20 Greatest Moments In Wizarding World Movies

11. Harry Vs. The Basilisk - Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets

Harry Potter Chamber of Secrets
Warner Bros.

The Harry Potter books are much better than the films in most departments, but sometimes the films did certain things far better than the source material. The finale of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is maybe the biggest example of this in terms of individual scenes.

Harry's battle with the Basilisk is much shorter and not quite as memorable in the book, while in the film it's bloody awesome. It's a spectacular display of heroism for the young wizard and makes for a scary, uproariously thrilling finale filled with close calls for Harry. All in all, this is the best scene from either of Chris Columbus' two Harry Potter films.

Since this second film is very, very long indeed, it feels like a bit of a film epic in disguise and that makes Harry's final defeat of the Basilisk even more satisfying, for one feels like he's reached the end of a very long journey.

Contributor

Film Studies graduate, aspiring screenwriter and all-around nerd who, despite being a pretentious cinephile who loves art-house movies, also loves modern blockbusters and would rather watch superhero movies than classic Hollywood films. Once met Tommy Wiseau.