Near perfection

Rating: 8/10 (21 June 2004)

Everything that I disliked or criticized about the previous two Harry Potter films (which I absolutely didn't like) were masterfully done in the third installment of the series, `Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'. Alfonso Cuaron's direction is a triumph  even scenes that I was cringing in anticipation over based on earlier CGI work, (the Quidditch match, the werewolves, etc.) were brilliant. Overall, the film was a lot darker, a lot meatier, and had an exponential amount of style over its predecessors. Among the many amazing techniques that could be mentioned, Cuaron briefly introduces hand-held camera work, experimental use of color in various scenes, and best of all, not being a fan of the fantasy genre, steady pacing that never once allowed me to be bored.
Possible spoilers
Of course, making this next statement is dangerous because I may eat my words after seeing the fourth installment, but it is encouraging to see that as Harry Potter gets older and edgier, the films do the same. This could solely be attributed to Cuaron's direction; only time will tell. The best assessment of this film is that coming from a highly critical, general hater of fantasy film viewer, there were only two miniscule criticisms I had regarding this film. One of them was the cheesy way the film ended, (meaning, the last three seconds) and the other is quite possibly my own fault, and that is the very neat and quick turnaround of Sirius Black. I was a bit confused as to how in one moment, Harry was in peril and the next, everything was cleared up rather easily, but again, that may just be a misunderstanding on my own part.
The bottom line is that this is a first-rate film that (again, not an easy thing for a cynical viewer like me to say) truly is a film for any generation to enjoy. There are many other films that are accredited with this distinction (Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Disney cartoons) but this is one of the first times I actually agree with them. The aforementioned films that I have seen, I feel, do not translate well into adult viewership; the most that can be said is that the film is `cute'. `Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' is not `cute', it is a bona fide good film and it has done what the first two films of the series couldn't do  not only thoroughly enjoy myself, but give me a reason to see the next installment.
--Shelly