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Harry Potter and the
Prisoner of Azkaban
Directed by: Alfonso Cuaron
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe
Genre:
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Run Time: 141
min.
Release Date:
June 2004
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
I'm going to admit
something here that I probably shouldn't: I haven't read any of the
books in the Harry Potter Series (don't hurt me!) It might
be because everyone says "Oh you just have to read this!" that puts me off. I'm not
the type of person to follow all the lemmings over the cliff. I tend to
enjoy more obscure stuff. But I digress...
What I don't mind doing, though, is watching cinema and I've thus far
seen all of the "Potter films." And this one I found to be quite
different. Although the second in the series (THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS,
2002) was pretty dark, it pales (brightens?) in comparison to this third
installment.
Harry is breaking the rules and barely getting away with it. He's using
his powers outside of school and in general muggles population (he
causes a relative to inflate to great size and drift away). And when he
can no longer stand staying with his aunt and uncle, Harry decides to
leave and seek refuge in the outside world. The trouble, though, is that
a dark creature seems to be stalking him. Was that a wolf peering at
Harry through the brush? Eventually Harry makes it back to Hogwarts and
discovers that a psycho prisoner — Sirius Black, played by the wonderful
Gary Oldman (BATMAN BEGINS, 2005) — has escaped his cage and may be
stalking him. Was Sirius responsible in some way for Harry's parents'
death? Dementos, dark specters that resemble wraiths, are assigned to
the perimeter of Hogwarts and Harry has some very uneasy feelings about
them. They seem inordinately interested in him, too.
With the help of Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint,
HARRY POTTER AND THE
GOBLET OF FIRE, 2001) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson,
HARRY POTTER AND THE
GOBLET OF FIRE, 2001) Harry is led down a dark path, a path
believed to contain the secret to his mother's and father's death.
Friends and enemies are often intertwined within the same characters as
this third story unravels. Director Alfonso Cuaron (Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN,
2001) gives some excellent direction to a film that could've easily
gotten out of control. With the multiple twists and turns (i.e., time
travel, werewolf friends, etc.) this film flowed smoothly and was packed
with angst and action.
The special effects (specifically the early bus ride) are pulled off
nicely and give a slight sense of the whimsical without going overboard.
But the previously mentioned wraith-like Dementos are pretty creepy and
could easily freak-out children under 12 years old (so be careful,
parents.) Again, not having read any of the books in this series, I have
no idea where the storyline is going. But things tend to be darkest
before the storm (forgive the cliché), then they clear. So my assumption
is that things will come to a head very soon for Harry and his Hogwart
friends. Darn! I might have to pick up one of the novels now!
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Image from Harry Potter
and the Prisoner of Azkaban
DVD cost: $13.99
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Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
The tattoos on Sirius
Black's body and hands are borrowed from Russian prison gangs. They are
markings which identify the person as a man to be feared and respected.
Movie Quote: "Sirius
Black has gone missing from prison. Promise me you won't go looking for
him."
Other Actors/Actresses
from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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