The Philosopher's Stone was a great way to start the Harry Potter franchise, if not slightly lacking in comparison to the book. The Chamber of Secrets was remarkably faithful to the novel, but was mired by a poor narrative. The Prisoner of Azkaban however, overcomes these issues and is by far the best installment yet.
Returning to Hogwarts for his third academic year, Harry is once again joined by his friends Ron and Hermione. Like every year before this though, trouble is brewing, and notorious mass murderer Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban prison. On top of this, Harry's arch-rival Draco Malfoy is growing darker by the second, and is causing problems for Hagrid, the new care of magical creatures teacher.
It's as you were for the majority of the cast, with Michael Gambon replacing Richard Harris as Dumbledore, who sadly passed away prior to shooting. The most prominent new additions will more than please movie fans, with Gary Oldman filling the shoes of Sirius Black, and David Thewlis stepping on to the 'defense against the dark arts merry-go-round' as Professor Lupin. Another notable change takes place at the post of director, with Alfonso Cuarón replace Chris Columbus.A change in director can be disastrous for a series of films. The Millennium trilogy stands as testament to this, but Cuarón performs a sterling job, and not only continues the the franchise, but vastly improves it. There is still some material from the book which is noticeably absent, but The Prisoner of Azkaban captivates from the very beginning, taking the viewer on a magical roller coaster ride. Without spoiling the story for the very few who haven't already read the book or seen the film, the final hour is an extremely engaging and well constructed piece of cinema, which will definitely get pulses racing. The only thing odd and out of place about the cinematography is the B-movie horror zoom towards the climax, which is slightly bizarre to say the least.
The evolution in acting talent is something else that also makes The Prisoner of Azkaban special, with Grint, Watson, and Felton all great despite their still tender age. The same cannot be said for Radcliffe however, who seems to be struggling to fill the boots of such a large character, and his line delivery and presence is poor. The adult actors are once again brilliant though, and as expected the combination of Oldman, Thewlis, and Spall steal the show.
The concept is also superb, and many will argue that The Prisoner of Azkaban is the best book in the series. A highly imaginative tale with some wonderful creatures, concepts, and moments that are aided once again by some gorgeous CGI, The Prisoner of Azkaban is not just a film for the fans, but one which will please audiences of all ages. The epic run-times have also become a trademark of the series, which is expected given the amount of detail in the books, but one would expect more original material to be included.
With great performances, better material, and a more cohesive narrative, The Prisoner of Azkaban is a much improved, thrilling, and wonderful tale which still doesn't top the novel, but comes much closer than its predecessors. A truly enjoyable film, and the best installment of the series yet.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
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