Anorexic

Rating: 5/10 (12 January 2006)

There are some sensationalist reviews here that believe the hype that everything Harry Potter is great and give the movie five stars regardless (the book of Azkaban was definitely a 5 starrer) but this movie ain't so great I'm afraid.
Prisoner of Azkaban is my fave Harry Potter book so far (and was more than welcome after the weak Chamber of Secrets) but the translation from book to film loses 90% of JK Rowling's story.
Every single second, every frame of this film is utterly devoted to being nothing but pure exposition for a plot that has no mystery intrigue. If you have read the book then there isn't much point in seeing this as you'll already know the twist. But I didn't want this to bias my opinion so I gave it a go anyway.
As I have said, there are no subplots. Everything focuses on the Sirius Black story. Character development and mystery are non-existent. It almost feels as if Harry, Ron and Hermione are the only students at Hogwarts because no one else gets a mention and Draco Malfoy is reduced to wimpy, comic-relief. The strangest change of all is the presence of Dudley (a funny character) with NO dialogue at all.
I liked Professor Lupin in the book, he was a rebel, renegade teacher who broke the rules and was one of the best mentors Harry has ever had. In the movie he doesn't do much and the character never really comes through. Same goes for Snape (a character I am liking more and more), he barely has two lines to say. Michael Gambon as the new Dumbledore is cool and naturally authoritative but he's got nowt to do either. Emma Thompson as Professor Trelawny has five minutes of screen time and Hagrid has two scenes.
The relationship between every character and situation is very much defined in the book. In the film all of that is stripped away in order to tell the Sirius Black story as quickly as possible. Which would be fine if the Sirius Black story could make the film stand on its own but it doesn't.
Alfonso Cuaron may bring a new look to the film and a more modern edge but I blame him and Steven Kloves for the hasty rearranging and muddling of JK Rowling's story. Sure, some sacrifices had to be made in adaptation but they've diluted the story to the point of obscurity.
There were rumors of Goblet of Fire being released as two separate parts (ala Kill Bill) but Mike Newell got overambitious and stripped about 90% of the story out of that one too. At this rate, Order of the Pheonix, will be the worst yet.
For a much more atmospheric and exciting mystery try Young Sherlock Holmes. A film with many alarming similarities to the Harry Potter world. This movie may look good with a new director doing a fresh take on the Harry Potter universe but there are so many restrictions weighing this franchise down and it's REALLY beginning to show.