New Director Invigorates the Potter Series.

Rating: 9/10 (6 June 2004)

(No spoilers review)
First off, I have read all of the books and seen all of the movies. I followed development of this movie closely, as there was a new director, and this being one of my favorite Potter books. I was both excited and worried with the new director, his new vision, and some of the Internet news and first pictures to be released had me scared.
I had nothing to worry about.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is an amazing book, and has been turned into an excellent movie! The new director is exactly what the series needed. Christopher Columbus (director of the first two movies) did an amazing job bringing Potter to the screen with the first two movies, and is to be praised for his work. Yet the second movie was lacking. It didn't have the same energy, and if it continued down this path, the movies could become very stale. Christopher knew this as he admitted he was exhausted, and I don't blame him. So Alfonso Cuarón was hired as the new director, but Chris still stood on as producer.
With Harry and his friends now teenagers, they are experiencing new emotions and feelings, and Alfonzo captures them in just the right amount. In the first major scene, you truly saw Harry angry, you knew he would not back down, as well as the motives behind it, and it was done oh so well. The movie was freed by using more hand-held steadicam shots, and one nice long tracking shot I wished was even longer. Film is a visual medium, and this movie does not disappoint visually. The way the camera moved in and out of objects, up and down, and the use of more perspective angles brought so much more life and feeling to the movie, and it was never overused. Special effects are used all throughout the movie to further the story and draw you into the world even more. Buckbeak the Hippogriff was astounding, blending in so seamlessly with the actors and environment, realistic movements, and truly felt like a real creature and not a special effect. When you have an excellent cast, and great direction, you only get great performances. Each character was played with realism and true human emotion. The Harry Potter series is not a kid's book, as it is a book for all ages to enjoy, many times with mature and complex subjects. Alfonzo invigorated the Harry Potter movie series with new life, allowed it to grow and mature like the characters are, and brought it back to the level it should be, and then some.
I loved the new ideas for their clothes. When in classes, they wore their uniforms. But they are teenagers wanting to be unique, original, and stand out, so it is only natural they would have their shirts untucked and ties loose. Some conformed with their attire and wore it properly, others did not. When not in classes they wore normal street clothes. What a brilliant move! This alone made the characters real teenagers, each one with a voice that wanted to be heard.
Is it exactly like the book? No, and that's a good thing when it comes to a movie. Most people do not understand that books and movies are two different mediums. If you translate a book literally, word for word, scene by scene into a movie, it may be very accurate, but it will be a long and boring movie. Peter Jackson knew this, and Lord of the Rings trilogy was chopped up and rearranged a lot, but it made such a great movie. The first Potter movie followed the book very faithfully, but also remember, it was the shortest of the books and the future books don't get any smaller. It is the screenwriter's job to translate a book into a good movie by making a 'screenplay' by changing dialogue, moving scenes around, even taking out scenes and characters that do not further the story. Steven Kloves (the screenwriter on all three Potter movies) has done an excellent job, and I am glad he is working on the fourth & fifth movies. The movie pacing does go quick, but remember, this is a book that took many hours to read condensed into a 2 hour 19 minute movie. I feel that the pace was good and the editing was smooth.
J.K. Rowling (the writer of the Potter series) even told Alfonzo to not literally follow the book, but follow the spirit of the book. By doing this, he is accurate to the Potter's universe, but not dragged down by having to do everything literally. She even encouraged him to create and throw around ideas. Sure some things were added and changed. Some scenes and characters were taken out or moved around. But did this hurt the movie?
Not at all. In fact, it freed it. The screenwriter has to take out scenes or characters that do not move the story forward, alter scenes, add things, and condense for pacing, all to make a better movie.
After seeing the movie twice, I only have a few minor complaints. One complaint makes a plot line of the story way to obvious to the audience, but with a second viewing, it serves as a misdirection. My other complaint was that something was not explained in this movie that maybe should have been, but can be easily explained in the 4th movie. My third, and maybe biggest complaint was right when the movie started out, he was practicing magic outside of school, something he is forbidden to do, and didn't do in the book. But did I let these complaints of mine destroy the entire movie? Not at all!
I have read many negative (as well as positive) reviews of this movie. Not once has anyone who criticizes this movie and writes it off completely with one of their 'reviews' been logical or made sense. If you are going to put down this movie, at least make some valid points. Some of them were so wrong with their reviews, I wonder if they had their eyes open when they watched the movie, or even watched the movie at all!
If you want a rehash of the first two movies, which apparently the negative reviewers want, then go watch them again. If you want a literal translation of the book, have someone stand in front of you for many many hours reading the book while you sit and eat popcorn. If you want a great movie based off of a great book, filled with emotion, fear, tension, friendship, and wonder, go see Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.