Chris Columbus returns for his second and final outing in the series with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, a sequel that embraces a darker and more dangerous tone as Harry, Ron, and Hermione uncover the mystery behind the attacks at Hogwarts. Even after countless rewatches, we still find plenty of entertaining moments to enjoy, and on this viewing we were surprised to find the central mystery and plot even more engaging than the first film. With fun performances from Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Kenneth Branagh, Jason Isaacs and the always brilliant recurring supporting cast, this chapter hols its own in the larger saga to come. After the review, we share our thoughts on Rian Johnson’s newest Knives Out film after seeing Wake Up Dead Man in cinemas. And we discuss which animals we would most want the magical ability to speak to.

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