This film is holding no one prisoner

Rating: 9/10 (18 March 2013)

Harry Potter was a fantastic and well thought up series. The first and second films were pretty mature for children's movies, and I still admired their stories. However, I can see why they didn't pay up plot-wise to Prisoner of Azkaban. First things first, I'm a little reluctant about series that are directed by a numerous amount of directors. It gets... messy. However, this one film is the exception. Alfonso knows what he was doing.
1) New variety of camera techniques. Although I didn't like the fade/circle transitions as much, I enjoyed a lot of the hand-held camera work. You don't see it a lot in filmmaking today.
2) The acting. It seems as though Emma Watson has completely changed as an actress in this film and on. Her acting in the first two films are what some would call dim-witted... ironically. The characters are more realistic and actually have feelings.
3) Conflict. Yes, I know there is conflict in every film out there. What most people forget is that most of the conflict needs to be directed towards the main character. Harry almost gets killed by Voldemort in the first film. Harry almost gets eaten by a basilisk in the second film, sure. But it's not enough. Harry falls off his broomstick. He gets yelled at by a teacher who's close to him (which is quite new to the series, frankly). He almost gets his soul sucked out by dementors. A lot of writers are afraid of hurting their main characters.
4) It's emotionally grounded. It's rare to see movies that have this sort of phenomena. Hermione and Hagrid are in love with the hippogrif, despite how harsh of a creature it is. We see Harry's hatred (for the first time) for the person/people who aided in the deaths of his parents. He believes that his own father was the one who drew the dementors away when he almost got his soul sucked out - and it's the first thought he comes across once he awakens from a coma.
5) The motifs. It's also rare to see these in movies, as well! There is the very important and reappearing motif of time in this film, both visually and audibly. There is one entrance to the school that everyone seems to use - and, incidentally, the base of this entrance is a giant clock tower standing like a monolith over a nice atrium. During the entire time travel portion of the film, the faint sound of a stopwatch is heard... for the entire duration from time travel, to climax, to rescuing Sirius.
6) The climax itself. Enough said. After Harry and Hermione have travelled back in time and are awaiting their previous fates to take place, Harry brings up the rescue between him and Sirius to Hermione. She claims that only a real powerful wizard could have conjured it. Harry believes it to be his father - and when it comes time for Harry's 'past self' to be rescued from the dementors, it's Harry who rescues himself. He was the powerful wizard after all.
7) Almost everything had meaning. I'm tired of watching films that include things that don't have much meaning or use to the story. Why did we spend all those minutes watching Harry practice a patronus charm? Because he uses it during the climax to save himself. That's why. Why did we spend all those minutes watching the Hogwarts Express being infiltrated by dementors? Because they play a big role in the story.
I am a strong believer in the difference between good films and enjoyable films. Good films follow the formula, and is static. Enjoyable films rely on opinion and the such. However, it's rare to come across both a good film and an enjoyable film... and I know I had just passed by one.