Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) Review

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Prisoner of Azkaban follows Harry Potter, who learns upon returning to Hogwarts that a deranged killer who had a hand in the murder of Harry’s parents has escaped from prison, bent on coming after Harry next. 

Prisoner of Azkaban, likely my favorite of these films and the entire reason I started this watch through in the first place, marks a significant change for the series. The point where Harry is unequivocally marked by darkness, a darkness that will follow him from here on out as we get closer and closer Voldemort’s reappearance. The eerie mystery behind Sirius’ motivations makes for a tense movie that, paired with the inclusion of the Dementors (a well-paralleled metaphor for depression) and Lupin, a much needed role model for Harry, allows the franchise to finally reach into his past and give him an anchor for an increasingly grim future.

Now, while this is probably the one movie which differs from the book the most, it’s not necessarily a bad thing and in a particular, Cuarón’s new style is what makes this film feel so different compared to the Columbus helmed original two. The shift to a more adult oriented film really gives this movie its own distinct and creative style that makes way for some of the best performances of the series and takes the movies to new heights in terms of standing on their own as opposed to just retreading the books. 

We also get one of my favorite Harry Potter casts in this third outing, starring Timothy Spall, Emma Thompson, Rupert Grint, David Thewlis, Gary Oldman, Emma Watson, and Daniel Radcliffe. Radcliffe really pulls out all the stops in one of his most emotional and better performances to date, as this story feels much more personal than anything yet, with the inclusion of Oldman and Thewlis, who are nothing short of magnificent, coming through as dark-horse parental figures that give the film so genuine depth and darkness. 

Based on the novel by J.K. Rowling, Prisoner of Azkaban, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, finally takes some much needed risks, risks that pay off well as we get a more darker, more adult story to go along with Harry’s shift into a more powerful wizard amidst the threat of Dementors and werewolves. 

9/10