamber of Secrets movie , the Sherlock Holmes vibe the trio gets to solve the mystery, putting pieces of a puzzle together, the dangerous atmosphere - Dumbledore saying that Hogwarts wasn’t safe anymore - I remember that Harry hearing the voice through the walls scared the crap out of me at the time

[@riakun]

Ron: "Why spiders? Why couldn't we follow the trail of butterflies?" Because there would be a giant butterfly to eat you at the end of the path, Ron. Its proboscis would literally shoot out and impale you before sucking out your insides, or maybe even your soul (it's the wizarding world. Don't question their logic or magical creatures). Then you would be terrified of butterflies even more than spiders, and that would be quite sad. Also, this was my favorite growing up. It's even in my top 2 favorites to this day.

[@sugarrushjoe3621]

riakun it’s actually “Follow the spiders? Why couldn’t it be follow the butterflies?”

[@elloimel]

@@sugarrushjoe3621 close enough

[@mono8476]

That was the best line XD

[@agamaz5650]

obviously Ron has not played Fatal Frame Crimson Butterfly on the PS2

[@vinaymahi1]

Addison Amos lol so true!

[@marauders185]

I love the scene when Ron gets the howler 🤣

[@ijaazabdulla3316]

Harry Potter or Star Wars: comment for Star Wars and like for Harry Potter

[@ludiskywalker5805]

Ijaaz Abdulla they are equal

[@avag4334]

I like both but I think I like Harry Potter more

[@ijaazabdulla3316]

They are both really good

[@ijaazabdulla3316]

Both in my top 3 with the MCU

[@thedangerousivy]

They are my favorite tied with Doctor Who

[@johnnyalan6285]

The chamber of secrets is actually my favorite Harry Potter movie, it reminds me of mystery games

[@johnsantspree1120]

Ditto, it's my favorite because it reminds me of The 2002 Spiderman. Idk why. . . That and also it follow the book so well.

[@baru0chan]

this makes me so happy rip, i've always felt like both the book, the film, AND the pc game were needlessly pushed aside, but for me they are amongst the best

[@ryanarmbruster2020]

There's a game!!??

[@baru0chan]

@@ryanarmbruster2020 BRUUUUUUH you haven't lived if you haven't played the harry potter PC games. i think there's also versions for playstation but i've never played those, just skimmed through someone's walkthrough on youtube. the PC games seem far better, and the 2nd one is by far my favourite.

[@ericyoung1478]

@@baru0chan I LOVED the PC games, including COS. Those games were like my mental happy place. I could play them like 50 times in a row, without getting tired!

[@snehlata3519]

Chamber of secrets is one of the best harry potter movie. It is my personal favourite

[@snekay11]

When I was eight Chamber of Secrets was my favorite movie in the Harry Potter series. I even made a poster for it. It’s not my favorite anymore but it still is higher then Sorcerer’s/Philosopher’s Stone on my list.

[@epicmusic9029]

I find it so weird that the director Chris Columbus who made the movie which was one of the most faithful adaptations to the books, made Percy Jackson as one of his least faithful adaptions of a book. Then again he sidelined Ron to make him more dumb instead of being more street smart like he was in the books and that Lucius Malloy doing the avada kedavra scene.

[@Elnont]

Lucius malfoy brought a sort of grown up darkness to these films. Great casting.

[@gamer46ful]

I love Chamber of Secrets. This was one of my favorite movies I ever saw in theaters as a kid because it was scary. To this day I still am impressed with The Chamber of Secrets set and the Basilsk VFX. It's amazing what they did and I have probably watched Chamber of Secrets more than any other film in the series.

[@m4v34]

I loved the chamber of secrets especially how Harry questions his Hogwarts house, and because of Tom Riddle. He became one of my fav characters (even though he is pure evil) but I really like the way Christian showed his true personality and played him well. You don't hear it often but I really like Tom Riddle's personality before he became Voldemort, it sorta related to mine and I really like some of his traits. Overall this is def one of my favorite movies.

[@m4v34]

@EVAN MUDD Oh yea I do know it's all an act, I'm just saying I like his ambition and cleverness. I also do agree that he could have been a better character especially when he became Lord Voldemort I think that's probably why I'm debating if Narcissa Malfoy or he should be on the top of my favorite characters list.

[@kia5427]

Tom Riddles hot

[@ethanearthblade435]

Nah, CoS is by far my favourite movie. I had no idea that fans didn’t like it as much. I watched this movie religiously growing up. I think it got to the point I was watching the first two movie nearly every day for close to half a year.

[@sindelhubert3804]

When asked if we would pick the 1st movie or second i will always choose the second movie

[@YungPuyLicker]

Honestly these two movies were perfect and did exactly what they were designed to do and that was enthral us with the Harry Potter universe. The lighting is perfect as it’s how most people would feel about the magical world it being a bright and wonderful place especially 11 years olds experiencing such exciting things for the first time. What these movies also did well is also focus on magic and the different elements of the magical world and allow viewers to learn things right alongside Harry and the others

[@nodesternoob]

Can’t wait to see the deathly hallows essays!

[@lauraslade5308]

I'm so excited for them

[@Julia-ez7xi]

Ikr

[@NachoCheeseDorito-Kun]

I don't know why, but Chamber of Secrets has always been my favorite. Maybe it's the "murder mystery" aspect. Just started the book for the first time, and reading alongside my sister who hasn't read the books in a decade. Super excited :D

[@spikedglue2803]

You could have just said "Gilderoy lockhart was in it" And it would have been in my top 3

[@aimeebraun6966]

MovieFlame: Chamber of Secrets has the cringiest ending. Me: Have you seen the Prisoner of Azkaban?

[@spng157]

I don't get why people rag so much on the last shot of PoA. Tbh I never gave the freeze frame much thought one way or another until I realized that so many people think it's bad. I think it's a cool ending and suits the overall tone of the film. It's weird and a bit jarring just like a lot of other parts in the movie! This is just my opinion, but it genuinely confuses me when I see other people hating on it lol.

[@kaenachoo4783]

I agree. While prisoner of Azkaban is definitely my favorite movie, that ending shot was just terrible.

[@highvoltage9772]

Prisoner of Azkaban in the most overrated Harry potter film ever

[@flofrompr0gressive762]

I think it was amazing.

[@nocturnalanimals5884]

Lanna Rose kinda ironic how it’s their least successful movie money wise

[@laurenshirley9700]

When I was younger, I didn’t like Chamber Of Secrets because it was so long. But this was before I read the book. After I read the book and rewatched the movie, I appreciate it a lot more. I agree that it is very underrated. Not just the movie, the book too. The second book is one of my favorites and I don’t see many people with the same opinion but that’s fine.

[@riav7467]

Same here, I always felt that book and movie for cos were the best. The book was for children and the movie stayed true to the spirit of the book.

[@laurenshirley9700]

Ria V It’s length actually makes it better. It was so faithful to the book and that’s something I can appreciate.

[@anneclough7064]

The movie is my favourite and the book was too until HBP came out and overtook it. I was so disappointed in the movie of HBP.

[@lalkiran1950]

To be honest The book was actually wasn't bad but it's an average But the movie did better than the book

[@annaevans834]

The sixth is my favourite

[@mrkaji8913]

This movie actually got me into Harry Potter because when I first saw dobby, I just like to see them and it got me on everything Harry Potter related

[@Gift_Salama]

Video suggestion: a video essay on each Harry Potter director and why they left and their positive effect on the series and negatives too. My favourite would be Alfonso and why he left

[@anneclough7064]

I'm glad he left! I hated what he did to PoA!

[@lalkiran1950]

Sadly both of them let

[@rishiteja343]

He left to focus on post production of poa. If he directed gof he would not be able to focus on poa

[@sarahholness2722]

Agreed. This is actually my favorite movie of the series and after recently re-reading the 2nd book, I was impressed with how much they stuck to the source material. Plus Gilderoy Lockhart is #Gold

[@austinjones1528]

Perfectly cast

[@harrytaint8681]

Morgan "Tom Riddle, who is actually my favorite character" Ross.

[@z0mbi3peach95]

I’ve seen chamber of secrets three million & 82 times and I NEVER noticed that cameraman in the shot until a stumbled upon Cherry’s video on “details you probably missed in cos” I legit would have never known lol