A tough third year for Harry

Rating: 7/10 (6 September 2005)

Following both the Harry Potter books and the progress made on the films has been fascinating, not least in guessing what will remain in the film and what won't.
It is Harry's third year at Hogwarts and already there he is in trouble both with his horrible adopted family (the dreadful Dursleys) and with the Ministry of Magic for finally getting fed of them and leaving but not before swelling his aunt to the size of a small air balloon and sending her flying. Picked up by the Knights Bus (I wish we had one of those), Harry finds himself back into the world he knows and loves much sooner. But, unlike other children, there is trouble in his direction - in the form of Sirius Black, escaped convict and possible traitor to Harry's dead parents.
The film concentrates quite well on the key points: the dementors (shades of Tolkien's ringwraiths creeping in here) and Sirius Black as well as Harry's struggles with his life situation (Voldemort wants him dead and he has to live in the holidays with the Dursleys). All this and Quidditch and, of course, growing up.
This film is considerably more grown up than the other two. Radcliffe is able to give the character a much needed shot of teenage stroppiness and inject some frustration as Harry realises that he has much to overcome as well. He is helped in his task by Professor Lupin, his new Defence against the dark arts teacher who helps Harry considerably against the dementors and gives him more much needed insights into his parents' own characters by revealing what his father really was like. Added to that, Gary Oldman is perfect as escaped convict and would be murderer Sirius Black.
My only disappointment is that Gambon was perhaps not the right choice for Professor Dumbledore, playing him more like an elderly old hippy grandfather given to muttering strange stuff than the old, wise grandfather Dumbledore which was Harris'. Hopefully after the Goblet of Fire - he can settle into the role.