Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Review

    

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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