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Harry Potter: The Prisoner of Azkaban 2004 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
PG, 139 min. (frightening moments, creature violence, language) |
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Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, D. Thewlis, Alan Rickman, Gary Oldman, Emma Thompson, Tom Felton
Producers: Chris Columbus, David Heyman, Mark Radcliffe
Screenplay: Steve Kloves
Cinematography: Michael Seresin
Distributor: Warner Brothers
Released: 6.04.04 (Wide) |
Rating:
  (out of ) |
In my last review of the Harry Potter series, The Chamber of Secrets,
I espoused the merits of finding a director that could renew J.K. Rowling's material in a refreshing change of pace in order
to prevent the franchise from becoming a tired retread of familiar territory. Enter Alfonso Cuarón, the perceptive director
of Y Tu Mama Tambien,
who has fashioned an involving, entertaining interpretation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which is
easily the best film of the series so far. Although the material still lacks the punch to take it to the next level, Cuarón's
gift for portraying inner conflict through a prism of self-discovery gives the film a gritty undercurrent that heightens suspense
and refocuses on Harry's impending trials of adolescence.
If the first films (The Sorceror's Stone, The Chamber of Secrets)
were about establishing Harry's identity and the potential dangers that lie ahead on his road to becoming a wizard, then
The Prisoner of Azkaban plunges him into unchartered waters in the form of unchanneled anger and the still
unresolved grief at the loss of his parents. At Hogwarts School of Wizardry, Harry finds solace in friends and in his quest to
become a wizard, but it cannot subdue the inner turmoil that has until now simmered just beneath the surface. Here he must
begin to confront the coming emotions (both controllable and uncontrollable) before they engulf him in a fog of uncertainty.
The beginning of his self-discovery is triggered by the combination of a showdown with his mean-spirited aunt and the presence of
the Dementors, ghost-like creatures that literally suck the fear (and eventually the life) out of its victims. As Harry accepts
the onset of maturity, his once feeble skills are honed and sharpened, which one day will be used to confront Voldemort (the
evil wizard that killed his parents).
Cuarón's tone is darker yet also appropriately focused on Harry's journey to adulthood; he avoids the pitfalls of the previous
films' desire to highlight every detail in an effort to please fans of Rowling's meticulous novels. Although the material is
still strictly adhered to, it is shortened significantly and has a tighter storyline, resulting in a clarity that was sometimes
absent in the previous installments. Cuarón envisions Hogwarts as an ambiguous center for learning rather than the homely
confines for all-comers in the first films; professors and students alike are suspicious and sometimes difficult to read, leading
Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) to entrust only his closest friends - Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint). The trio
becomes an even tighter unit as rivalries and unsolved mysteries abound. Finally, Cuarón allows his characters to reveal
themselves in a more subtle manner than before, even hinting at Harry and Hermione's obvious mutual attraction with
clever glances and a separate adventure that eventually resolves the film's storyline.
Now in his third year at Hogwarts, 13 year-old Harry Potter is confronted with a prisoner, Sirius Black (Gary Oldman),
on the loose and rumored to be coming to kill him, and the pursuing Dementors that are searching for Black. As his classes
and new professors, Lupin (David Thewlis) and Sybil Trelawney (Emma Thomspon), divide his attention from the coming
danger, he soon starts to unravel the mystery behind those who betrayed his parents. Meanwhile, the rest of the
principle figures at Hogwarts - Headmaster Dumbledore (Michael Gambon replacing the late Richard Harris),
always mysterious Professor Snape (Alan Rickman), rival Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton), and friend Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) - also return to advise and
keep a watchful eye on Harry's progression. There's even a bit of time travel conundrum thrown in for good measure.
The special effects are also on display, but more as a supporting character than previously; a new creation, a hippogriff (half bird, half horse),
is the centerpiece of CGI interaction. There is a wonderful scene where Harry tames the potentially dangerous creature and
rides on its back as it soars over the mountains and glides majestically over a lake that recalls the freedom and adventure of
a similar "King of the World" moment in Titanic, where Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet stand at the ship's bow and fly over the water
below. Other effects include a werewolf and a wolf, and another game of Quiddich that is plagued by a thunderstorm. Their
presence is noticeable but effectively interwoven into the more important storyline.
The performances are solid all-around, especially Thewlis as a sort of mentor to Harry's growing fears, and the emergence
of Watson, who begins to establish herself as the film's go-to character in time of crisis. Rickman, Thompson, and Gambon
also provide effective support. It's difficult to emphasize character development in films such as the Harry Potter series,
because the storyline is already long and time for closer inspection (outside of Harry) isn't possible here. Cuarón's talent
for distinct characters and the backgrounds that illuminate their strengths and weaknesses are a good fit for what
the franchise must accomplish with each successive chapter. Here's to hoping Cuarón will return for at least one more
film in a series that will undoubtedly be the most successful in cinematic history at its conclusion (several films from now).
The Prisoner of Azkaban juxtaposes inner conflict with grand adventure in a way that will attract an even wider
audience.
© 2004 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
| Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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