Something Wicked This Way Comes

Rating: Null/10 (17 July 2014)

It's absolutely amazing to find out what all can happen when you put a promising story that's full of imaginations, wonders & endless possibilities into the hands of a master storyteller and watch him/her elevate it to a whole new level. Breaking from the monotony of the previous 2 chapters, Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban is the first time we get a genuine taste of how magical, enchanting & mystifying the world of Harry Potter really is and the film as a whole is, in my opinion, the best installment of the Harry Potter franchise.
Based on J.K. Rowling's 3rd novel & covering Potter's adventure during his 3rd year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban is a fresh overhaul & re- evaluation of every single thing that we've seen in the series, so far, and the changes are apparent in the smallest of details this time. And now for the plot summary, Harry Potter is in danger yet again as the convicted murderer Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban (Wizard's prison) & is coming after Harry with all he's got.
Chris Columbus directed the first 2 chapters of the franchise & even though his adaptations followed the respective novels pretty closely, there is no denying that both films felt somewhat dull, boring & flavourless along with low repeat value. For this film, Alfonso Cuarón takes the director's helm and succeeds immensely in providing a refreshing outlook to the whole film with quality narration & expert execution of its technical aspects. The film deviates from the novel by a great deal but it all eventually ends up working in the film's favour.
Coming to the technical aspects, its vivid cinematography is absolutely dazzling for it adds a magical vibe to the entire film & makes terrific use of colour palette. Even something as small as transition from one scene to another or the sound made by the wand when a spell is cast ends up adding flavours of its own to the whole film & enriches the cinematic experience. Thanks to its tight editing, not a single scene feels irrelevant to the plot & even costumes get to play a major role this time.
Also, this is the final time we have John Williams composing for a Harry Potter film and although the signature theme of the franchise stays in tact, the rest of the film's score is brought from the ground up to go with its much revamped look. And from start to finish, Williams' soundtrack here provides a sense of warmth & feelings of various emotions that flows in harmony from one scene to the next. And just like the film, the soundtrack of Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban is the finest in the series & also ranks as one of Williams' finest compositions.
Coming to the performances, the young cast has matured greatly & one can see that in the excellent performances each one of them delivers this time. Amongst the recurring cast, Alan Rickman as Snape once again steals the show but the improvement in the performances of Radcliffe, Grint, Watson & Felton is worth mentioning. Michael Gambon takes over the role of Dumbledore from Richard Harris & chips in with an energetic performance. As for the new additions, it's Gary Oldman & David Thewlis who shine in their roles of Sirius Black & Prof. Lupin, respectively.
On an overall scale, Alfonso Cuarón's Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban does everything right from start to finish. It manages to find the right balance between its drama, adventure & action elements and takes a remarkably fresh approach in adapting the novel on the film canvas. Brilliantly directed, cleverly narrated, deftly scripted, nicely performed, exquisitely photographed, elegantly edited & wonderfully scored, this wicked adventure is arguably the best chapter of its series, one of the best films of its year & one of the finest works of its genre as well. Delightfully recommended.