Reviews & Ratings for
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a film directed by Alfosno Cuaron. I was curious before watching this film as many critics have noted this film a turning point in the series. After watching the film, I can say that this is by far my most favorite film of this series.

Plot: Harry Potter is warned about Sirius Black, a prisoner who just escaped Azkaban prison in order to kill him.

Story and direction: Taking the reins from one director to another is a very risky thing sicne you have to match the expectations of the audience as well as find a way to say your voice in the film. But this film has excelled in that department. Alfonso Cuaron is successful in providing a change of tone in the film. From scene one, you know the film is going to be different from the previous two. This is very clearly known from the lighting and camera work which is just awesome. The images of certain things like the tree or the flowers depict the kind of silence this film wants to convey. But the film doesn’t seem boring for even a single moment. It is never dull because it has the series comedy that defines it. The comedy is very subtle and that says how good a director Alfonso is. Also we get to some new characters in this film, which are very interesting. I especially liked the bond formed between Lupin and Potter. He was just like a mentor to him helping him out in various odd situations. The music is also great and I can just go on about it. The VFX has improved from the previous two and even today it is very much relevant. The VFX feels real and just immerses you into the fictional world that is created. And for the first time, the Quiddicth scene was just to look out for. It was gorgeous. Also to be noted is some of the animal designs in the film. They are so life-like. You feel scared by some of them and also you feel that you want to own some of them. I liked the fact that the film is shorter than the previous two since it was a good move and a long film I guess wouldn’t have worked. Steve Kloves deserves a pat on the back for adapting another chapter of Harry Potter successfully.

Performances: The regular cast does their job just perfectly and also adapt to the new settings. Michael Gambon is great as the new Dumbledore. Never for a moment do you miss Richard Harris. This character also has a change of characterization from the previous two which I very much liked. David Thewlis is also great in donning the role of Remus Lupin. He is the new character that I liked the most. And finally, Gary Oldman: He is just awesome. Although his scenes are lesser than the rest, but he just leaves an impact on the mind.

Favorite Scene: It would be the one where the kids go to Hogsmeade and Hermione and Ron see some building. Then Malfoy and gang come and begin to tease them. After that, Harry with the help of his invisible cloak scares Malfoy and gang away. After all, who doesn’t want to see Malfoy beat up!!

Verdict: This film is by far the best of Harry Potter. The film did everything for me that I wanted to see in this series. And also, it makes me anxious as I can’t wait to see what else it has got to offer. This goes on to prove that when you tap on to the right content and know what your audience wants, I think you can make sequels even more successful than the originals (story wise). Sequels are never cursed. It is just that the makers should know how to handle the characters and give them the respect that they deserve.

I am going with a perfect 10/10.

After seeing those awesome little youngsters in the first two series it initially seems a bit difficult to replace their innocence with this suddenly bigger ones. It is as if they have suddenly grown up. There is certainly an attempt to maintain the same magic as in the previous one, but it does not reach up to the mark. The second novel or the story in the series increases the level of expectation from the mystery in Harry Potter stories.
Here there is an entry of new characters into the story which explores a completely different aspect of Harry Potter's life that was not explored before. The characters and their importance in the story and in the protagonist's life also makes the story pretty interesting. That is what is mainly to look out for in the movie. The performance by Gary Oldman as Timothy Spall and David Thewlis is really worth it in the movie.

We return to the world of magic and mystery for the third time and this time, everything has a darker, more somber feel to it. Our trio, Harry, Ron and Hermione, have grown up and this time face the very real threat of other witches and wizards, not just old magic. An immaculate combination of both school life and real world, it brings us back to the magical world of J.K. Rowling's imagination, once again.

The third Harry Potter movie is a good movie. Compared to the first and second one it is different and I think that the first two movies were better. But with a new director is it normal that everything is different, and that doesn't mind a lot. There also a lot of things better, like the clothes. The Trio wears actually nice clothes and that is way better.
A lot is skipped though, like Cho Chang. She appears in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but in the book, she is there in POA. Gryffindor wins the Quidditch Cup for the first time, since Harry joined the team. I think that's very important. And at the so-called finale, in the Shrieking Shrack, Sirius and Remus are supposed to tell Harry a lot of important stuff about his parents and their past, but they don't. At the end Harry was supposed to get a note from Sirius that he was allowed to go to Hogsmeade in the future and then Ron gets his owl because it was Sirius' fault that he has rat was gone. The movie is 141 minutes, that 20 minutes shorter than Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, while the third book has more pages! The things that happen were not the same with the book either. With Christmas Harry gets a broom from Sirius, in the movie he gets it at the end. Ron and Hermione are not allowed to go into the Three Broomsticks, but in the book they're hearing too that Sirius is Harry's godfather. And so there more things that are wrong or missing.
The new cast is casted well, like David Thewlis as Remus Lupin, Gary Oldman as Sirius Black, Timothy Spall as Peter Pettigrew. The animations are very good, like buck beak, Hagrid's monster book for his classes, the dementors etc. I really loved the scene when Harry flies on Buckbeak. They filmed that so well.
Of course, the third book is hard to film, because there happen a lot of things and the scenes that Harry and Hermione are going back in time are very good too, but little thins are missing, that did happen in the first movies. And who knows, the fourth movie is in theaters now, and maybe that one is the best.

The movie in the continuation of Harry potter series has somehow dissapointed a bit. The movie has gone to a bit serious side and has acquired a darkism. The movie is about Sirius Black,a prisoner in Azkaban who is rumored was a part of Voldemort's army has escaped from azkaban. Azkaban is a jail for wizards guarded by creatures called dementors who suck out the soul in the most painful way possible. The movie moves at a slow pace and in the end harry comes to realize that Sirius on the other hand was the friend of his father and mother who were killed by voldemort.Therefore,he helps sirius to escape from dementors.
One-time watch but not much as compared to previous installments of the Harry Potter Series.