Potter just keeps getting better

Rating: 7/10 (6 June 2004)

I don't read books. I have mentioned this in reviews before, but every time a Harry Potter movie comes out, I feel embarrassed that I am one of what seems only a handful of people that have never cracked open a J.K. Rowling experience.
It's not that I can't read or that I don't have the time, it's just that I find it simpler to have a director tell me a story on the screen from their interpretation of a book or screenplay. The best books and stories are usually purchased by Hollywood anyways, so by the time I finally get to the back cover of any purchase, the movie version would be nearing the end of its multiplex run anyhow.
So when I went to see the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, I immediately felt out of place with the young pre-teen kids in the line both in front and behind telling their parental guides what their best parts of the book were and what scenes they are most looking forward too. They seemed to be foaming at the mouth in anticipation while my lone spark of interest was the fact that the reins of the franchise had been turned over to director Alfonso Cuaron who also is accredited with the wonderfully, 2003 Oscar nominated film Y Tu Mama Tambien.
Such a curious choice as the first two Potter films had been incredibly successful under the watchful eye of Chris Columbus who was known for his family films like Mrs. Doubtfire and Home Alone. Cauron, on the other hand, has a much darker side as evidenced in the sexually driven Tambien and his 1998 adaptation of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. I was then peaked when it was announced that Cauron vision would be applied to the next Potter film and thus my standing in line with a group of rabid looking kids who I had no doubt will cheer as soon as the theatre lights dim.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the third of the Potter books totaling five and this installment follows the growing Potter gang as Harry is faced with the threat of convicted murderer Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) who has escaped from Azkaban prison and is expected to try and kill our young Potter as per his former masters' wishes.
Of course, the books and movies would not be as popular as what they are if it wasn't for an array of magic, special effects, and mythical creatures and maybe even a plot twist or two to help keep us on our toes. And rest assured, this adaptation has them all. The special effects are top rate including the Dementors who are sent to protect Hogwart's and the tree outside the school, that later plays a big part in the climax, is both fascinating and provides some humor. There is a creature in the film that is a cross between a horse and a bird that was too Harryhausen for my tastes, but I am sure it made for a wonderful character in the book and therefore I can't complain that they kept things consistent.
Pretty much every actor in Britain plays a role in the Prisoner of Azkaban. Emma Thompson, Maggie Smith, David Thewlis, Michael Gambon (who steps into the role vacated due to the death of Richard Harris), and the Julies (Christie and Walters) all show up on screen at one time or another. I guess anyone that couldn't get work in Altman's Gosford Park joined a collective and put their efforts into this film. Gary Oldman is one of the newbees to the set and he does the best with what is a very limited and understated part. The three main characters of Potter and his two best friends are back, and it will be interesting to see them in the next Potter movie as Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are now in their mid-teens and no longer the young wizards they were just three years ago.
It's always hard when it comes to the third film of a franchise. Return of the Jedi is more of an embarrassment each time I watch it (sorry, Ewoks), The Lord of the Rings and the Matrix third entries also were a disappointment. But the Potter films seem to be getting stronger each time. I will no doubt agree that the change of director this time round was instrumental in bringing a darker storyline to the table, but to continue to better your achievements in both story and screen presentation each time is a feat not often achieved.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was a delight. It was a children's movie with adult situations and effects and the story was complex enough to even have me wondering to myself how it was all going to tie in together in the end. Now, I won't pick up the next book just because of my recommendation here, but I will ensure I have a ticket for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire due out in 2005.
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