Third installment grows and darkens with the characters

Rating: Null/10 (22 June 2004)

Even with the attention to detail of a ridiculous fan and the love of the Harry Potter books the third film in this series should not in any way disappoint.
As Cuarón has stated in multiple press releases this film is an "interpretation" of the themes from Rowling's novel, where the previous films had been attempts at direct recreation from the text. Cuarón's vision for the film is one that brings in the inevitable battle people reach as they mature from childhood to adulthood and the shifting alliances one experiences. The film he has crafted is one of stunning visual tableau's so that aside from the story itself it is a simply beautiful film. However, he artfully leads the audience through the complex intermingling of plot lines inherent to the book. The visual and emotional style of Cuarón's previous films (especially 'Y tu mamá también' and 'A Little Princess') is evident in this third installment of the Harry Potter series helping to bridge the change between the innocent (and more than slightly cheesy) world created by Christopher Columbus while setting the tone for the upcoming events in the next few books.
Avid fans of the books will notice more than just a few missing elements while those who have only seen the first two films will find that the shift in Sirius Black's intentions seems a bit muddled.
Overall an audience member at any level of Harry Potter fan-dom (or lack thereof) will be able to view the film and from that distill something of interest/enjoyment for themselves.