Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Review

    Note: Finally, we are here.  After several hours of watching, in some cases re-watching, researching, and blogging, I have finally arrived at my last Harry Potter review ever...until Part 2 comes out.  Let me just say I have had a great time going through these movies, and I hope you had a good time reading these reviews.  I now have a great amount of respect for these movies, the actors, as well as the source material.  I can't way to delve into those as well, and I am excited for what awaits me.  Thank you all for reading these, your support is what keeps me going.  I have never blogged this much in such a short time (Not about to do that again anytime soon), and it has really given me new perspective about how to write these reviews.  If you all enjoyed these, please let me know, and if you would like me to review any other franchises, please let me know.  Thanks for reading. :)
Director: David Yates
Screenplay: Steve Kloves (Screenwriter for all the Harry Potter movies except Number 5)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, and Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill)
Gross revenue: $609,552,000 worldwide (As of 11/28/10)
Rotten Tomatoes TomatoMeter: 78%
IMDB Rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes Tomato Meter
       Finales are a hard thing to get right.  More then one trilogy has has 2 great first films, only to be let down by a sub-par "threequel" (Star Wars, Spider-Man).  Even though Harry Potter past the third film mark years ago, there is still amount of anticipation and expectation for the first part of the final installment of the Harry Potter saga, especially for fans of the book.  It has to properly wrap up all the necessary plotlines, answer any hanging questions, and provide a fitting and exciting climax that brings the series to a sweeping end.  Fortunately, for the most part, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the beginning of an excellent finale, and is worthy of the franchise's best films.

     Deathly Hallows begins with our favorite trio in their first year NOT at Hogwarts school.  Instead, they are on a quest to destroy the key to defeating Voldemort once and for all: the Horcruxes.  After a fateful attack leaves many of their crew scattered, injured, and even dead, Harry, Ron, and Hermione decide to head out on their own.  Despite being clueless about where to look, they search anyway, discovering more about themselves, as well as Voldemort's true plan.
      Deathly Hallows is a unique film in the Potter saga.  Due to the length of the book, and the amount of material covered in the book, the filmmakers decided to split the movie into two parts.  (A smart movie artistically and financially).  So as it stands, Deathly Hallows is literally the first half of a movie.  So it is harder to truly dissect and judge, when it is lacking in plot structure.  But I will do the movie justice, and do my best.
    The opening scene for Deathly Hallows Part 1 was honestly the best scene in Harry Potter yet.  I absolutely loved the first third of the movie.  It was exciting, exhilarating, and fast-paced as any hardcore action movie.  I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, completely and utterly invested in what was happening with these characters who I've come to know and love over the course of these 6 movies.  Then even after everything slowed down, there were beautiful, quiet character-driven moments, like the wedding or Dumbledore's will scene, that really helped make the movie for me.  Deathly Hallows wasn't going to just be a straight-up action movie like Order of the Phoenix, or just character-driven story like Half-Blood Prince.  It was going to be an exiting mixture of both, the perfect Harry Potter film.  It was the best beginning for any Harry Potter film yet.

    Then it got worse.  Right about when Harry, Ron, and Hermione set out on their own to look for the Horcruxes, the movie really slows down, in a bad way.  I know that these scenes are important not only for plot but also for developing characters, but these scenes were just really boring.  Part of the cause if the plot itself; they had no idea where they were going or what they were doing.  So to make such a loose plot work, the action on screen between the characters has to be GOLDEN, and absolutely invigorating and interesting.  And, it just wasn't.  It's like the director said "Let's just get through these scenes so then we can get to the good stuff".  I did love the scene when Ron leaves where Harry and Hermione dance together after Ron leaves.  What many found to be a comical farce I found to be a truly touching moment between two best friends, contemplating going past that point.  (But thank God they didn't, Ron and Hermione forever.)  While there are stand out scenes here, the movie doesn't really begin to pick up again until Ron comes back.  And what a way to return.  His story of the light device pointing to Hermione nearly had me cheering during the film.  So despite a few stand out scenes, the middle third of the pictures is kind of sluggish.
    Then the movie picks up again.  The last third of the movie is awesome, especially the last 20 minutes that takes place at the Malfoy mansion.  And what a cliffhanger!  I almost screamed "NO!!" when it ended.  the movie really picked up again, moving at a much quicker pace then the second third of the movie.  I love the Malfoy mansion scenes, and I thought it was a great place to end the first half.

     Deathly Hallows is different for another reason.  It's the only Potter film to not feature Hogwarts at all.  This has been the bread and butter of the franchise up to this point, and doing a "road movie" for the last film was a very bold choice.  I don't think the filmmakers quite understood how to "fill in" the Hogwarts scenes with scenes of Potter and crew on the road.  That's why I think the film suffers during the middle.  I understand that that is the same plot structure of the book, but books and movies are VERY different.  What works in literature does not often work in film, and a lot of wandering around does not really work well in film.  There has to be focus, which it didn't have.  So as much as I love Deathly Hallows as a whole, there are just bits and pieces that I wish were better.
    However, I do understand that this is just the first half of a 4 hour movie.  There is no climax, resolution, or ending.  The filmmakers literally cut the film in half, so it's like I watched the first half of a movie, then turned it off and tried to review it.  It just doesn't work like that.  I am really anxious for Part 2 to come out, not only to see how it all ends, but because I want to come back and watch Part 1 and Part 2 consecutively to see if my feelings change, which I suspect they might.  We'll have to see in July.

    Deathly Hallows Part 1 is about as good as anyone could have expected.  It has enough excitement and thrills to keep you hooked, and enough character development to push the story forward.  Despite some flaws in the middle, Deathly Hallows is truly a great film, and it's successor is only going to be better.  Despite some problems with pacing and story in the middle, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is as exciting and heartfelt as any film in the saga, and is a great set-up for Part 2. 4/5.
My final ranking of the Harry Potter films
1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 4.5/5
2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 4/5
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 4/5
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 4/5
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 4/5
6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 4/5
7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 3.5/5


  

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Review

Director: David Yates
Screenplay: Steve Kloves (The Harry Potter screenwriter extraordinaire)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent (The Borrowers, Bridget Jones' Diary), Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, and Tom Felton
Gross Revenue: $933,959,197
Rotten Tomatoes TomatoMeter: 83%
IMDB Rating: 7.3
Awards: Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography
     Making a film to follow the stupendous Order oft he Phoenix was an arduous task.  This is the first film since Chamber of Secrets where the same director directed back-to-back installments, and this is very evident in the way the source material is handled and the way the film is shot.  This film is very important in terms in terms of storytelling, as it is the final installment before the last film Deathly Hallows.  And after Order of the Phoenix's less then usual critical acclaim, there was a lot of pressure on director David Yates to craft an excellent film.  Fortunately, he was up to the task, and Half-Blood Prince is a surprisingly quiet, reflective film, that is the darkest yet (Sense a trend with this?).
      Half-Blood Prince takes place during Harry's 6th year at Hogwarts, and it is his most tumultuous yet.  Voldemort's return has sparked near-war in the wizarding world, and Harry is at the center of this conflict.  As Harry learns more about Voldemort's past, he and his friends must deal with romantic relationships that threaten to split one of cinema's greatest friendships apart.
      Half-Blood Prince is the most quiet and reflective of the franchise since Prisoner of Azkaban.  After the frenzied pace of Goblet of Fire, and the action movie antics of Order of the Phoenix, a more reflective and emotional story was just the right move for the franchise.  While there are not as many flashbacks as fans of the book (Or myself, I love flashbacks) would like, there are just enough to fill in holes with Voldemort's backstory, rounding him out as a character.  The production values are superb, and the cinematography is so beautifully dark, that totally fits with the tone of the movie.

    This movie is the showcase for the cast.  Each of the three characters is put in different and uncomfortable circumstances, and all the actors portray them as real kids.  One of the best parts about this movie is that it reminds the audience that despite all the these magical adventures these kids go on, they're still just kids.  It reminds the audience that they have the same problems that all teenagers go through: love.  As much as I wish the movie would focus on a little more on the brewing war and Voldemort's backstory, I love that the filmmakers had the courage to make a quiet and reflective film that really takes time to develop the characters before the life-changing events of Deathly Hallows.  And Harry and Ginny forever.  <3

   I would briefly like to mention one character that I absolutely despise above all other: Draco Malfoy.  I don't know how he is portrayed in the books, but he has absolutely no redeeming qualities.  He is supposed to be a rival to Harry, but he never does anything to him, other then make rude remarks to his friends and get punched in the face by girls.  Even in this movie, he couldn't even be evil correctly, and he is the only character that I find pretty much useless.  Sorry, rant over.
     Half-Blood Prince is truly a great film.  It features so many wonderful storylines, it just doesn't have time to give each one the adequate screen time it deserves.  Which is the main problem in this movie.  The film summary for Half-Blood Prince was the hardest for me to write, because I feel that this movie is really unbalanced, even more then Chamber of Secrets.  It seems like there is no main plot, just several very good sub plots, each taking its turn in sequence.  For this reason, the movie seems kind of..."jumpy".  David Yates does his best to keep the movie under control, and he does a superb job of keeping the movie moving linearly and quickly, but it does feel jumpy, and important plot points are left unsaid.  Even though the subtitle of the movie is "Half-Blood Prince" that story line is mainly an afterthought in service of the greater theme of the movie, which is moving through adolescence.  Even though I am saddened that this storyline was shifted to the side, I commend the filmmakers for making an entire movie devoted to character development, and one that moves surprisingly quickly.

     The more I write about Half-Blood Prince, the more I like it.  While far from the most exciting or focused film of the franchise, it is a wonderful exploration of the characters, that is feature some of the most heartbreaking scenes in the entire franchise.  It's also one of the funniest of the franchise, which is a nice offset to all the darkness.  While far from perfect, it's probably the most satisfying and certainly the most romantic  and darkest yet.  Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince forgos action and adventure for quiet and reflective character development, while though the darkest of the franchise yet, it is also one of the most sincere, despite being very unbalanced and unfocused.  4/5.
"Did I know then that I just met the most dangerous dark wizard of all time?  No." -Albus Dumbledore
1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 4.5/5
2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 4/5
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 4/5
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 4/5
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 4/5
6 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 3.5/5

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Review

Director: David Yates
Screenplay: Michael Goldenberg (Peter Pan, upcoming Green Lantern movie)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Gary Oldman, Imedla Staunton (Nanny McPhee, Freedom Writers), and Helena Bonham Carter (Alice In Wonderland 2010, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)
Gross Revenue: $938,468,864 worldwide (#10)
Rotten Tomatoes TomatoMeter: 78%
IMDB Rating: 7.3

     I have showered great praise on the Harry Potter films thus far.  Watching them over the course of a 3 day period has given me so much respect for these films.  I have admittedly fallen in love with these characters and their magical world.  However, some films are better then others, and Order of The Phoenix is definitely better.  Despite being the shortest movie (though based on the largest book), the first major motion picture for director David Yates, the only Harry Potter screenplay not written by Steve Kloves, and the least critically acclaimed film of the series, I have an unabashed love for Order of the Phoenix.

     Order of the Phoenix takes place during Harry's 5th year at Hogwarts and the first since Dark Lord Voldemort has risen again.  The Ministry of Magic, fearful of another reign of terror by the Dark Lord, refuse to accept his return, and refute Harry and Dumbledore's claims of his returns.  In order to address "the falling standards" at Hogwarts, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge appoints overbearing and catty bureaucrat Dolores Umbridge to a position of power at Hogwarts.  Her sweeping changes are unpopular with students and the staff, as well as her refusal to teach practical magic.  In order to prepare the students for combat against dark forces, Harry starts an underground group, dedicated to practical magical arts.

      Order of the Phoenix is my favorite Harry Potter film.  I love everything about it.  I love the government conspiracy angle, I love the underground organization that Harry starts, I love the matured acting, I love the dark story line, I love the exciting climax with the first actual duel between wizards, and I love Voldemort.  This is, in my opinion, the most entertaining installment of the franchise.  This is the first time that Harry has to stand on his own in the wizarding world, without Dumbledore or the Ministry of Magic helping him.  It forces him and his friends to grow up quickly, to stand up for themselves in this big bad magical world.  The cast is up to the task. .
     I keep talking about awesome this cast is, and they just keep improving every film.  The 3 principal actors have really become Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and their thoughts and feelings have become one.  As the characters have grown up and the story has matured, the actors have grown up and their emotional maturity has grown too.  Lightning struck 3 times when they cast these young actors; you'd be hard-pressed to find a more capable group of young actors.  The adult cast is stupendous as well.  Most are played by classically trained British actors, which everyone knows are the best actors on the planet.  All of them are just phenomenal, especially Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge.  She perfectly plays this uppity bureaucrat with just the smallest hinge of crazy, and even though I despise her character with all my heart, she steals every scene she is in.  She commands a strong presence.
       This is the third film in a row where there has been a different director, this time bringing in British television director David Yates.  He is my favorite Harry Potter director and I think he really has an understanding of how to craft an exciting and emotionally resounding flick.  Order of the Phoenix is easily the most action-packed of the franchise yet, but it doesn't forgo character development for the sake of it either  It's the most exciting of the franchise, but also pushes these characters to new places, forcing them to make decisions they didn't want to make, forcing them to grow up a little.  Order of the Phoenix could easily be described as the "loss of innocence" Harry Potter film and that's why I love it so much.  There are so many different parts to this movie, but director David Yates keeps the movie balanced, without one theme or plot overshadowing another.  The movie is nearly perfect.

       Order of the Phoenix is probably the most controversial in the series thus far.  It is the shortest movie, despite being based off the longest book.  Having not read the books, I don't know what was cut or what wasn't, but to me it seems like director David Yates and screenwriter Michael Goldenberg glossed over several important plot points in the book.  However, I do believe this made the movie better.  Order of the Phoenix is the most tightly edited of the Potters thus far, and so nothing on screen is wasted.  Every single scene is of vital importance to not only the plot of this movie but to the upcoming sequels.  Though some fans may hate Yates' style, I love it, and I think he is the perfect director for the series.
     It would be redundant at this point for me to say that I really like Order of the Phoenix.  It is the most exciting and entertaining of the franchise, as well as the most emotionally mature.  It has the most interesting plot, as it pushes its characters to places they've never been before, which is what sequels are supposed to do.  It improved on every aspect of the production, increased the action, and pushed the characters to new places.  For that reason, Order of the Phoenix is the best Harry Potter film of the series.  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix mixes the most interesting plot of the series with truly exciting action and the darkest themes of the series, which new director David Yates perfectly meshes together in an awesome and wonderful package. 4.5/5
"The world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters.  We've all got both light and dark inside us.  What matters is the past we choose to act on.  That's who we really are" -Sirius Black
1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 4.5/5
2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 4/5
3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 4/5
4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 4/5
5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 3.5/5

  

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Review

Image via Wikipedia

Director: Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time)
Screenplay: Steve Kloves (All the Harry Potter movies except Order of the Phoenix)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List, Red Dragon), Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson (Into the Storm, Gangs of New York),  and the notorious Robert Pattison (Twilight)
Gross Revenue: $895, 921,036 worldwide
Rotten Tomatoes TomatorMeter: 88%
IMDB Rating: 7.6
Awards: Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction
   The fourth part in the epic saga of Harry Potter, and the first one to be rated PG-13, it is obvious to tell that both the source material and the filmmakers are maturing.  The storyline is darker, the acting has improved, the visual effects are more extravagant.  Once again replacing directors, this time British director Mike Newell, brings a different directing style to the franchise, one that is more kinetic then the slow and thoughtful style of the first two, and the calm fluid style of number three.  Goblet of Fire ups the ante on all levels, and as a result if the first Potter "action film".

    As Harry Potter enters his fourth year as a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it is an exciting time at the school.  Hogwarts is hosting the Triwizard Tournament, an epic and dangerous contest between three magic schools.  The winner receives eternal fame and glory as well as the Triwizard Cup.  Though students under the age of 17 are barred from entering the competition, Harry's name is mysteriously and controversially drawn from the Triwizard cup, forcing him to enter the competition despite the protests of students, teachers, and Harry himself.  As Harry literally fights for his life in the tournament, he must also battle  his teenage hormones, as well as his dark dreams, which may not be just dreams as he wishes to believe.

     This film is the first to not feature the Dursleys, and instead begins with the Quidditch World Cup, which is a refreshing change of pace.  As there is far more action in this film, far more visual effects are required, and this movie delivers.  All the action sequences are exciting and believable, and make for the most fun Harry Potter film yet.  All the young actors are maturing into their roles, especially miss Emma Watson, who has blossomed from a homely little girl into a beautiful young woman.  She brings a sense of femininity to Hermione that we have no seen before.  All the young characters are put in uncomfortable situations as their hormones develop, and the actors deliver with charm and poise.  One must mention a certain Robert Pattison as Cedric Diggory in this "rival" franchise of Twilight.  He does an acceptable job, and shows his credentials as an actor, unlike Twilight, but that's a blog for another day.
     I think this would be a good time for me to talk about Dumbledore.  The late Richard Harris portrayed Dumbledore in the first two films, and Michael Gambon plays Dumbledore in every preceding installment.  Right now, I am not sure which one I like the most.  While I love the kindness and gentleness that Richard Harris brings to the role, I also the fierceness and excitement that Gambon brings.  I think both are accurate representations of Dumbledore's character, although I have been told that Richard Harris' is closer to the books, I think Gambon has a slight edge just because I think he is able to more effectively display Dumbledore as the greatest wizard who ever lived.  Harris plays him like an old grandfatherly figure, while Gambon plays him like an old war hero.  Just my opinion.
     Goblet of Fire is easily the most exciting Harry Potter film yet.  The scenes of the Triwizard tournament are both visually stunning and viscerally thrilling.  The effects are light years ahead of the first film, and the action sequences are exciting and well-paced.  This is the first movie (kind of) to feature a real duel between two wizards, and I had goosebumps the entire time I was watching it.  Even though the movie jumps around in time, creating a "rushed" feeling to the movie, fans of the book will have no trouble following along, and people who haven't read the book should be able to follow if they pay attention.
   These movies keep getting darker with each installment, and the trend does not stop here.  This is the first Harry Potter film to be rated PG-13, and is rated accordingly.  The film features more violence, more blood, more terror, and more mature themes then any of the previous installments.  As actual villains begin to arise, the central theme of Harry Potter begins to reveal itself, and hopefully future installments will reflect this.

     This might be one of the most flawed of the Harry Potter films.  Goblet of Fire is one of the largest books of the series, and Warner Bros. once considered splitting the film into two parts, as they did later with Deathly Hallows.  In order to create a film that wasn't over 4 hours long, the filmmakers had to cut out everything that wasn't directly related to Harry's emotional journey, a smart move as far as I am concerned.  However, the movie does gloss over several plot points, and Goblet of Fire is a much more complex film then Prisoner of Azkaban.  There are many intertwining plot points.  So the film is not as balanced or focused as Prisoner of Azkaban, but it is far more exciting and action-packed.

    Goblet of Fire is a wonderful film.  Although far from perfect, it features some of the most stunning sequences in the Potter films thus far, and really shows just how exciting, action-packed, and "cool" Harry Potter can be.  Despite its flaws, it is truly an exciting and rousing film, and one that is a worthy member of the Harry Potter franchise.  Though not as good as its immediate predecessor, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the most action-packed installment yet, and features stunning action sequences as well as greater emotional maturity among the story and the film's cast.  4/5.
1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 4/5
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 4/5
3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 4/5
4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 3.5/5

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Review

    

Image via Wikipedia

Director: Alfonso Cuaron (The Little Princess, Children of Men)
Screenwriter: Steve Kloves (The go-to Harry Potter Screenwriter)
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon (Gosford Park, Fantastic Mr. Fox), Gary Oldman (Batman Begins, Hannibal), David Thewlis (The Omen, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas), Timothy Spall (Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Enchanted), and Alan Rickman
Gross Revenue: $795,634,070
Rotten Tomatoes TomatoMeter: 90%
IMDB Rating: 7.7
Awards: Academy Award Nominations for Best Score, Best Visual Effects
    Sometimes in film, or even in life, a change in leadership is needed to move in a different direction.  Director Chris Columbus backed out of directing this film due to the immense time constraints it had on his family, and Spanish director Alfonso Cuaron was brought in as his replacement.  While changing the director midway through a series is certainly risky, it was just the change the series needed.  Cuaron brought a sense of character and unique visual style that was exactly what the series needed for this progressively dark installment.

     Prisoner of Azkaban begins with Harry's third year of Hogwarts.  There is great danger in the magical world, as convicted murder and follower of Voldemort Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban prison.  As the story goes, Sirius betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort, and is directly responsible for their deaths.  Though Harry is warned not to go looking for Siruis Black, he ignores those warnings and seeks to discover as much about him and his parent's history as he can, as well as learn as much magic as he can in order to vanquish Black once and for all.
     At this point, is is redundant to talk about how beautiful all the sets and scenery are.  Cuaron wraps the film in a layer of darkness, that reflects the inner and outer turmoil of the characters.  The visual effects have again improved, and the Dementors look quite realistic.  The cinematography is less straightforward then the first two films, and has a greater visual flair then the first two films as well.  Cuaron's visual style is much darker, and perfectly fits the tone of the the movie.  Acting among the young cast has once again improved, particularly among Daniel Radcliffe.  He is really tapping into the intricacies of his character, exploring his inner darkness as well as his flaws.  And he has become way sexier since the first two films. (@Rebecca Jonas)  Master thespian Gary Oldman plays Sirius Black, and he steals each and every scene he is in.  Is anyone else as fascinated with Severus Snape as I am?  Alan Rickman has been stealing scenes in every movie, and each scene he's in is a treat.  The storyline is a little muddled and less focused then the previous films, but it allots more time for character development, so that is perfectly fine.
     Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite of the franchise thus far.  It's the first film that really allows time for character development, and there are many "quiet" moments in the film that allows the various characters to grow in their magical skills and as people.  The movie moves much faster then the first two, and far less time is given to the events of the school, and far greater emphasis is placed on the actual important events of the "Prisoner of Azkaban".  By deemphasizing certain plotlines such as Quidditch, magical classes, and Hogwarts itself, more time is alloted for character development, in stark contrast to the first two films.

        Prisoner of Azkaban is also a much more mature film then its predecessors.  It deals with themes of betrayal, death, and inner darkness, themes not yet explored in the Harry Potter universe.  As Harry tries to understand more about his parents' past, he explores his inner darkness, and just how far is he willing to go to avenge his parent's death.  He was at one point prepared to kill Sirius Black, and even learned advanced magical techniques from his Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Remus Lupin.  This is in stark contrast to the wide-eyed innocent Harry of Sorcerer's Stone.  Not only is the film noticeably darker and more mature then the first two films, it is also far shorter, and moves along at a much quicker pace.  Once again, a result of Cuaron's masterful direction.
    Though the film is shorter and mores more quickly then the first two films, this does have a negative consequence, that is the hallmark of problems with the Harry Potter series; not enough time is given to the details of the story.  It is never explained why or how Sirius escapes from Azkaban prison, or how Harry's magical "map" works, and other similar details.  While some may complain of the movie feeling "muddled" and "confusing", I think that the movie moves fast enough that people won't notice.  Alfonso Cuaron certainly took some liberties with the source material, and this will get me some heat from Potter fans, but it paid off.  This is the best movie in the series thus far, because Cuaron was brave enough to gloss over unimportant details and focus only on the essentials, in order to leave adequate time for character development.  So while the movie may jump around a bit, it is a very focused and liner film, unlike its immediate predecessor, which I find to be a plus.

   Prisoner of Azkaban is the first true standalone Potter film; enjoyable for fans and non-fans of Rowling's literary masterpiece.  It is a rousing and memorable experience, and ranks among the top fantasy films of its age.  It is appropriately dark and mature, and rounds out the growth of its characters.  It features memorable characters and set pieces, and can be enjoyed by fans and non-fans alike.  Cuaron was just the right director, at just the right time, to help bring prestige and excellence to this magical film franchise.  Prisoner of Azkaban is the darkest and most emotionally mature of the films yet, and is also the most entertaining, due to Alfonso Cuaron's sleek and fast-paced direction and unique visual flair. 4/5
"The ones that love us never truly leave us"- Sirius Black
1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 4/5
2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 4/5
3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 3.5/5