A definite improvement on the previous films and worth the wait!

Rating: Null/10 (31 May 2004)

I have been waiting for this film for a very long time, ever since I read the 3rd book and, after seeing the previews, I knew it would be something special. I believe the films are improving each time so I now have high expectations for the next one. One reason for this improvement would be that the leading cast members (Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson) now seem to be much more comfortable in their roles and achieve much more convincing performances this time around. I also think that Alfonso Cuarón has created a much darker atmosphere in this film than that of the first two and I am just sad that he will not be returning for the "Goblet of Fire". Gary Oldman, who I already considered a great actor, provides a very enjoyable performance as Sirius Black despite the small amount of screen time he is given. The Dementors were portrayed brilliantly and their animation was superb. The only disappointment I had was that the film had quite a few differences to the book. Anyone who has not read the books would not have found major holes in the plot but I, having read the book quite recently, noticed quite a few details missing from the film and parts of the plot that i think would have worked well on screen. Also, some things are never properly explained, such as how Sirius actually escaped from Azkaban in the first place.
However, that was my ONLY problem with this film and i will definitely be seeing it again. I highly recommend it to anyone Harry Potter fan who has not yet seen it (as long as you don't expect it to be completely true to the book).