harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban [A-]

moviemcpeake snippet: Lately, I have had the pleasure or the misfortune of only being able to see the big summer blockbusters. Due to the delay in release dates in Argentina, only the big ones are available during my stay. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was a pleasure.

My hats off to Alfonso Cuarón and his crew. He went from directing lesser known and foreign films to shooting one of the most exciting summer films. The third Potter series somehow pulled off the task of being incredibly dark and yet still maintained its playful youth. The film seemed to be growing up along with the primary actors. It was fast paced and by far the best of the three. It made me feel the excitement of the Potter series all over again. I felt the magic as I was pulled into the world of Hogwarts and my attachments to the characters grew as the film progressed. This never occurred for me in the first two films. It only happened while reading the books. I even stayed for all of the ending credits. It was eye candy for 142 minutes.

It has been awhile since I read the third book in the Harry Potter series. I cannot remember all the details of book three, but I remembered enough that the film was mostly true to form although not as true to form as the other films. But where this film excelled is that it seemed to use less computer animation and use more real location shots for the scenery. And when it did use computer animation I didn’t remember noticing, I just remember enjoying. The amount of realism used for the backdrops of many of the locations really made you believe of the existence of Hogwarts and Harry. It made you think you could really visit the Leaky Cauldron.

The primary actors, Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron), Emma Watson (Hermione) have grown up tremendously. Their acting and their characters have matured. I must confess half the fun is seeing how much they have grown. Watson, plays my favorite know-it-all Hermione. Her character in this film really caught my attention. But ultimately, my hope is all three will be able to stick through the making of all seven of the films. I do not think the trio could carry on with one of them replaced. They work well together.

The well written story is the reason for the love and success of these films but Cuarón made it really come to life. The first two films, although good, did not pull me in like Rowling can in her books. This film, did that. And that is no small feat, since I think this is one of the most enduring playful stories ever told. To be able to capture and hold on to both a child and adult. I am desperately craving the release of book six and for a quicker release of the films. Until then I plan to reread the series and get lost in the Rowling world all over again. I encourage all to start the summer film feast by starting with Harry as the main course.

recommendation: so far the best film version of the popular potter books