Best of three.

Rating: 8/10 (23 November 2004)

This is definitely the best Harry Potter movie to date. I am actually quite surprised that this film got by the MPAA with only a PG rating (It really feels like it should have been PG-13.) And that's a good thing. Cuaron's direction is much darker than Columbus' previous two and the three main leads seem more comfortable in there roles than ever before. The performances are much stronger and the subject matter is much more developed than what we've come to expect from this franchise. Cuaron's transitions between scenes and the note on which he ends the film (Does anyone remember freeze-frames?) really add to the visual style and in my opinion give the film a much more ominous impact. Not to mention that there is barely a frame in this film with any sunlight (Think Tim Burton's Batman.) The end result is a very engrossing and entertaining mainstream film that will be enjoyed by even the most sophisticated moviegoer but may actually scare the little ones a bit!