Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Hoil, boil, toil and trouble. The third film of J.K. Rowling's blockbuster franchise is here. Our review of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

The Prisoner of Azkaban is very important to the future of the series as it sees a new director, Alfonse Cuaron, take the helm and bring the series down a new road. With the child actors maturing, the Prisoner of Azkaban dons a darker edge which gives the movie a wider audience appeal than its target kiddie market.

The film sees Harry Potter return for his third term at Hogwarts, but all is not well in the world of sorcery and witchcraft as a criminal has escaped from the infamous prison at Azkaban. The prisoner in question is none other than Silas Black, the wizard largely held responsible for leading Harry's parents to their demise at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Rumours have begun to fly around as to why and how Black managed to escape from his cell, rumours which the young mister Potter will be forced to address. At the end of this great adventure Harry's world will have been turned on its head and things will never be the same again.

In much the same way as J.K. Rowling's characters are getting older, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a coming of age movie. The director has decided to focus on character development rather than cheap childish pops like Quidditch, in doing so Cuaron has made the movie much more accessible to an older audience. Realising the broad appeal of the Harry Potter novels, the producers were quick to realise that they were alienating plenty of potential moviegoers. There is an overwhelming feeling all the way through this movie that it is far more intelligent and engaging than either of its predecessors. Cringeworthy moments are few and far between, and were it not for Daniel Radcliffe's overzealous performance at times the film would have been a resounding success. Parents can rest safe in the knowledge that this is one movie that they will be happy to bring their children to as they are just as likely to enjoy it as their offspring.

For those who saw either of the first two movies in the series and squirmed in their seats because of their infantile nature like myself, you will be pleasantly surprised by the latest film in the series. The director has been able to get much better performances out of most of the young sorcerers, Ron and Hermione both have a great screen presence but it is the minor characters that are the most impressive. Rather than being slapstick figures, they combine with the main cast to create many light hearted moments. It is this trend on focusing on the wizard rather than the wand that makes the Prisoner of Azkaban a far more accessible movie; it comes across as more of an adventure flick than a fantasy film. A lot of the spell casting has been brushed over so it doesn't come across as a completely childish affair, obviously there is still plenty of magic involved but the right balance has been struck so that it feels like a film of substance.

Most viewers will overlook the fact that the storyline is quite poor at times because of Cuaron's wonderful direction, the film is so engaging that you will pay little notice to the weakness in the overall structure. The reason for the director's success with this movie is the fact that he has found the right balance, much like Goldilock's third bowl of porridge - it's just right! For example there are plenty of comedic moments from the interplay between the film's characters rather than from silly spell that has been cast. On top of that the scenes are never as resoundingly dark as those in the Chamber of Secrets; instead a wonderful atmosphere of suspense is created which makes for a thrilling experience. The CGI and filmmaking blend perfectly so that the mystical world of Hogwarts is beautifully recreated, gone are the overzealous Quidditch scenes and the art of magic is brought to the forefront instead of an elaborate performance. It all makes for a complete turnaround from the over-the-top performances that plagued the Prisoner of Azkaban's predecessors, Cuaron's direction is just as magical as Rowling's original vision.

Unfortunately the fact still remains that the storyline is paper thin in points, whilst providing an exciting ride it fails to answer many of the questions it raises. Despite the fact that many exciting opportunities have been created for possible storylines in the fourth movie, the viewer is left perplexed in parts. Lord Voldemort has pretty much been left out of the Prisoner of Azkaban which is disappointing as I would have expected a more intricate set up to the eventual climax. However what I was let down the most by was the similarities in structure between the second and third movies; I came away thinking that the latest offering was a new and improved version of the Chamber of Secrets. The disappointment was summed up for me in one scene when Potter rambles on his excitement and asks 'Does that make any sense?' - quite simply Harry, no it didn't. If it weren't for the magical hi-jinxes and comedic capers, a threadbare script would be left horribly exposed.

The Prisoner of Azkaban sees the introduction of more British actors into the fold, the best of whom are Gary Oldman and Emma Thompson. There are so many wonderful characters that it almost works against the movie as there is precious little screen time to share between them. My favourite cast member, Alan Rickman, is restricted in his attempts to outshine his peers but Emma Thompson gives a wonderful performance. Her role as the bumbling Professor Sybil Trelawney is one of the highlights of the latest Harry Potter flick, she is completely unrecognisable from all her other parts. It is also great to see British comedians such as Lenny Henry and Dawn French enter the foray; the film is almost a who's who of the United Kingdom's industry legends. These screen giants add some much needed depth to the movie franchise and despite some of the film's failings I am eagerly anticipating Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Despite some wonderful casting the acting in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban falls flat in points, this is because Daniel Radcliffe's limitations are horribly exposed. He comes across as a rabbit in the headlights in his attempts to convey surprise and giggles nervously whilst dabbing his hand at comedy. Put simply, it is the performance that one would expect from a child; however Harry Potter has matured beyond that. Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) shine in a star studded cast which includes the illustrious Michael Gambon, Robbie Coltrane and Maggie Smith. It is a thoroughly British experience combining the heavyweights of UK cinema and television with the new blood, if Grint and Watson are anything to go by then expect more quality offerings from British cinema in the future. It is amusing somewhat that the other disappointing performance in the film comes from Harry's schoolyard nemesis Draco Malfoy. In their struggle to outdo each other Malfoy and Potter seem to have entered the wrong contest and instead compete for the booby prize of the worst actor.

Piaras Kelly
Film Critic, Kikizo Movies