“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” (Warner Brothers)
The third movie in the amazingly successful “Harry Potter” series is titled “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.” Christopher Columbus directed the first two films but now Alfonso Cuaron (“Y Tu Mama Tambien”) gets his chance. The result is a darker look and feeling for the film.
The three lead actors from the first two movies are back again for this adventure. Daniel Radcliffe is Harry, Emma Watson is Hermione, and Rupert Grint is Ron Weasley. The movie opens with Harry living again at his uncaring uncle’s home where he is subjected to abuse both physical and verbal.
Once he is on his way back to Hogwarts things get better though he does learn that a prisoner named Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from Azkaban Prison and is heading Harry’s way. He is the man convicted of killing Harry’s parents and it is thought he now intends to do Harry in too.
At Hogwarts, Harry comes under the protective tutelage of a new professor named Lupin (David Thewlis). He seems to know a lot about Harry and a lot about Sirius Black. He also seems to have some personal problems that he keeps hidden.
The movie moves ponderously through this adventure with Harry and Hermione, and a mostly absent Ron, trying to solve the threat to Harry’s fate. Along the way they encounter “shape changers” and “werewolves” but neither are particularly impressive. We saw a better werewolf metamorphosis in “Van Helsing.”
This film could have done with a more liberal dose of humor to lighten the dark situations. It could also have used more explanation as to the supporting characters. Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman and Robbie Coltrane appear as people Harry and the gang know at the school, but any introductive material is missing. Cuaron assumes you have either read the books and/or seen the previous movies.
The film is rated PG for mild profanity and violence.
Fans of the Harry Potter books will love the film, as will die hard fans of the first two movies. But the casual moviegoer who enters this hallowed realm unknowing of all the plots and characters that went before, will find much of the movie to be a muddled mess.
This time out the acting is weaker, the plot is more complex, and the look of the film is dark and dour. This all adds up to make me less than wild about this “Harry.” How the majority of audiences feel will be governed by the familiarity and devotion they bring as they enter the theater doors.
I scored “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” an unchained 4 out of 10.
