A healthy blend of fantasy and suspense in an easily manipulative world.

Rating: 7/10 (11 July 2006)

With two Harry Potter films firmly under the belt and many other books, the phenomenon that is Harry Potter is easy to recognise and will stick with generations to come, but how does this film match up against two other reasonably successful films? Surely the curse of the sequel has to strike sooner or later. Not necessarily.
Chris Columbus is something of an auteur when it comes to family films given the fact 'Home Alone' (1990) and 'Mrs. Doubtfire' (1993) are two easily recognisable films when it comes to the genre and the first two Harry Potter films were a healthy way in which to introduce the series. This third one takes it up a level.
Oddly enough, the film starts rather blandly, almost randomly, and it takes a while to get to grips with the world of the film and in which the characters live in. This may be easier for others depending on your taste in film and knowledge of Harry Potter though. We're given a rather ridiculous and unfunny introduction to Harry Potter at home during the summer and the reminder of the cruel setting of which he lives. Everything here seems a little too forced and it's as if it's mandatory that we are told, once again, Harry isn't happy at home. It's unnecessary.
Once the film gets going, we are thrown into the world of magic and of Hogwarts, the superb setting for the film. The fantasy element is amazing and it's easily to get lost in. This is clever as you need your brain active for this film in order to follow the plot's twists and the time travel element when they arrive but at the same time, there's no shame to just simply relax and let Hogwarts take you wherever and engross you with it's entertaining quips that it has. Some techniques that I'm a big fan of in this film is the one used really early on which sets up an uncomfortable feeling you have throughout the film. Here, the example is when our three heroes are on the train and dialogue is used to build up a disturbing and uncomfortable feeling for characters know as 'dementors'. This is done, as I said, early on in the film and sets the scene brilliantly as the threat of them is there throughout and we know what they're capable of and what a threat they are. The technique is also used with Sirius Black's character.
Following on from this dialogue technique, the use of a rather disturbing and eerie scene so early on and so soon after the dialogue is another good way of making an effective film. We are told of the beings and then suddenly, we are confronted by one and we're left with the feeling if 'Hold on, this is too soon! I need more time to digest this stuff!' Clever film-making.
This happens through out the film and the timing and placing of the horror, the fantasy and the comedy, which has a couple of reoccurring jokes, is very welcome and very well done. It makes the film so much more clean and well put together. There's also a very pleasant feeling of ambiguity flowing throughout up until round about the start of the last act which keeps everything very mysterious and suspenseful. This, along with my last point, keeps the film going beautifully.
Apart from a bit of 'poker faced' acting from the heroes, nobody else puts a foot wrong in the acting department and one thing I didn't like was the confusing way in which suddenly everything is un ravelled following a plot turn. Although I'm alien to the book's content, it didn't work well for me and had to have it explained afterwards.
Don't be put off seeing this film, as it is enjoyable with a nice blend of almost everything.