Home Alone 2 vs Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

[Edmilson 7,436]

Two sequels of beloved family films directed by Chris Columbus.

 

Which score do you prefer? The antics of Lost in New York or the fantasy of Chamber of Secrets?

 

Let's vote!

[Thor 7,495]

HOME ALONE 2, by a wide, wide margin. Outside a track or two, I've never been particularly fond of CHAMBER OF SECRETS.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,516]

HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS.

No contest.

[Holko 9,525]

I love HA2 but Chamber.

[Datameister 2,042]

It's a very appropriate pair of scores to compare, since both draw heavily on reprised passages from their predecessors. CoS was the bigger disappointment for me - never been a huge fan of the HA movies - but it also gets my vote here. As unfortunate as the preponderance of direct quotes is, it does have some really fine new writing. I find the new material in HA 2 to be less than jaw-dropping.

[bollemanneke 3,343]

I went for Chamber of Secrets.

 

Home Alone 2 has truly great moments that sometimes even surpass the original score. However, HA2’s new material is underused to such an extent that I can’t help wondering whether JW or Columbus even liked it. HA2 also suffers from a truly horrible recording. It sounds like Giacchino was involved in the mix.

 

HP2 is performed by the LSO, which needs no further explanation, and Mike’s recent remastering only made that more obvious. Yes, it does reprise lots of HP1 moments, but they never feel forced, unlike the incessant Somewhere In My Memory reprises in HA2, which are even worse because JW composed two new marvellous carols for that score.

 

[Edmilson 7,436]

59 minutes ago, Datameister said:

It's a very appropriate pair of scores to compare, since both draw heavily on reprised passages from their predecessors.

 

That's why I created this poll. Both are scores for sequels that have a lot of reprises of the previous score, mixed with new material.

[GerateWohl 4,357]

HA2 made the HA1 soundtrack obsolete because HA2 contains reprises of all themes from HA1 and I even prefer the newer version. But for COS clearly wins this contest.

Another similarity, both, CoS and HA seemed to me both heavily inspired by Tschaikowski's Nutcracker.

[Brundlefly 2,385]

2 hours ago, bollemanneke said:

HA2 also suffers from a truly horrible recording. It sounds like Giacchino was involved in the mix.

The new recording of Star of Bethlehem sounds slightly compressed in some passages... You mean those kinda issues?

[oierem 152]

Where there any circumstances in HA2 that limited the abiliy of Williams to work in the movie? With CoS, we know that he wasn't able to devote himself fully to the score, which makes the reprising music somewhat more forgiveable. 

[bollemanneke 3,343]

3 minutes ago, Brundlefly said:

The new recording of Star of Bethlehem sounds slightly compressed in some passages... You mean those kinda issues?

Well, that too, but I was referring to the complete lack of reverb.

[Brundlefly 2,385]

Just now, bollemanneke said:

Well, that too, but I was referring to the complete lack of reverb.

I don't mind that, could be fixed on a new release (not that I need one). But the compression is an issue inherent in the recording and cannot be fixed.

[bollemanneke 3,343]

What do you mean by compression?

[Brundlefly 2,385]

Overmodulation. But the master of the CD is fine, it's the recording.

[bollemanneke 3,343]

What's overmodulation...?

[blondheim 1,157]

I have an attachment to Chamber of Secrets. I got it and The Two Towers that Christmas and have very fond memories of spinning both discs back-to-back. One still makes me want to listen to the other. In fact, I recently rewatched the LOTR trilogy on HBO Max... and now I am currently listening through the HP boxset

 

Both scores have a tendency to place old material in very slightly new context. I would consider both to be weaker efforts overall by Williams. Both Philosopher's Stone and the first Home Alone are absolutely indispensible however

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

Chamber of course. Mickey-mousing not for me. Also. Go vice versa than Thor, you will be fine.