Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Tom Riddle's Diary—in HDR

Reviewed by Michael Reuben November 21, 2017

(Revised on November 28, 2017, to reflect additional information from Warner Brothers.)

Warner Brothers has completed its migration of the Harry Potter saga to 4K UHD with the addition of the first four films in the series, joining the back-end four released last March (and reviewed here, here, here and here). Unlike the previous Potter UHDs, which were upscaled from 2K digital intermediates, these four derive from new 4K scans of the camera negatives—and it shows. The first set of Potter UHDs was noteworthy primarily for changes in the color grading ranging from subtle to overt, but these discs reveal new layers of detail and intensity in the earlier films. All of them are replacing bit-starved VC-1 encodes prepared for release on both Blu-ray and the now-obsolete HD-DVD format. Warner has been reissuing these outdated presentations for years, and it's unfortunate that the studio has not seen fit to accompany the new 4K discs with remastered standard Blu-rays derived from the same fresh scans—a practice that is becoming distressingly common with Warner's catolog UHDs. But for Potter fans with a 4K setup, these discs are a must-have. Their image blows the dust off the early adventures of Harry and his friends.

Discussions of the film can found in Greg Maltz's review of the original 2007 release and Kenneth Brown's review of the so-called "Ultimate Edition" released in 2009. Note that the UHD disc contains only the theatrical cut and does not include the director's cut that adds thirteen minutes to Chamber of Secrets' already overlong running time. The director's cut can still be found on the standard Blu-ray included in the package.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

(Note: Screenshots accompanying this review are 1080p captures from the standard Blu-ray. Additional 1080p images can be found here.)

Warner's 2160p, HEVC/H.265-encoded UHD of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is derived from a new 4K scan of the film's original camera negative, followed by extensive color correction and HDR encoding. The result is an image of exceptional detail and clarity, with new intensity in the many shadings of color in the environs in and around Hogwarts. The early entries in Harry's series are set primarily in dormitories, halls, classrooms and grounds of the now-famous school of wizardry, where sedate English tradition has been reimagined by M.C. Escher and H.R. Giger. Perhaps the most noteworthy effect of the UHD's increased detail and enhanced contrast is the visual balance in the many scenes of students and teachers bustling to and fro; individuals remain distinct, even as eccentric details in Hogwarts' often dim halls are clearly revealed. The long shots of the cavernous dining hall with its vast tables crowded with budding wizards and witches are particularly impressive. Closeups pick up tiny variations in skin texture, fabric details and individual strands of hair (check out Hagrid's unkempt mane). All of this fine detail is presented discreetly, without overemphasis or digital harshness. Distant figures in darkened halls remain visible for just as long, and to precisely the extent, as intended by director Chris Columbus (Home Alone) and cinematographer Roger Pratt (Tim Burton's Batman). Even effects-heavy sequences like the many appearances of house-elf Dobby or Harry's flying battle with Draco Malfoy benefit from the UHD's more vibrant colors and refined definition (although some of the effects shots can't help but look dated compared to the more sophisticated efforts of the series' later entries). Although they were shot by different cinematographers, both Chamber of Secrets and Sorcerer's Stone share a common visual style as the brightest entries in the series, before the darkness of Voldemort begins to spread. Even the underground passages leading to the fearsome Chamber of Secrets are brightly lit, as is the Chamber itself.

Switching to the old Blu-ray after watching the UHD makes you realize just how badly dated it is, with its soft image and murky textures. The 4K presentation of Chamber of Secrets instantly supplants the Blu-ray as the definitive visual presentation of the film that confirmed the franchise's continuing vitality.

[System calibrated for UHD using a Klein K10-A Colorimeter with a custom profile created with a Colorimetry Research CR250 Spectraradiometer, powered by SpectraCal CalMAN 2016 5.7, using the Samsung Reference 2016 UHD HDR Blu-ray test disc authored by Florian Friedrich from AV Top in Munich, Germany. Calibration performed by Kevin Miller of ISFTV.]

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The initial Blu-ray release of Chamber of Secrets featured a PCM 5.1 soundtrack, and the "Ultimate Edition" offered a 6.1 remix in DTS-HD MA that Ken Brown praised as "fantastic". But these prior audio presentations have been superseded by the new DTS:X track provided on the UHD. While DTS:X has been criticized in technical circles for failing to provide a true "object-based" sound format à la Dolby Atmos, there's no disputing the exceptional power and precision of the audio engineers' achievement with this track. The attack of Aragog and his huge family of deadly spiders surrounds the viewer with creepy-crawlers. A particularly impressive display of sonic dexterity occurs during the Quidditch match, as Harry pursues a Golden Snitch while under attack by both Draco Malfoy and a sabotaged Bludger. All four objects—Harry, Draco, Snitch and Bludger—whip past the wooden beams undergirding the stadium, and the DTS:X mix localizes the movements of each element in the scene. The boys on their broom sticks whoosh through the structure, while Snitch and Bludger charge around the room, each pursuing its own path. The previous DTS-HD MA track, though still impressive, sounds muddy by comparison. (It doesn't hurt that the DTS:X version has been mixed at a higher volume.) The track's bass extension is deep and sonorous; when Harry and Ron finally locate the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, its opening reverberates through the room, and the attack of the Basilisk is equally thunderous. In short, the UHD of Sorcerer's Stone provides a sonic upgrade worthy of its visual enhancements.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The UHD disc has no extras. The accompanying "Special Features" disc is a reprint of disc 2 from the "Ultimate Edition" with 2009 file dates. Ken's review itemizes its contents. Disc 3 of the Ultimate Edition, which was a DVD, is not included.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I have always regarded Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as the weakest film in the Potter franchise, with a surfeit of subplots that results in a choppy pace, multiple endings and an excessive running time. (Screenwriter Steve Kloves was reportedly concerned enough about narrative bloat that he asked J.K. Rowling's permission to eliminate the entire Dobby story line, but was warned that Dobby would become important later on.) Still, whatever its flaws, the film has been given an effective makeover on UHD, because the creative team did it right: a new 4K scan from negative, an effective but respectful HDR treatment and a BD-100 to ensure sufficient bandwidth. The result is a gorgeous image that breathes new life into the second chapter of Harry's journey, accompanied by an equally memorable soundtrack. The only negative is the failure to remaster the standard Blu-ray, thereby abandoning those who haven't yet upgraded their equipment to a wan and outdated image from the early days of the format. With these new Potter discs joining first-class catalog 4K titles like Blade Runner and Unforgiven, Warner is giving fans a meaningful incentive to invest in home video's latest format. Highly recommended.