Effervescent, If Impish "Potter" Installment

Rating: Null/10 (4 October 2004)

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban", despite what you might be led to believe, is not an overly curious, "scary" installment to the "Potter" franchise. It's a harmless, sometimes tepid, children's adventure into the world of magic, featuring Potter and company on the search for an escaped convict who is luring about Hogwarts. Sometimes, the adventure of "Potter" can be vivacious, lurid, and effervescent, particularly the zany tour bus rescue chase. Then again, it has its tedious and complacent qualities, particularly when the "heroes" band together to solve the great mystery at hand, and the congenial, whimsical theme of magic is deviated to one of impish and tepid "mystery". Call me an ignorant cynic, who has yet to read a single "Potter" book, but as a curious film buff who demands a degree of action, comedic, and intelligent qualities in my movies, there were some very long, eventless sequences in this film which had me perplexed and even tired. Of course, a vibrant premise such as this must have a conflict, yet the idea of junior wizards exploiting a dangerous criminal was a tad too juvenile for me to enjoy. The film succeeds in its dazzling tale of a world of magic spells, congenial haunts, and zany escapades, yet not quite enough satisfaction to warrant a genuine recommendation. However, it's the fairest "Potter" yet, if that's worth acknowledging. **1/2 out of ****