Interesting visuals that fail to make up for poor Storytelling.

Rating: 7/10 (5 June 2004)

First off the VISUAL STYLE of this film was very artistic and dark. It went in a new direction that tossed aside the established world of wonder that Chris Columbus set us up with in the first two films. In some ways this is good, in others distracting and uncomfortable.
Visual effects aside THE STORY exposition presents many problems for this film. What we have come to see is the story of these teenagers and their conflicts, climaxes and resolutions. In this film their is little of that.
While Cuaran says that he wants to emphasize the feels of conflict inside these teenagers, he manages to gloss over it. From the onset of the film we begin with quick forced plot points given as fast as possible with no time to breathe. Sometimes its a good idea to stop and let the audience feel what is happening inside these people. That said, there was not enough exposition to cover the story. Cuaran touches on things and lets them die without embellishing on them at all. Columbus never let that happen. In this film we simply find no follow through. The film needed to be longer.
SPOILERS We start at the Dursleys and without any preamble we are introduced to Aunt Marge. We know nothing of the relationship between her and Harry and we know nothing about why he despises her. After he gets angry and blows her up, he flees into the night. Here we have no sense of why he is worried about what he has done. He wanders out and is taken by Knightbus to The Leaky Cauldron during this time he learns of Sirius Black. Good moments of time spent on Diagon Ally are tossed out, and after this it is off to Hogwarts. On the train we are introduced to the dementors and Professor Lupin, played by Thewlis who has a certain warmth to him that you attach to.
At Hogwarts we see Dumbledore again, this time of course played by Michael Gambon. Gambon has a certain batty and stern but humorous sense about him, but very much lacks any of the wistfulness that Harris brought to the part. Throughout the next forty or so minutes. The Hogwarts year passes by completely. This is far to short too cover all that needs to be covered before Harry meets Sirius at the end.
We are briefly introduced to Lupin's teaching methods and Harry's fear of the Dementors. The subject of Harry's parents and their connection to Lupin, Sirius and Pettigrew is barely touched. Harry's desire to go to Hogsmead is not well supported, as his permission slip requirements are not truly discussed in the beginning of the film. Harry plays Quidditch only once and falls off his broom which is destroyed. He gets the Marauder's Map from Fred and George. The map is well done but is hardly seen. He goes into town and McGonagall conveniently divulges the facts on Sirius and his relation to the Potters. This whole scene is forced and way too quick to really let it sink in.
There are several scenes where Lupin and Harry are for some reason walking though the grounds and Harry expresses his need to learn the Patronus Charm. After one session however he has it down. He also sees Pettigrew on the map well ahead of the scene in the Shak and it makes the ending less interesting. Hagrid only has one class that we see, the Buckbeak scene. After this Buckbeak is sentenced. At no time do we really see Hagrid distraught like we have in the past. So you never truly care for the Hippogriff. Twelawny's class is only seen twice and each time not much is revealed. She never makes the predictions she should that set her up as a mystic and later a fraud. As we leave Buckbeak's supposed execution Sirius in dog form drags Ron and his rat off under the Williow. Here comes a quick anti-climactic scene where Sirius reveals himself and Lupin comes in to stop him, realizes who he is and embraces him. Of course at no point did they establish the friendship of Lupin and Black. Then Snape pops in for no apparent reason and tries to stop the lot of them. They stop snape reveal the rat and Harry decides spare him. Lupin is then transformed into a werewolf. Sirius shouts to ask if he has taken his potion. Of course we know nothing about any potion because this part between Snape and Lupin, which would also serve to explain why Snape was there, is completely left out. Pettigrew then gets away, Sirius chase Lupin off and Harry follows.
There is a scene which is the dementors flocking down on Harry and Sirius, and then Harry thinks his father sends a Patronus charm to aid them. He awakes in the castle and Dumbledore indicates that Hermione must use a Timeturner to help them aid Buckbeak and Sirius, which they then do. At the end of the film Harry speaks briefly to Lupin, where instead of providing any explanation as to the map, or Pettigrew, he says he is proud of Harry and must leave the school. Then Harry goes down and receives his Firebolt. This is the same one that plays an important point in the book. However, Cuaran left out all of Christmas at Hogwarts and the Firebolt and its importance. Instead it is used to end the film with Harry flying into the air and a freeze frame of his smiling face fading to black.
I hate to rant on a film, but this lacked any sense of a climax. In parts there was little to indicate true conflict or resolution and no explanation of key elements of the story. The directing loses its vision early on. It is funny yes, but a series of Ron's jokes and Hermione's right hooks don't make up for a serious breach of storytelling. My overall score is 4/10.