Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Tags: good versus evil, cult, fantasy, gothic, dark

Plot synopsis:
It opens at the Dursleys' home where Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) lives and is staying, as usual, during the summer holidays. Uncle Vernon's (Richard Griffiths) sister Marge (Pam Ferris) comes to visit and treats Harry with general contempt. She viciously insults him and his parents, angering Harry who unwittingly uses his innate magical powers to cause her to inflate, and float off, out of the Dursleys' house and into the twilight. Harry flees the Dursleys' home, furious. At first he walks with determination but soon grinds to a stop as he realizes he hasn't anywhere to go. He sits down at the edge of the road with his trunk. His surroundings stir as the wind picks up and a street lamp flickers above him. A jet black dog emerges from the bushes opposite, growling at him and he raises his wand. At that instant however, the eccentric Knight Bus, for lost witches or wizards, makes a sharp appearance and escorts Harry on a wacky journey to the wizards' pub 'The Leaky Cauldron.' While there, Harry learns that Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), an alleged supporter of Lord Voldemort, the dark wizard, has escaped from Azkaban prison. Harry must meet the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy) and he fears expulsion from Hogwarts for his using of under-age magic out of school. However, the matter is surprisingly dropped as "...the Ministry doesn't send students to Azkaban for blowing up their aunts." While at The Leaky Cauldron Harry also reconvenes with his two best friends, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), and the rest of the Weasley family. Mr. Arthur Weasley (Mark Williams) pulls Harry to one side to warn him about Sirius Black. He suggests that Harry needs to be cautious of Sirius Black due to his allegiance with Voldemort. He believes that Harry is the only thing which stands in the way of Voldemort returning to power and that it is on this premise that Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban. To find and kill Harry Potter.Harry, Ron and Hermione board the train to Hogwarts, discovering in their compartment the sleeping Professor Remus Lupin (David Thewlis) who is to be the new 'Defence Against the Dark Arts' teacher. Harry airs his concerns about Black's escape and his possible objective to Ron and Hermione. Tension builds during their discussion however as the train is stopped on a bridge and the lights pop out in each cabin. Ron peers out of the window, concerned that "...there is something out there." The train is violently jolted and a great cold descends around them, ice creeping over the windows. In the corridor outside, a scary dark creature slowly appears, floating towards them. It opens the door to their cabin and begins to engage frighteningly with Harry, sucking at his whole body. The sleeping teacher suddenly wakes, stands up, and repels the creature with a very bright white light emanating from his wand. Harry faints. On his coming round Lupin gives him chocolate to eat and explains that the creature is a 'Dementor' which drains happiness from anything it approaches. The Dementors ordinarily guard the wizard prison, 'The Prison of Azkaban' but are out searching for the escapee Black, and entered the train looking for him. Harry heard a woman screaming during the ordeal, but no one else heard it.As Harry begins his third year at Hogwarts we learn of some significant changes. Alongside the official announcement of the formerly encountered, new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin. Rubeus Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), the groundsman, becomes additionally a professor of 'Care of Magical Creatures.' Also, Hermione seems to be taking nearly twice as many classes as everyone else, including some which are taught simultaneously.During a Divination class, Professor Trelawney (Emma Thompson) foresees Harry's death in the tealeaves of his cup, which form the shape of a 'Grim' or large dog. In tealeaf reading this symbolises death. In Hagrid's first class, Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) deliberately provokes Buckbeak, a Hippogriff, into attacking and injuring him. Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy, a powerful Ministry of Magic member of staff, files an official complaint. In Defence Against the Dark Arts, Professor Lupin instructs the class in the defeat of a Boggart, which changes its form to appear as one's greatest fear. When Harry steps up, it manifests itself as a Dementor, however Lupin steps in to defeat it before Harry gets the chance.Harry is told he can't go on the school outings to Hogsmeade, a local village inhabited solely by magical beings, as he hasn't got his admission slip signed, and watches his friends go without him. Instead, he meets with Lupin, and Harry discovers that the reason he wasn't allowed to fight the Boggart was that Lupin had been worried it would take the shape of Voldemort. This concern catches Harry by surprise, because Harry had been thinking even more fearfully about the Dementors. Later that night, Sirius Black breaks into Hogwarts and destroys the Fat Lady's (Dawn French) portrait that guards Gryffindor Tower. The students spend the night sleeping in the Great Hall while the teachers search the castle for Black. Because Black is believed at large in the castle Dementors are sent specifically to patrol the perimeter of Hogwarts. Next day, Professor Snape (Alan Rickman) replaces Lupin as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher while Lupin is intriguingly "...incapable of teaching at the present time." In an odd divergence from routine, he teaches the class about Werewolves.During the next school Quidditch match, a popular wizard sport, several Dementors approach and try to engage their powers over Harry, causing him to faint and fall off his broomstick. Dumbledore (Michael Gabon) breaks Harry's fall, but his broomstick flies off into the magical tree, the 'Whomping Willow' and is destroyed. Dumbledore is angry that the Dementors came within school grounds as they are prohibited from doing so. Harry wonders why the Dementors seem to have a special interest in him and Lupin reveals that this is due to the horrors within Harry's past. Harry considers that he needs to know how to defend himself against them and convinces Lupin as such, who agrees to teach him.At the time of the next school outing, still keen to go to Hogsmeade, Harry attempts to sneak into the village under his Invisibility Cloak, but is caught by Fred and George Weasley (James and Oliver Phelps), who give him the Marauder's Map. It is a map of the entire school and shows the real-time locations of everyone on the grounds. Fred and George also tell Harry that the map shows the whereabouts of several secret passages out of Hogwarts, ideal for leaving undetected. Once in Hogsmeade village, and back under his Invisibility Cloak, Harry catches sight of the Minister Fudge and Professor Minerva McGonagall (Maggie Smith) chatting in the street, discussing Black and himself. He follows them as they go inside and is shocked to overhear that Sirius Black was his parents' best friend and is still his godfather and a legal guardian. Black supposedly divulged the Potter's secret whereabouts to Lord Voldemort and murdered their friend Peter Pettigrew, as well as twelve Muggle bystanders (non-magic humans). Harry vows to kill Black. On returning from the outing we find out from Hagrid that as a consequence of Lucuis Malfoy's complaint, Buckbeak has been sentenced to death. That same night, after hours, Harry is astonished when he sees the aforementioned Peter Pettigrew's name on the Marauder's Map. He goes looking for him but can't find him. After Professor Snape discovers Harry out of bed, the map is confiscated by Lupin who meets them, and, covering for Harry, tells Snape it is merely a joke parchment and of no significance.Harry has the agreed private class with Lupin, in which he must generate a Patronus, a shield that is used to repel the Dementors. Lupin has him test himself out on a Boggart. He fails the first time, but conjures one on his second attempt. Later on, returning to a recently finished Divinations class to bring back a crystal ball knocked over by Hermione, Harry reencounters Professor Trelawney. She grabs Harry by the shoulder, speaks as though possessed, and predicts that "...the Dark Lord's servant will return to him that night and that innocent blood shall be spilled."When Harry, Ron and Hermione learn that Buckbeak is to be executed, they visit Hagrid in his hut to console him. On the way Draco taunts them about it and Hermione punches him in the face. While there, Hagrid says they cannot remain with him during the execution and that Buckbeak can't be set free, since the officials would know it was Hagrid. Hagrid has also found Ron's lost rat Scabbers, and returns him to Ron. Ron had wrongly believed that his rat had been eaten by Hermione's cat. As the execution party approaches the hut, stones fly in through the window and they leave and run back to the edge of the castle, watching the execution from afar. Scabbers then bites Ron, who chases after him, finally collecting him under the Whomping Willow. The black dog makes another appearance and attacks Ron and drags him, along with Scabbers, into a hole at the tree's base. Harry and Hermione follow, finding a tunnel which leads them to the Shrieking Shack.Inside, in a fast moving scene, Harry finally confronts Sirius Black who he has been led to believe wishes to kill him, and whom he wishes to kill. We discover that as an illegal Animagus, Black can transform into animal at will, thus he is also the infamous black dog. Professor Lupin, who had spotted the group on the confiscated Marauder's Map, suddenly bursts in and embraces his old friend Black. Confronted by Hermione, Lupin admits to being a werewolf. Lupin and Black then explain that Black is not the one who betrayed the Potters, rather it was Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall), who has been hiding for twelve years in his Animagus form as Scabbers, Ron's rat. He is Voldemort's servant, not Black, and he framed Black for his crimes. Meanwhile Snape bursts in also confronting Black but is disposed of by Harry. Harry is skeptical of the story until Black and Lupin force Pettigrew back into his human form, and after some squealing resistance Pettigrew finally confesses that it is true, proving Black's innocence. Black further clears up the misunderstanding by explaining, that on discovering Pettigrew was still alive, he escaped Azkaban in order to kill him. As Lupin and Black are about to kill Pettigrew, Harry stops them, and showing Pettigrew mercy, tells him they will take him back to the castle, where he can be left for the Dementors.As the group heads back to the castle, Harry and Sirius pause and chat optimistically. Harry remarks that Pettigrew would have been of no use dead. Firstly he didn't want his father's two best friends to be killers, and secondly he is the key in proving Sirius's innocence. Sirius suggests Harry comes to live with him. They are disturbed however, when, as the full moon rises, it causes Lupin to turn into the dangerous werewolf since he had neglected to take his potion which inhibits this transformation. Black responds by transforming again into the black dog in order to protect Harry, Ron and Hermione. The werewolf and Black have a vicious fight. During the ensuing commotion, Pettigrew transforms himself back into the rat and escapes, not pursued. Harry runs forward in his angst at Sirius's torture at the hands of the werewolf, inadvertently attracting its attention. However while approaching Harry, it is distracted by some other distant werewolf cry. Meanwhile, Sirius, badly injured, has moved down to the nearby lake where he lies at the edge. Harry follows and kneels over him. As he does so, a swarm of Dementors approaches them. Harry produces a Patronus to try and fend them off, however it is not nearly strong enough and they both begin to submit to the Dementors. Then on the other side of the river appears the brilliant white symbol of a stag and an immense Patronus which drives the Dementors away. Harry faints.Harry awakens in the hospital wing to hear the news, that Sirius Black has been captured and is about to be given the Dementor's Kiss, to suck out his soul. Dumbledore enters and Harry, Ron and Hermione try and convince him of Black's innocence. Dumbledore somehow already knows, but says that their word alone won't be believed. However, he suggests mysteriously, that Harry and Hermione travel in time back by using Hermione's time-turning device (we now find out how she has been attending simultaneous classes), and at least save both Black and Buckbeak from their fates. Hermione turns her hour-glass necklace back three turns (three hours), and Harry and Hermione are together thrust into the past, where they observe and remould the evenings events. They throw stones through the window of Hagrid's hut, alerting themselves of the approaching execution party. They rescue Buckbeak while the execution party is inside with Hagrid shortly before the execution, thus absolving Hagrid of any blame. Hermione diverts the attention of the werewolf Lupin stalking the past Harry with an imitation of another werewolf's cry. And, from a hiding place in the forest, Harry watches the Dementor sequence and realizes, as the stag symbol fails to appear, that he must have been the one who conjured the powerful Patronus. After saving his past self and Black from the Dementors, Harry and Hermione fly on Buckbeak's back to the tower, where Black is imprisoned, and rescue him. Harry and Black share a moment of contemplation, as since Black is going to be back on the run, still wanted and without proof of his innocence, their relationship will now be sadly fraught with complications and Harry's dream of living with his godfather is shattered. However, Harry takes comfort in knowing that Black, although still considered a fugitive, is at least free and safe for the time being. Black and Buckbeak leave, Black riding on his back. Harry and Hermione make it back to the hospital wing just as the timeline restores itself, and a reticent Dumbledore merrily bids them goodnight.As the school year end approaches, Lupin announces that he is resigning, believing that parents of the students would not be comfortable in the now open knowledge that he is a werewolf. He returns the Marauder's Map to Harry since he is no longer a professor. Harry later receives a gift from an unknown source, a Firebolt, an extremely fast racing broom. Hermione holds up a large feather, also contained within the parcel, confirming that Sirius must have sent it. Harry tries it out and is whisked away from sight, ending the film with the snapshot image of Harry flying his new broom, ecstatic.

Review: The error crept in from the very beginning: Chris Columbus took the first two films, and this put the old debate on what kind of movies Harry Potter should be about.
Everything in novels is seen differently every time, because all the reader and viewer sees through the eyes of Harry Potter, and in films through the prism of the director's vision, the viewer must perceive the magical world through the eyes of a young wizard.
The third film, as well as the film, is dedicated to the looters - James Potter (= Harry Potter), Peter Pettigrew, Rimus Lupine and Sirius Black - a group of friends who used to be friends a long time ago ...The film ruthlessly shows how easy it is to lose friendship and how difficult it is to acquire a friend ...Thanks to Alfonso Cuaron, who did a talented work, showing in one stroke all the huge gallery of the characters of the magical world and their essence: the Minister of Magic plunges into a puddle; the soothsayer with big glasses on her nose stumbles on her own table; The evil teacher Severus Snape closes the children from the werewolf; eccentric Dumbledore slams his hand over Ron's gnarled leg; Remus Lupine, at the lesson, takes a snack with an apple; portraits of Hogwarts, it turns out, also like to sleep; Stan Shanpike with his brave words is not very strong in dragging student suitcases; Hagrid and ties are incompatible things; Tom from the Leaky Cauldron has a nehyl auto; Ernie, wearing spectacles with large lenses, is led by the "Night Knight"; Sirius Black finally began to talk moral nonsense ...
Also it is necessary to thank the new actors, so successfully merged into the old line-up:Emma Thompson (Sibyl Trelawney); Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore); David Thulis (Remus Lupine); Julie Christie (Madame Rosmerta); Gary Oldman (Sirius Black); Timothy Spall (Peter Pettigrew) and many others.
By the way, if my memory does not change me, then the two actors from the third film (cleaning woman in the bar "Leaky Cauldron" and Aunt Marge) Quaron quietly consigned to his other project - "Child of Man", but that's another story ...Let me love the fourth film about Harry Potter (director - Mike Newell), but I always revise the Curaron part - it is the brightest of all existing.In a word, long live Rowling and Cuaron!"Potter, come back!" (Severus Snape, potions teacher)..
I think this is by far the best Harry Potter movie yet.The only way to satisfy fans would be to include everything from the book, which would require a miniseries.
Had they continued with this strategy for this movie, based on a much longer book, it would surely have been over three hours long.The virtue of the latest film is that it makes a real attempt to adapt the story, not just marching in lockstep with the book's events.
The first two films fell short in this regard, because they lacked the guts to tinker with the details, even though that was the key to condensing the story while staying true to its spirit.The movie is still faithful to the book, of course.
Character development is superb - Steve Kloves penned a great script.First-time and young viewers will likely enjoy the film for its merits based on plot and 'adventure' alone, but it takes multiple viewings and a critical eye to enjoy the abstract ideas and nuances.
For instance, the ending is bittersweet at best and retains a healthy amount of ambiguity.If you've never read the books or understood the acclaim of the series as a whole, watch Cuarón's 'Prisoner of Azkaban' and you'll understand why this entry is clearly the zenith of the seven..
Say what you will, I see him making the jump from child star to adult actor in a way that Haley Joel Osment only dreams of.Appropriately, this third film in the Harry Potter series has matured along with it's young stars.
Director Alfonso Cuarón has taken the images conjured by J.K. Rowling's magical words and created from her book, 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,' a film rife with visual symbolism and alive with inventive images beyond those established by the first two films in the series.
Cuarón, a native of Mexico City and the acclaimed director of the completely compelling, frequently hilarious and sexually explicit coming-of-age film, 'Y tu mamá también,' was seen by many as an odd choice to follow heartland American Chris Columbus into the Harry Potter director's chair.
But she would give it to a wizard who could change into a dog.Among the new visual images are animal ghosts which wander the halls of Hogwart's Castle and the film's realization of Buckbeak the Hippogriff, like Sirius, falsely accused and condemned.
In mythology, he was nursed by a she-wolf; Lupin means wolf-like (wolf is Canis Lupis).The unheralded thread of creative continuity in this marvelous series, as it moves from Chris Columbus to Alfonso Cuarón to incoming director Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, now in production) is Screenwriter Steve Kloves.
If Harry Potter developed along these lines, he might have actually been a great character instead of the flattest one among a crowd of interesting people.The scenes are magical, but not in the try-hard way of the first two films.
Director Alphonso Cuaron (Y Tu Mama Tambien, A Little Princess) has taken over from Chris Columbus and has stuck less slavishly to the original JK Rowling Books.Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are back as Harry, Ron and Hermoine, with Hermoine in particular getting to do a lot more.
Although this film isn't all that I'd hoped it would be, I believe that it was the best of the three 'Harry Potter' films so far, thanks largely due to director Alfonso Cuaron.
In 'Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban', the trio are now thirteen and beginning their Third Year at Hogwarts, under the fear of an escaped criminal who played a part in the deaths of Harry's parents and seems to be stalking the school, preying on Harry.The child acting in this film has improved slightly with Emma Watson and Rupert Grint probably faring the best in comparison to their young co-stars.
The wizarding world no longer seemed like a perfect haven and the characters had grown beyond being innocent children; this reflected the book itself since many feel PoA was a turning point in the series where it finally felt like Harry Potter- boy and book- were growing up.
Kloves needs to learn how to round the Harry Potter films off properly as this was also a sticking point in CoS.At the end of the day, there were scenes left out, some of which we didn't mind skipping but others (an explanation to Harry of James Potter's friendship to Black and Lupin) were sorely missed.
The biggest problem that I had was that there were a lot of things the movie didn't explain, such as "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs." I think that it may have been hard for those who hadn't read the book to understand.
Like most Harry Potter fans, I found this movie disappointing.
If I want to see a Harry Potter movie, I want to see the book, the plot, brought to life.
All in all, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is an good movie, as long as you don't compare it to the book or other HP movie.
Users have commented the movie is darker, this is somewhat true, it definitely has a different feel from the first two films, much of this can be attributed to the new director.
You can watch the entire Harry Potter series and skip this pointless borefest entry and yet NOTHING would be lost.Terrible new characters, a convoluted storyline with zero suspense, a beyond anti-climactic ending that will have anyone with an actual brain saying "......that's it???
Needless to say, the scenes do not flow very well and it leaves the non-reader confused in many places.This movie will unfortunately stick out like a sore thumb if the following films stick to the wonderfully developed world of Harry Potter..
The grounds of Hogwarts were totally different than the first two movies.I believe that the change of director could have turned off many Harry Potter fans from the movies.
The list goes on and on...At least in the other two movies, Hogwarts did not look so small, and it was definitely better filmography....Also if anything was missing it was an entire scene....unlike this one where the story itself was changed....I think JK Rowling would have something to say if she was present during filming...Here's an idea, have her consult during filming, to check the authenticity of the movie....This one was CRAP - sack the Director, get a new screen-write.
I can understand people saying that one must always expect things to be left out of the book when making a movie, why then stick in a whole bunch of slapstick instead of major plot points?.
Again Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) of J.K. Rowling's saga , he is , nowadays , living with their embittered uncle Richard Griffths and aunt Fiona Lewis and is called to return at Hogwar's college .There , he'll find his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) , Hermione (Emma Watson) and enemies as the malevolent Braco Malfoy (Tom Felton) ; besides , the usual teachers incarnated by Maggie Smith , Alan Rickman , Michael Gambon or other recent ones , as Emma Thompson and David Thewlis , as well as Rubeus (Robbie Coltrane).
The pacing is odd, the ending is very abrupt, but the cut parts of the book are the biggest reason that the film should have been longer.They should have taken the time to: 1) set up the Firebolt when Harry is at the Leaky Cauldon/Diagon Alley.
I saw the movie with someone who hadn't read the book, and when Lupin hugs Sirius, she was like, "So predictable.
Last but not least, Harry's Firebolt was introduced in the last scene and it looked like it was fitted with "stirrups!"This was a very disappointing movie.
Some critics say that the acting was greatly improved but as fans of Harry Potter I don't think we were expecting performances worthy of "Citizen Kane" or the "Grapes of Wrath." What we expected is a good fantasy adventure that kids and adults and see together that continues the story about a young wizard learning about his heritage and facing very difficult choices in life.
For those not readers of the book, I feel pity for what is surely total confusion.If there is extra footage on the floor, I pray they do put it into an extended version for DVD ala Lord of the Rings.Learn your lessons and don't fudge up the next film, "Goblet of Fire", which is to already be shot and I'm expecting in the editing process now.If this is the vision of the current director, I say, bring back Chris Columbus as soon as possible..
As Harry steps forward, the Boggart clearly takes the shape of a Dementor, yet later on, Lupin claims he thought it would turn into Voldemort.The only redeeming feature of this film was that the actors (with the exception of Black and Lupin who weren't provided with adequate script and just didn't look like the part respectively) did well..
It should say "Loosely based on the novel by J.K Rowling." The movie left out about 80 of the most important pages from the book and replaced it with things like the Hogwarts chorus and prolonged Knight Bus and hippogriff scenes.
I admit to not being a Harry Potter fan but I have seen the other two movies, and found them enjoyable so went to see the new film today.My main problem with the movie is it is so disjointed.
The way that this movie made the relationship to Harry Potter, Ron, and Hermione and Malfoy look pathetic.
This movie may look good with a new director doing a fresh take on the Harry Potter universe but there are so many restrictions weighing this franchise down and it's REALLY beginning to show..
This movie is an utter failure.Let us begin by acknowledging this simple fact.They failed to cast a decent Dumbledore, they failed by adding in rubbish that wasn't in the book, they failed by making a horribly stupid ending, its just a very big failure.It gives movies a bad name.Worst movie that should have been good ever released.The only thing that can be said about this movie that isn't the word fail is that the acting of the cast that was already in it and most of the new actors played the characters well.Fail..
Not Nearly Up to Par. I'm a big fan of the Harry Potter series, and have read all the books several times, up until the sixth, (July 16, 2005) and this movie was for the most part, trash.
So if you want to know what happens to Harry in his third year at Hogwarts, skip the movie, and go buy the book.
One of the film's highlights is the time travel sequence, helped in no end by Cuaron's swooping, active camera and John Williams' ticking stopwatch score.David Thewlis and Gary Oldman are introduced in the large roles of Professor Lupin and Sirius Black, respectively, and the movie belongs to them.
However, I am not the kind of person who automatically thinks that any change of the story from the book is a bad thing.This is an enjoyable enough film for people who have never read the book, even if they will probably not understand some of the plot.
The darkness and maturity also provide for a much stronger and watchable movie, however the shortcomings are still too much for me to overlook and really be taken into the film and the world of Harry Potter.I think it will now become very interesting as to how the stories progress with such obviously ageing actors in the lead roles and a new Director for the next movie and a new Screenwriter onboard after that.
I am a big fan of the Harry Potter series, but am disappointed in the Prisoner of Azkaban film.
I think it would be better if the actor that replaced Richard Harris acted more like he did in the two previous films, The Sorcerer's Stone, and The Chambers of Secrets.
Cuaron's version seems to be directed at hardcore Potter fans who might not mind the How's of the storyline and simply want the MAJOR plot points to fit between the books and the movie adaptation.
Cuaron totally dropped the ball on explaining the Dementors and making them less demonic and more of a new type of creature like the books seem to imply they are.The movie further leaves out any back story regarding the difficulty of becoming an AniMagus (as Harry's father, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew did) so that never is Peter or Sirius Black's mystical ability to change into animal form even commented on other than when Ron says something to the effect of "It's a trap!
With an all-star cast featuring Emma Thompson as a teacher and Michael Gambon replacing the late Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledor, the acting is superb in which not only the three main actors have matured, and the special effects and John Williams' music are ten times better than the first two.If you enjoyed the first two movies, that's fine.
If you have read the book, you'll notice that nothing gets developed; characters,story lines,sub plots and the HP magic.The movie moves along in sort of a jerky and hollow fashion.
The Prisoner of Azkaban is the best written, most intriguing story of all the Harry Potter books.
I have read every book of the Harry Potter series and have liked everyone of them except for this one.
I also don't like any of the rest of this film, or at least its adaptation of the book, which was one of my favorites of the Harry Potter Series.
Alas, Harry Potter III lacks the charm of the books, it lacks the wonderful atmosphere of Old England so beautifully captured in the first two movies -- it lacks everything that made the previous films of the series something special, lovely.
I would not recommend this movie to a 12- or 13-year-old, not only because of the many horror scenes (don't know what they watch on children TV today, but I think this is way too much for a child) but also because I wonder how many of the young watchers who are so keen on Harry Potter get the story right (if they didn't read the book which should not be a prerequisite for watching the film) -- e.g. the side-story of Harry not being allowed to go to the village and getting the map as a help.My conclusion: the director was not interested in the story, not in the characters, not in the atmosphere.
It's plain that the new director had never read the book - let alone the ten or twenty times many of this movie's viewers have.
Before seeing this movie I would have thought it inconceivable that I could walk out of a Harry Potter film wanting my money back, but it happened.
I used to be one of those stubborn people who wasn't going to read the Harry Potter series books.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was a terrific book, but Alfonso Cuaron's direction of the movie was absolutely terrible!
Everything good from the first two movies was ruined in this ridicules excuse for a Harry Potter film!
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for expressing liberties, but for a series like Harry Potter, the movie should follow the book as much as possible because the books are just so great!