The Best of the Series, and the Best Summer Release thus far.

Rating: Null/10 (17 June 2004)

First, I have to say that I have never read a Harry Potter book. Although I know several people, including my wife, who LOVE the books, and they have had very positive responses to this series of films. For a non-reader of the books, I have come to love Harry Potter through the films. Many believe that since the films are not strict enough to their adherence of the source material, they shouldn't even bother. I can't argue with that since I have never read any of the books, since the films are so good, I don't really intend to anytime soon. I actually dreaded the first of the Harry Potter films ("...and the Sorcerer's Stone") but after its release on DVD, I really enjoyed it. I found the cast to be incredible, particularly its three young stars whose talent belies their age. The second film "...and the Chamber of Secrets" was even more enjoyable since the film got to play with the characters more without the pains of exposition. I found that Chris Columbus, who I thought was a relatively talented screenwriter but not a very good director, finally started taking some cues from his mentor, Steven Spielberg, for his work on the first two Potter films. Now we have a new director in Alfonso Cuaron and a very different tone to the series. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" is much darker in tone, in story, and in pallette than either of the previous films. The performances are stronger and more mature and the subject matter is decidedly less child-friendly. This film is literally and figuratively Harry Potter's puberty; a time of great change and fear and development. Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson are all pitch-perfect in this film, as are the newest members of the story, Professor Lupin (Another brilliant performance by the great David Thewlis) and Sirius Black (the always fascinating Gary Oldman). This film should almost have been called "Chamber of More Secrets" since the film has so many vast and important revelations that the world of Harry Potter will change forever. I almost forgot to mention the wonderful Alan Rickman, who once again reprising his role as the serpentine Professor Severus Snape, has a much larger part to play in this film and in Harry's future. This film also is forced to deal with the very unfortunate loss of Sir Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore, but bounces back because of the great Michael Gambon taking the character in not a different direction, but certainly a change from the sage-like saintly portrayal of Harris's into more of a spry and jocular Dumbledore, one who can command respect but still has a great twinkle in his eye. All in all, this is a great film, not just as a piece of summer escapism, but as a real film that could hold its own against almost any of the recent award-winning films.