Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

The second film in the series is an improvement from the first. It jumps right in and doesn't have to spend 45 minutes introducing characters. It suffers many of the same flaws of the first film, though to a lesser degree. New cast members, Kenneth Branaugh and Jason Isaacs bring spark to their roles as the three leads continue to mature as both people and actors. It's certainly a fine, if generally derivative, fantasy film.