Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban [2004] (DVD)

Harry Potter grows up One of the best aspects of this film is how it no longer pandered to kiddies like the previous two films did. There was a darker, moodier edge to the story and the characters. 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. The Hogwarts' setting differed from the previous films yet not only was it definitely more faithful to the books but finally it felt as if the castle was in Scotland rather than perpetually sunny Disney Land and this enhanced the mood being set in the film. The clock was a nice touch, linking to the theme of time in the actual storyline, as was the bridge in being a place for Harry to mull over his problems. Also, in many ways, this film could have ended up a muddled mess in regards to the ending but Cuaron handled the Time Turner scenes well. However, there were flaws to the film, which let it down. The characters of Hermione and Draco were poorly scripted so they seemed like two completely different characters from the ones we know and love in the books. Although Watson as an actress has improved since CoS, the main problem with the script is that Hermione is being portrayed as being too cool and cocky compared to the bookworm who has no interest in fashion that we know Hermione to be in the books. Steve Kloves, the scriptwriter who admits he's responsible for the change, really needs to learn heroines don't need to be cool Buffy types to be admired; part of why Hermione is so popular as a character in the books is that she appeals to girls who are bookish themselves and easily identify with her. And as for Draco, he comes across as too much of a cowardly, weak girlie-boy rather than an insidious, vicious brat who can be a threat to Harry when he chooses to.

Ok, not great This is film was kind of disapointing. The book was by far the best in the Harry Potter saga, and the film lacks the excitement. The scenes in this movie are darker then the first two, which may be appealing to certain people. But if you are a BIG harry potter fan, i would suggest having this movie as part of your collection. Word of warning is that the film is not better then the book and can be improved.

both the best and worst of the harry potter saga New director new visual style, alfonso cuaron is a good director, however I feel he tried to hard to make the story move along quick enough to keep the little ones attention. Too much is hacked away from the book, well too much that shouldn't have been. Hogwarts seems empty, where are all the kids? also back story is cut too short, so some bits don't make sense anymore. It is almost like an extended highlights sequence. The cast are fine, except for Michael Gambons Dumbledore isn't a patch on richards harris. A poor decision. The werewolf comes off looking a bit silly, that said I heard somewhere that the original design was too scary for kids. Good but sorely lacking considering it was the best of the books.

A sad disappointment. As this was my favourite (note the past tense) HP book I was v looking forward to the film as I like the other2 (and now 3!) films very much. This was a painful disaster. There were plot holes large enough to drive a fleet of trucks through, random comments that were not followed up on or explained at all and what was with the bus? It seemed like they had a new toy (and a well known face) they wanted to play with and spent valuable plot time messing about with it. I could have done with that being significantly shorter. On the whole, the design of the film is fine. They have changed to visual aspect to fit more with the mood and development with Harry, which is lovely. Sadly, in post production, someone attacked it with a rusty hatchet. This is poorly directed and criminally edited. JK herself seems to be being poked in the back to say something about the film on the DVD extras, but still comes across as unconvincing when she say's she's totally happy with it. A sad disappointment.

Not impressive What can I say? The Harry Potter films are improving, but they're not good films. Infact the sort of films that you become very aware of how long you've been sitting down for whilst watching them. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Harry Potter, I am, infact a geek so I'm not in general bashing Potter. The adaptation from book to film is poor. My friend has never read the books but came along to see the film. Needless to say he hardly understood it and this isn't because he's just thick. I understand that they can't keep all of the material from the book but completely missing out vital chunks that are nescessary for the film to make sense...? For example... the mauraders. How did Lupin immediately know that it was a map??? BECAUSE HE MADE IT! It is incredibly frustrating when you watch a series you love being completely butchered into something unrecognisable. The fact that the films seem to have a different director with every single film also gives the films a bumpy and inconsistant feel. The child cast is poor. Emma Watson says every line as if she's out of breath and her eyebrows seem to be her only channel to show emotion. Daniel Radcliffe is wooden and not believable. The adult cast are great and improving (Ralph Fiennes in the forth, Rickman in the rest) however I think if the Potter films don't improve, they could be in danger of completely wrecking the series' adaptation from book to film.