Sometimes, Change is Good

Rating: 10/10 (6 June 2004)

I have been reading some of the comments and reviews for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and most of what I have read have been comments on how disappointing the overall movie itself was. Especially to the people who have read all of the books and who are adamant on staying faithful to the books and having the whole story involved in the film. Some of the comments I agree with. Like for instance, the movie was a little bit choppy, certain scenes in the movie were not explained in full detail, and at times the scenery and props like the Whomping Willow , Hagrid's House, and Hogwarts itself was completely invisioned in a different way than what we were use to in Chris Columbus'first two versions and that can be a shock and in a way weird to us fans but Columbus and Cuaron' are two totally different directors and they each had an interpretation and vision of what Harry's world would look like. To me, Cuaron' captured a more realistic approach to the film and he allowed a more dark, organic, and even daring feel to POA. I think he did a great job of combining more natural elements with the world of magic. There is nothing wrong with change if you have an open enough mind to except it. Harry, Hermoine, and Ron are growing into young adults with adult problems and adult situations and the overall tone of the film coincides with that growth. I give the man much respect and props for being so bold as to completely unveil his version of POA without the sugarcoating and child like qualities that the first two movies had. Harry Potter is geared towards children but all children grow up. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, like I said before in my first review, has it's minor filming flaws but was fantastic in my eyes and I can't wait for all of the other films. I will be very interested in how Mike Newell will interpret Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.