Film Review: "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (2004)

Author:
Film Frenzy
Updated date:
Mar 16, 2022

Film reviews from across the cinematic landscape. Written by: Jason Wheeler, Film Frenzy Senior Writer & Editor.

film-review-harry-potter-and-the-prisoner-of-azkaban

Background

In 2004, Alfonso Cuarón released Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, based on the 1999 novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling, as the third film in the Harry Potter series. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Richard Griffiths, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, David Thewlis, Emma Thompson, and Julie Walters, the film grossed $796.7 million at the box office.

Film Synopsis

Alleged mass murderer Sirius Black has escaped from the wizard prison, Azkaban, and is believed to be out to kill Harry Potter. In response, the Ministry of Magic surrounds Hogwarts with Dementors, creatures able to drain a person’s happiness and suck out their souls.

Film Review

Though not perfect, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a good film. Where its predecessors presented audiences with a fair amount of dark thematic elements, this one drops them into a dark atmosphere with only occasional glimpses of light. From the initial Dementor on the Hogwarts Express causing Harry to hear his mother’s final words and faint to the climax filled with an execution, facing a man with a murderous reputation, a werewolf and numerous Dementors, the film is certainly aware of its presence as the point where Harry’s adventures take a turn from the wondrous to the murderous. Yet, there are moments of levity, as if the filmmakers are giving the audience brief respite to prepare for what comes next. The Knight Bus is an example, providing some enjoyable comic relief following Harry blowing up his aunt.

The new characters the film has are done well, too. Throughout most of the film, Black is not seen. Rather, he’s only spoken of by other characters familiar with his alleged misdeeds. The entire film, they had been hearing how dangerous he is, what he’s capable of, and how much he hates Harry. This makes the reaction the trio has when he finally shows himself, readying themselves for a fight despite how outmatched they are in the moment, believable. Further, Professor Remus Lupin is a fascinating character as this year’s Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He immediately proves himself a capable instructor before classes start, fighting off the Dementor on the train and giving Harry chocolate so he can recover. Additionally, he treats the class with more prestige than the person he replaced, allowing the students to challenge their abilities. This is properly demonstrated when he and Harry have private lessons in how to conjure a Patronus.

The acting from the main trio continues to improve. It’s especially seen in Radcliffe, able to take the anger Harry is feeling regarding everything surrounding Black and make it realistic. Moreover, Oldman once again takes the role he has and puts everything into it, making it seem like he really is unhinged and focused on revenge.

However, the film isn’t entirely perfect and feels rather bloated with a few unnecessary scenes. One example is the bluebird flying through the school, a scene that drags on for far too long and adds nothing to the story itself. Similarly, the choir with their croaking frogs feels as if it was inserted entirely for the purposes of adding atmosphere and to ensure the viewer is aware that evil is making its way to Hogwarts. The idea itself is interesting but seems too obvious in its execution.