Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Review by Clint Morris

Side by side, Chris Columbus’ and Alfonso Cuarón’s Harry Potter’s look like they’ve crawled from the same litter, but perceptibly act characteristically dissimilar.

Like an understudy baseball coach coming in to train the No.1 team in town, Cuarón still leads the players to victory, but at the same time, makes sure people see his stamp on the package – not his predecessor's.

So how has he done this? By elongating the target market apparently. With an added degree of spookiness, an extra splodge of eeriness and some rather macabre themes, Harry Potter’s latest adventure is perhaps his most adult yet.

And probably fitting, considering the lead – and his cohorts – aren’t the juvenile tykes they were three years ago.

Harry and pals Ron and Hermione return to Hogwarts (the name of the school where our titular young Wizard trains) for their third year. But there is apparently danger surrounding Harry and it’s put the school on high alert.

It seems that the fugitive Sirius Black, the man apparently responsible for the death of Harry’s parents, has escaped from his cell and is now after the bespectacled wizard.

The first two movies – based on the beloved children’s fantasy books by J.K Rowling – were the type of films that young fans adored to the last drop. Yet, adults seemed to appreciate them on a different level.

For instance, from a personal stance, I enjoyed the effects, I appreciated the mish-mash of story with those effects and welcomed the recognisable cast in tow – but didn’t quite get caught up in the whole shebang.

Like Lord of the Rings, the film’s seemed overtly loyal to the books it was based upon and – maybe rightfully so – forgot about anyone new to the audience.

In addition, and significantly, the script’s of both Philosophers Stone and Chamber of Secrets, though well-written, were merely only thinking of the children in the audience and offered very little for the adult that had being dragged along for the matinee.

Thank God for Alfonso Cuarón.

Cauron’s intent with The Prisoner of Azkaban is seemingly to change all that. He wants adults to enjoy this one as much as the kids have the previous films and for the most part, he succeeds, by mixing a range of different elements and some slightly risky traits to a series that welcomes it.

One has to wonder whether the moment a group of kids sing in choir ‘Something Wicked this Way Comes’ near the film’s beginning was the directors tip-off to the audience that this is going to be different.

Acting wise, there are some real standouts here. The kids are as good as ever – they really did cast these well – though obviously getting a little older, Gary Oldman is memorable in his short but important role as Sirius Black, David Thewlis is instantly likeable as the obliging Professor Lupin, whilst Michael Gambon does a fine job replacing the late Richard Harris as veteran wizard, Dumbledore.

From this reviewer’s point of view – and I’d be happy to hear from any 11-year-old who thinks otherwise – this is the best Harry Potter yet. It’s universally appealing, swimming in both style and substance, has a hell of an ending and is drawn from the kind of template both kids and adults alike yearn for.

Finally, I think I’m beginning to see what all the fuss is about.

4.5 out of 5

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Australian release: Thursday June 10th
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, David Thewlis, Gary Oldman, Michael Gambon, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall.
Director: Alfonso Cuarón.
Website: Click here.

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