Franchise Jumps in to Darker, more Thrilling, Territories,

Rating: 8/10 (18 December 2015)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a terrific movie with a very well developed storyline and an outstanding cast. It's a great third installment for the franchise, while a third film is normally when they start to fall flat, this loses no creative energy and clearly has much more story left to tell, and we are in no way sick of these characters yet either. Though I mostly find it to be a delightful entry in to the series, I did feel that it was a bit too dark, there wasn't really any gradual increase in the tone of storytelling that is light and simple in the Chamber of Secrets, to being much more sinister and severe here, I just felt the transition could have been more natural. The cast continues to delight as they deliver more dramatic and intense performances than the previous two movies, regulars such as Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman and Robbie Coltrane are all outstanding, and newcomers Gary Oldman, Timothy Spall, Emma Thompson and Michael Gambon, who is terrific in his first portrayal of Dumbledore after the death of the great Richard Harris, they all add that extra depth that make these movies so much fun. A darker story that will have you at the edge of your seat, I would recommend Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban to anyone looking for a good adventure or family film.
In Harry's third year at Hogwarts, he becomes confronted with new problems as an escaped criminal is after him.
Best Performance: Daniel Radcliffe