Fabulous Filming Amidst the Fatal Flubs

Rating: 7/10 (14 August 2004)

I have to admit, I'm a huge fan of Harry Potter. I probably have the books memorized. And "Prisoner of Azkaban" is my favorite of the books. So I was well psyched for the movie. And it didn't disappoint. For the most part. The actual cinematography was so much cleaner and better than the first two films. The visual effects were also much tighter and more believable. Sirius as Snuffles was so well done, with a nice tip of the hat to "The Nothing" from "The Neverending Story." Lupin as a werewolf was pretty cool, not because it was necessarily well done, but because he was clearly a werewolf and not a regular wolf or dog. The new look of the Hogwarts castle and grounds was really more with the mood of the books, if not consistent with the other movies. My main complaints are that the director (Alfonso Cuaron) had never even read the books before being approached about directing "Prisoner of Azkaban", so he didn't have any investment in the series or any passion for it. Also, he took a lot of the fun and humor out of the story and kept in things that were unnecessary or lingered too long on certain subjects. The scene where Malfoy, Crab, and Goyle dress as a dementor to scare Harry is one of the most hilarious parts of the book, and I was incredibly disappointed about its disclusion. Finally, why why, oh why, did they change Lupin's relationship from being best friends with Harry's dad to Harry's mom. Lupin's friendship with James Potter, and thus with Sirius and Wormtail is MASSIVELY important to "The Order of the Pheonix" and it is just stupid and confusing that the relationship was changed.
Although I like Cuaron as a director, these films would benefit more from someone intimately acquainted with these books and the story, and someone who would keep in the important bits, trim out the unnecessary stuff, all the while keeping the humor and essential story details intact.