Harry Situations
The Boy Wizard Gets His Fright On

After two successful movies, the question of whether or not the popular Harry Potter book series can be properly adapted to movies has been answered. However, the third installment, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, must face the question of change. Will change -- in director, tone, and even supporting cast -- affect the series negatively?

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) face a new danger within the Forbidden Forest in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. (Warner Bros., 2004)
Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón
Written by: Steve Kloves, based on the novel by J.K. Rowling
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson,
Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, and Robbie Coltrane

Rated PG (for frightening moments, creature violence and mild language)
Running time: 142 min.

FilmGuru's Rating : 8 out of 10.

Once again, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is a young boy in trouble. Having "accidentally" used magic to make his aunt balloon up and float away, Harry runs off to London to get a head start on the approaching school year. But to Harry's surprise, he is not rebuked for his lack of self-control. Instead, everyone is overwhelmingly glad that he is safe. A wizard named Sirius Black has escaped from the wizard prison Azkaban, and everyone thinks that he may be coming for Harry. With his two friends, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), Harry tries to uncover the truth behind Black and his connection to Harry's parents' deaths.

New to the helm is Alfonso Cuarón, director of the children's film A Little Princess but probably better known for his steamy coming-of-age Mexican film Y tu mama tambien. Cuarón brings a dark vision to Harry Potter that contrasts with the bright magic of previous director Chris Columbus. His direction focuses on a world devoid of bright color and pretty scenery. A recurring image, the "Whomping Willow," is a tentacled tree that seems to delight in making birds explode in a flurry of feathers. If the previous Potter films were meant to attract the Christmas holiday movie-going crowd, this version would appeal more to Halloween trick-or-treaters.

The other untested element in the film is the casting of Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore. Gambon steps into the role after the death of beloved actor Richard Harris who sparkled as the elder headmaster. While Gambon's performance is good, his character somehow seems younger (despite the same white beard and hair) and stronger, not at all the doting old wizard that seemed like a gentle grandfather to Harry. Harris' charm and that special glint in his eye is absent here.

Other new cast members include Emma Thompson as the Divination instructor Professor Trelawney, David Thewlis as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor Professor Lupin, and veteran villain Gary Oldman as Sirius Black. Thompson, a veteran of Shakespearean drama, gives a wonderfully memorable performance in two brief appearances. Thewlis is interesting as the newest Defense instructor, and adds some heart to an otherwise bleak picture. Sadly, Oldman gets to do very little until the end, although his ghastly visage is on "Wanted" posters throughout most of the film.

Another change that was certainly inevitable is in the principle cast. As time passes between the films, Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson continue to grow and change. Considering that a year passes over the course of each book, it's necessary for the cast to grow older. But are they growing too fast? Not in my eyes. True, these aren't the same three kids who first walked into Hogwarts back in 2001, but as this is their third year in the school it makes sense that they look, and act, a little older.

Whereas the previous films were forced to introduce viewers to Harry's magical world, this film jumps right in and assumes viewers will sink or swim. As a result, the film does not stand well alone. Cuarón's fast-paced storytelling gives viewers the impression that they are skipping through the material. Attention given to the major storyline eats up most of the time allotted for the film (the shortest film yet, but still over two hours). As a result, the secondary plots and other window dressing is trimmed to a minimum. The Quidditch match, a centerpiece of the first two films, is a short sequence zeroing on Harry's encounter with the prison Dementors.

Even though the film is rated PG, parents of small children should be strongly cautioned. There are some truly frightening sequences, including a werewolf transformation, that could scare kids. Likewise, the overall tone of the film is darker. While this won't put off Potter fans, who have read the books and anticipate the change in tone, children who are just now jumping on the bandwagon might not get what they expected.