Every Wizarding World Movie Ranked

The most aggravating thing about The Chamber of Secrets is that it features some of the series' most iconic and compelling moments, but never gives any of them chance to come together in a well-paced, cohesive story.

The second instalment of the franchise, the nearly three-hour-long sequel watches like a series of snippets from a confused, overwrought movie straining to fit its source material onto the screen. It gets no time to breathe, or allow its strongest moments to capitalise on their unrealised potential.

From the introduction of fan favourite house-elf Dobby to Kenneth Branagh's wonderfully smarmy Professor Lockhart and the terror of the monstrous Basilisk, the film has spots of brilliance, all annoyingly betrayed by Chris Columbus's dull direction and underwhelming narrative decisions.

Another film teasing Harry and his friends' eventual clash with a soon-to-return Voldemort, The Chamber of Secrets is all set-up to bigger things, and it remains the most skippable, unnecessary entry in the mainline series.