Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: 20 Years On

It's been 20 years since the release of some of the most beloved family films. One of writers looks back...

Amelia Thompson
8th November 2022
Image Credit: IMDb
Twenty years ago, November 3rd, 2002; the highly anticipated second film in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter franchise was released. Following the success of ‘The Philosopher’s Stone,’ cinemas were filled with soon-to-be labelled ‘Potterheads’ awaiting their magical return to Hogwarts. This week, I too, had the pleasure of experiencing this film on the big screen (in 4D nonetheless), but does Harry Potter and The Chamber Of Secrets still live up to it’s reputation, twenty years after its release?

The simple answer is, yes, how could something so nostalgically iconic not? The Harry Potter franchise has aged beautifully and will only continue to do so.

Despite Harry Potter being a staple in millions of British households over the country in the 2000s, it has recently gained an expansion in it’s fanbase through social media. TikTok, in particular, has both helped to engage a new audience and revive the love for the franchise, with fanfiction, cosplay and even ‘shifting’ becoming more and more frequently discussed on the app following the 2020 lockdown.

Harry Potter is possibly the best escapist franchise; from the beautifully written books and their warm transition into real life film characters, to the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London with its stunning gift shop and immersive rooms filled with set designs and props, the Fantastic Beasts spin off, and of course the ongoing Harry Potter and The Cursed Child play. Whether you are lucky enough to experience the play or the studio tour, or are simply curled up in a blanket on an autumnal day reading the books or watching the films, the lovable characters and homely environment is sure to transport you to a more relaxed state.

Many fans are feeling less obliged to support the franchise financially as they do not want Rowling to gain from it

However, Harry Potter doesn’t come without its controversies. J.K. Rowling has come under attack for her transphobic comments along with any of the cast who are still publicly supporting her, and many fans are feeling less obliged to support the franchise financially as they do not want Rowling to gain from it. Fantastic Beasts has also made headlines, especially with their decision to replace Johnny Depp with Mads Mikkelson which was met with much hostility at the time.

The problems behind the scenes of Harry Potter do not extend to the magic on the screen. The Chamber of Secrets holds some of the most iconic moments in Harry Potter; our first introduction to the loveable Dobby, Moaning Myrtle, an iconic quidditch match, Harry’s realisation he can speak ‘Parseltongue,’ Polyjuice potion, the ‘charming’ Lockhart and the flying car (which made me wish I had taken motion sickness tablets prior to my first 4D experience). However, the defining element of the film is the growing darkness following the return of Voldemort. Despite him infiltrating the schools faculty in The Philosopher’s Stone, Voldemort, as his younger self, Tom Riddle, actually poses a real threat to the students, forcing the possibility of even closing Hogwarts at one juncture in the film. Causing physical harm in the form of petrifying students using his ‘pet’ Basilisk snake, even going as far as to do this to our beloved Hermione and taking her out of action for the latter half of the film only emphasises the increase in the danger, and establishes the gradual path towards the darkest elements of the franchise.

It brings the magic back to Hogwarts without overusing too many aspects of the first film whilst simultaneously introducing new and iconic features

As far as sequels go; The Chamber of Secrets remains up there as one of the best. It brings the magic back to Hogwarts without overusing too many aspects of the first film whilst simultaneously introducing new and iconic features, managing to perfect the balance between an escapist comfort film and one which has us sat on the edge of our seats throughout. I think the most delightful part about the franchise is that we can never grow out of it; we grew up with it instead. With every rewatch comes a new-found sense of nostalgia, along with the renewed wish that our invitations to Hogwarts are still yet to arrive.

AUTHOR: Amelia Thompson
gaming subeditor, history student

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