Enjoyable, but lacking that certain...

Rating: Null/10 (4 June 2004)

Though the special effects and actors' performances in this film are quite good, this film seems to lack nearly all of the subtleties and nuances that made the book an enjoyable read. Granted, it would be impossible to capture all the wit and plot twists of the novel, but the writers and director seem to have sucked much of the fun and suspense out of the storyline. The result is a film that feels hurried, leaves several annoying loose-ends, and is peppered with humor that is stale rather than fun.
Perhaps the most glaring example of a worn-out joke added to the script was the pseudo-operatic performance of the Fat Lady (the portrait that served as a gateway to the Gryffindor common room), a performance that the movie's plot (and audience) could have easily done without. Though the director saw fit to include this feeble joke in the final cut, he and the writers missed several opportunities to flesh-out the film's characters and explain more about the wizarding world.
Despite these shortcomings, this is an entertaining film that is buoyed up by the performances of several of the actors. Moviegoers who have not read the novel will likely enjoy Prisoner of Azkaban. As for those people who have read the booklet's hope there will be some substantial deleted scenes on the VHS and DVD versions of this movie.