In most schools, three kids hanging out in the bathroom with something smoking in a cauldron would be a completely different problem.

Prepare for long lines and "sold out" notices at your local multiplex; Harry Potter has returned to Hogwarts.

If you liked Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, you'll probably love this installment of the boy wizard's adventures, and if you were disappointed in that movie you should find more to like here. I thought Sorcerer's Stone was two hours of exposition and 30 minutes of story, but that's not a problem with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, a movie which gets off to a spirited start on the way to a deeper, more interesting tale.

The plot - and, yay, there is one this time around - concerns a series of attacks that are taking place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. People are being petrified and it's up to Harry and his friends, Ron and Hermione, to stop it. Along the way, they'll have adventures, learn new spells and potions, play yet another ill-fated Quidditch game, and be infinitely plucky and clever. What fun!

The Malfoys: Do they bleach because they're evil, or are they evil because they bleach?

Still, while the movie tells an exciting story it doesn't always tell it that well. Screenwriter Steve Kloves (Wonder Boys) seems intimidated by his source material and afraid to stray from its blueprint. Couple this with the work of Chris Columbus, surely one of the most pedestrian of today's directors, and the result is a movie that's true to the letter but not the spirit of the book. It's grand looking but a little hollow, and more than a little too long. If Columbus could find a middle ground between the manic energy of Home Alone and the stately pace he employs here, he might really have something. As it is, a movie that deserves some stylistic flourishes feels strangely static and under-directed.

What does work? There's a lot more humor than in the first movie, as well as a sizable dose of darkness. There are several new characters, including Lucius Malfoy, a man whose contemptuous sneer signals early on exactly how much we're supposed to hate him, and Dobby the House Elf, a character so annoying he even beats himself. (Actually, I liked Dobby; but then I probably would have liked Jar Jar Binks, too, if he'd hit himself over the head every now and then.) My particular favorite, though, is Gilderoy Lockhart, the preening new professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Kenneth Branagh, in a role he seems born to play, is all teeth and twinkle and steals every scene he's in.

Something tells me this is the story of Ron's life.

The special effects have been upgraded from the last film and, in fact, the whole thing looks better. The creatures, including a giant serpent and a whole mess of spiders are menacing and creepy and may be too much for younger children. For the rest of the audience, though, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets makes a fun-enough way to kick off the holiday movie season. Oh, and if you have the patience to wait through the closing credits, you'll be rewarded with a brief but funny scene at the end.

Gorilla Pants rating: 2.5 out of 4 bananas