Same old story

Rating: Null/10 (30 June 2004)

Despite what you may have heard, Prisoner of Azkaban is very much like the other two Harry Potter movies. I think it's a safe bet that people who liked the first two will like this one. On the other hand, if you didn't like one or both of the others, this one has the same flaws. Prisoner of Azkaban is a little more dark and scary, and the three kids act more like teens. But it's really the same basic story line. Harry can't get along with his aunt and uncle. He performs a few magic tricks. In short order, he returns to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry along with friends, Ron and Hermione. At the school, the three friends attend various classes in magic and are harassed by Malfoy. After a game or two of Quiddich, Harry encounters some supernatural menace, which by the end of the movie, he is able to overcome. The Potter movies, like the books on which they are based, seem to appeal more to children and their mothers than to other demographics. They don't have the universal appeal of classic children's movies like The Wizard of Oz and E T, the Extraterrestrial. Rupert Grint (Ron) and Emma Watson (Hermione) get to do more acting this time around (especially Watson), but unfortunately, neither is up to the task. They are caught in that awkward in-between stage that many child actors go through. They are too old to just act cute but haven't yet learned the craft of acting. They both fare no better than the typical teen actor on the Disney Channel.