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• 1080p High Definition

• 19 Additional / Extended Scenes

• Audio with JK Rowling

• Building a Scene: Moviemaking Magic

• One Year at Hogwarts: First Film Recap

• Interviews with Students, Professors and More.

Special Feature Rating:

Chamber of Secrets kicks into high gear when Harry is visited by Dobby, a troubled house elf who warns the young wizard not to return to Hogwarts because of a mortal threat. After the elf gets Harry into trouble with his abominable aunt and uncle, Petunia and Vernon Dursley (Fiona Shaw and Richard Griffiths), Harry is locked in his room with bars installed on the windows. But Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) rescues Harry in a flying car. At Hogwarts, they are reunited with Headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Richard Harris), friend Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and the rest of the students and faculty. Harry soon realizes that the elf was not bluffing. A menacing force is emerging from within Hogwarts itself. Together, Harry, Ron and Hermione must use their resourcefulness and burgeoning magic skills to pursue a series of clues. Some lead into the darkest of places, including a nest of giant spiders in the middle of the forest. Eventually, Harry unlocks the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets, but can he defeat the evil that lies within it?

Story Rating:

Chamber of Secrets has very good definition and contrast. With rich colors and convincing skin tones, it also shows none of the slight digital sheen within the grain noise observed in Sorcerer's Stone. Detail in textured clothes, facial expressions and hair are good. But the predominant beneficiary of the definition is the barrage of special effects, which are handled better this time around compared to the first film, where they appeared more canned.

Even the tricky integration of the basilisk is very good, if not seamless. The CGI animation sacrifices some depth in the picture, but it does not get in the way of the overall quality, and is actually quite convincing. Watch the climactic scene in the chamber when the blinded snake lunges repeatedly at Harry. He scrambles for safety on a sculpture, stabbing at the basilisk's head with a sword. Though the animation does not convincingly address "weight" or "gravity", the CGI integrates well with the film, with a realistic, unpixellated characteristic to the edges of the snake. The visual details add to the overall interaction between Harry and the basilisk, making the scene more convincing.

Picture Rating:

The sound definition also adds greatly to the impact of the special effects. Again, taking the example of the scene with the basilisk in the chamber, each element of the serpent's movements is characterized by a tonally distinct sound. When the basilisk strikes, there is plenty of deep bass and mid-bass rumble, as the rocks of the sculpture break apart from the impact. Although the sounds are palpable and convincing, they occasionally have a canned quality that does not perfectly match the visuals. For example, in the quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin, the broomsticks sound more like flying jets than brooms moving through the air. Yet the overall impact is very impressive, and the audio quality has as much to do with this as the video. Surrounds are aggressive and so is use of the LFE channel. I would have liked to hear this mix in 24-bit resolution, but clearly Warner is unprepared to deliver the best that Blu-Ray can offer.

Sound Rating:

Overall Rating:

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