I figured it was only a matter of time before I revealed my Potter fandom side to the world; and the best way I could do that was by writing my thoughts on the series in the form of a review. Now it may not seem logical for me to start at the third movie for those missing out on the series at the moment, but I think even the Potter fans can agree that this movie is a decent starting point for re-watching the series should they feel obligated to skip the first two movies -- as they're basically the same story and most everyone now knows how it was all set up. Plus, as someone whose reading the books for the first time in his life (save for this one), this one was always my favorite and so I inevitably felt the need to go ahead and do this one followed by my most favorites in the series -- the blog is about my favorite movies after all. Now that does not mean that I will be comparing the books to the movies in my reviews (this is not a blog for complaining about differences between films and source material after all). So, without further adieu, let's get right to it with my thoughts on my favorite Harry Potter story, Prisoner of Azkaban.
***SPOILERIFIC POST AHEAD***
After learning of his magical history, discovering more of himself, and ending Lord Voldemort's first two attempts at resurrection in the previous two films, Harry Potter (played by Daniel Radcliffe) returns for a third year at Hogwarts only to discover news that a prisoner named Sirius Black (played by Gary Oldman) has escaped the wizard prison of Azkaban. Knowing of Black's intent to kill him, Harry must keep safe on the grounds of Hogwarts at all times especially with the dementors -- ghoul-like creatures that literally suck out people's souls -- guarding the castle grounds. In a series of spell-binding events (literally), Harry and his best friends, Ron and Hermione (played by Rupert Grint and Emma Watson respectively) will discover ways like never before to deal with their issues. Between learning how to ward of dementor attacks, going to multiple classes at once, and the connections between Harry, Black, and other Hogwarts professors, more of the larger conflict at hand will be unveiled before Harry's eyes. As Professor Dumbledore (played by Michael Gambon) says, "Happiness can be found even in the darkest times if one only remembers to turn on the light."
The biggest thing to point out about this film is just how different it is from its predecessors. Whereas the first two were largely lighthearted children's adventures full of warm colors, relatively innocent circumstances (though clearly Chamber of Secrets had darker events, but it still wasn't very adult), and was full of joyful events that make children happy and adults feel like kids again, this one takes things up a notch without there being a jarring shift in tone and aesthetics. Many scenes now, especially the ones where dementors are present, take place in the rain, fog, and cloudy skies, signifying a progression towards a bleaker narrative. Even some shots, like the long cut shot where George Weasley explains the seriousness (no pun intended) of Sirius Black's escape, are framed in such a way that conveys the seriousness of the narrative at hand. That and the circumstances for Harry are much more driven by teen angst; gone are his childlike wonders of discovering he's a celebrity wizard and learning to overcome all odds in favor him seeking revenge against his parents' supposed killer. Alfonso Cuarón was clearly the right director for moving the series forward and his decisions in the direction are among the main reason why I enjoy this film the most going forward.
Acting-wise, the film not only sees return many of the more prominent roles and side characters we've been following the last few films, but also introduces many veteran roles playing the parts of important supporting characters going forward. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson very much maintain their lovable personas we've all come to know and love for the previous few films. Side roles such as Tom Felton's Draco Malfoy, Matthew Lewis' Neville Longbottom, and Robbie Coltrane's Hagrid aren't as up front this time around, but still are fun to watch and consistent in their performance as before. The real highlights, however, are a lot of the adult actors, especially the new characters/actors introduced in this one. Gary Oldman's performance as Sirius Black is perhaps the biggest win of them all, conveying masterfully a man who seems like his sanity could be fading (because spending twelve years locked up for a crime you didn't commit would really do that to you) to later becoming a more at ease and inspiring mentor figure to Harry for later down the line. David Thewlis as Remus Lupin was also a good choice as he managed to portray a different side of the usual shady the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, one who, unlike the previous two, has no control over whether or not he turns bad due to his werewolf persona taking him over every full moon. As with a lot of his roles, Alan Rickman, though he doesn't have much significance as Serverus Snape this time around, he always brings his A-game to the role. And, of course, who could forget Michael Gambon, the guy who replace Richard Harris as Dumbledore for the remaining six Harry Potter films? Simply put, the cast was always good and really shines here.
As always, the film also finds ways to bring us into the wizarding world of Harry Potter with its score and atmosphere. This film, being John Williams' third and last time scoring for the series, wasn't exactly the most stand out entry in the soundtrack of the series, though it still carried the same magical feel that the previous films did full well to pull us in. Scenes like Buckbeak's flight give off the same joyful vibe as scenes in the previous films such as Harry's first Quidditch match and when Fawkes flies them all out of the Chamber of Secrets. Little numbers like the "Toil and Trouble" track sung by the Hogwarts choir also allow us, the audience, to return to Hogwarts with a sense of joy knowing that, despite the raise in stakes with a supposed killer on the loose, that there is still a wondrous sense of magic to be found in this universe. And the moment where Harry sees his time traveled self conjuring up the final patronus against the swarm of dementors only to later do it has a neat little contrast that only keen-eared viewers would notice. The first time, the strings and horns clash adding a sense of dread based on the situation with some hope to be found in the midst of it. Later on, the horns become more prominent as Harry has come to realize how much he himself is a light in the darkest of times (not yet realizing the darkness inside himself yet) just as Dumbledore alludes to at the start. I love how poetic these stories get with their themes and music!
Need I also mention the special effects? (I mean, duh, it's a Harry Potter film and that's only mandatory). Much of your usual Hogwarts magic remains with the moving staircases, animated paintings, and flying broomsticks that, by this point, have become standard for the series. This being a new entry in the franchise, of course, it tries many things new as well. For example, he dementors were originally considered to be puppets instead of CGI, but I believe CG did them justice with their bleakly obscure faces, scary clawed hands, and other ghostly features that make the grim reaper look adorable by comparison. This one also had more focus on CG creatures between Sirius and his dog animagus, Buckbeak the hippogriff, and Lupin's werewolf transformation; all three were animated exceptionally well and provided more of a sense of creatures of magical variety in this world -- and it would only become more prominent beyond this film. And lest we not forget the Knight Bus scene; that had some of the funnest bullet time sequences I've ever experienced in a film the way it races through the street and squeezes in between the two double-decker buses on the bridge. Trust me when I say that this whole series has wonderful special effects as well!
I think it's safe for anybody to assume that this is among my favorites -- if not my most favorite -- of the Harry Potter franchise both book and film. The film, in particular, has many notable highlights such as the reasonable progression in tone, a brilliantly acted cast, wonderful music, and great special effects that there's no denying that this is the wizarding world of Harry Potter we're in. And, as my favorite of the series as far as story goes, the writing definitely shows where this is going to take the series down the road and I applaud it for doing so in a logical fashion. And so, with all I've said, about this film up to now, I'm going to go ahead and give it a solid A and consider it a must see for everyone in the Potter fandom and beyond!
Thanks y'all for reading and, as always, I will see you in the next review!
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