London, Oct 25: The element of surprise no longer features but the special effects are first rate; that's according to journalists who caught a sneak preview of the second Harry Potter movie in London late last night.
"A magnificent spectacle for kids, worth every penny," said Blandine De Dreux from the French weekly television magazine Telepoche. "They've done tremendous work on the special effects compared to last time, even if the film is a bit long," she added. "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" - lasting two hours and 40 minutes - opens to the British and American public in three weeks.
Fans elsewhere will have to wait several more days or weeks for the latest adventures of Harry and his friends at Hogwarts School of Witch craft and Wizardry.



"Chamber of Secrets" looks set to be even more popular than last year's first instalment "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", with ticket sales 30 per cent higher than for the first film, according to its makers Warner Brothers.



"Good family entertainment and visually superior to the first movie," was the assessment of Laurent Djian from the French review Cinelive.



Warner Brothers have for the most part stuck with the same team that made "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", the best-grossing film of all time after "Titanic".


Bureau Report