Harry Potter and the New Lease of Life

Rating: 7/10 (23 July 2004)

Harry Potter is one of those phenomenons that you either get or you don't. Having a little sister who has read all of the books and is properly immersed in Potter-lore I can understand to a certain extent why kids are so enamoured by the boy wizard. I myself have read all the books over the last few years, which I enjoyed even if they were relatively unremarkable.
Being a keen film goer I have seen all the Potter films on the big screen and also on DVD. Whilst I could happily sit through the first two films they never particularly grabbed my attention, they seemed more focused on getting over as much of the information from the books than being cinematic entities in their own right. Admittedly the Chamber of Secrets marginally improved upon this but still lacked a voice of it's own. Chris Columbus shouldn't be overly criticised for his Potter offerings, it was a wise choice on his behalf to stay faithful to the books as much as he did or face the consequences of disappointing a sizeable proportion of the worlds child population. As a result of Columbus' offerings Cuaron has a much easier starting position. It is readily established that the cinematic Potter can stand on its own feet, and this allows The Prisoner of Azkaban to spread its wings a little more than its predecessors.
It has become clichéd to say the film is darker than the previous outings (see the Lost World: Jurassic Park or Back to the Future II) but in this case it's true, not just in tone but in the look of the film. Hardly a frame goes by where the mise-en-scene is not shrouded in shadow or the action pounded by rain. In terms of the story (many claim Azkaban to be the better of the Potter books) there is an improvement on the first two films, with a significant change to structure, which was already becoming tiresome (welcome to Hogwarts, something strange is going on, quick Harry face Voldemort). Credit here must go to Cloves who was again on screenplay duties, who now seems comfortable enough with the material to be able to steer away from the source more effectively this time around. The result is a much better paced script that is structured more like a film than episodes 1 and 2 which were if anything guilty of being too worthy to the book, which does not make for a good film (Does anyone remember Sphere?).
The truncated script is served well by Curaons swift atmospheric direction.
Even though Hogwarts had magic in the earlier films Curaons vision of the school is something else altogether more mysterious and often sinister, which suits the storyline and the theme of self discovery, the passage of time and the realisation of the adult world. Curaon and his director of photography Michael Seresin use the camera wonderfully to further evoke these themes. The camera passes through the workings of the Hogwarts tower onto the faces of the main trio on numerous occasions each time effectively reinforcing the narrative not detracting from it. The cinematography allows the audience to become more involved with the events rather than just a voyeur.
Despite the shorter running time and general better pacing the principle characters are given more room to grow, we get a much better feeling for the way relationships are developing between the principle trio, especially Ron and Hermione. Unfortunately due to the more streamlined script some of the more interesting elements are left out including any real input by Snape (the always enjoyable Rickman) who is Potters Trump card a character of genuine interest and divided loyalties. Although by sideline some elements of the book it does give the main actors opportunity to shine, the three main kids whilst not outstanding are now much more comfortable with their roles, I genuinely hope for the sake of the films they are not replaced. In terms of the adults both Thewlis and Oldman come out with their reputations as serious actors untarnished, Blacks (Oldman) first encounter with Harry is a genuine standout moment. Also of note is Gabon as Dumbledore who while he does not exert the same ominous presence as Richard Harris provides a much more enjoyable headmaster and a far more likable character.
This is however not to say the film is without fault, the Dursleys prologue has now become tiresome (I've heard a rumour they are to be dropped from Potter 4). The first half of the film whilst enjoyable stays too close to the format of the previous films, the major changes only come in the third act. Most disappointing for me however were the dementors, whilst they were an impressive design and had some genuinely creepy moments I thought their potential was somewhat wasted considering the importance of their presence. Although I have sung praise for the shortened script elements which will become of importance in later films have unfortunately been glossed over which may create problems later on but all in all Potter 3 is a highly entertaining family film
7 out of 10
Oh and before I finish. Those who remember the geography of Hogwarts from the first two film may also be a little confused by the sudden tectonic activity that seems to have afflicted the Hogsmead area. I personally prefer the setting in the stunning Glencoe but some may be perturbed by the lack of continuity, children can however be persuaded it's magic.