Decent third installment

Rating: 8/10 (17 August 2007)

It's year three at Hogwarts for Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Some may wonder how the trio has grown so much since the last movie. It's simple. While Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban are only one year apart in the story, the movies were filmed two years apart. In storyline the three kids are 13 years old.
The acting is good, but not as good as the first two films. I think Emma Watson's acting in this one is somewhat rusty. Daniel Radcliffe also has a few rough spots. Maybe it's an age conflict or something. They're playing characters younger than themselves in the teen range. I will be fair and say they both have some good highlights in the film. Rupert Grint managed to keep his character well portrayed the best. Professor Dumbledore is being played by a new actor, since Richard Harris died after the second film. Whether the new actor is better or worse is really up to the viewer. I don't see much difference. Alan Rickman is doing a terrific job as the harsh professor Severus Snape, whose character is becoming more important.
This installment is slightly awkward and can be confusing if you don't pay close attention. There are three new characters important to Harry's past: The new defense against the dark arts teacher(RJ Lupin), Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. There's also the introduction of more creatures, like werewolves and Hippogryphs. The plot is very confusing, so I'll only mention the easy parts. Sirius Black is a convicted murderer who has escaped from Azkaban, and it's believed he wants to destroy Harry Potter and revive Voldemort. Dementors, the creatures who guard Azkaban, are searching everywhere, and are for some reason drawn to Harry. Eventually Harry comes to believe that Sirius betrayed his parents, and only when the three new characters previously mentioned are brought together, does Harry learn the truth.
Harry, Hermione, and Ron are definitely growing up and maturing in this third installment. You'll see the best-friend relationship between Hermione and Harry get a little stronger. Whenever Harry is in trouble or gets hurt, Hermione is right there with him. Whenever he passes out, he wakes up and Hermione is sitting next to him, wanting to know if he's all right. At one point she holds Harry and tells Siruis if he wants to kill Harry he'll have kill Hermione and Ron as well. You'll also see really clear evidence that Hermione and Ron like each other. There's a shot where they briefly hold hands and get embarrassed, and a scene where Hermione asks if they should move closer while observing a haunted building. This movie also introduces traveling back in time, and this is the first movie where Harry casts a spell that shows just how great his powers can be. A pretty good movie for the series, but pay attention or you may be confused.