Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón | 142 minutes | adventure, family, fantasy | Actors: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, Richard Griffiths, Pam Ferris, Fiona Shaw, Harry Melling, Adrian Rawlins, Geraldine Somerville, Lee Ingleby, Lenny Henry, Jimmy Gardner, Jim Tavaré, Robert Hardy, Abby Ford, Oliver Phelps, James Phelps, Chris Rankin, Bonnie Wright, Devon Murray, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Matthew Lewis, Dawn French, Tom Felton, Genevieve Gaunt, Emma Thompson, Julie Christie, Timothy Spall

The movie ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ is a real rollercoaster for the eyes. This is a pleasant achievement from the new director Alfonso Cuarón. Chris Columbus, who directed the previous two Harry Potter films, thought it was enough after four years of filming, but remained glued to the set as a co-producer. But the difference between the directors is clearly noticeable. The Mexican-born Alfonso Cuarón knows, by using much darker tones, to give the film a much more mature look than the previous two films. Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione are already thirteen years old! The film is therefore not really mature, because Harry Potter is of course primarily a children’s/teenager film, which adults can enjoy once again.

It remains difficult to tell a story in a limited time. Especially when considering that every sequel to a final Harry Potter book was a doubling in thickness from the previous book. However, writer JK Rowling has given Cuarón plenty of room for interpretation and he has succeeded very well in interweaving the right passages into an extremely exciting story. The continuous twists and turns in the story are as confusing as they are resourceful, and the fantastic monsters are once again as successful as they are entertaining or terrifying. The creation of these creatures took the most time in the making of the film. The Hippogriff, Hagrid’s new friend, alone took nearly a year to make, as multiple versions of this half-horse/half-eagle had to be made. There was a clunky version that walks over the land and an elegant version that flies away. A wonderful experience is the flight that the viewer can make on the back of the Hippogriff over the water and the land. And as black Caspers, the Dementors have succeeded terrifyingly well. The animations are so successful that you start to doubt the authenticity of Hermione’s cat and Ron’s rat. But these critters are lifelike again.

The three loyal wizard friends have clearly aged, with the actors visibly growing with their characters. They play with a greater self-confidence than before and especially Emma Watson puts down a very entertaining, spirited wizard. This is partly due to the efforts of Chris Columbus, who gave these young actors a good foundation. But Cuarón also instructed the protagonists to write a report on their characters, which helped them get to know them better and put them in their shoes. And you can see that in the movie. In addition, the wizards play with great actors next to them. Gary Oldman, who takes on the role of Sirius Black, stars in playing a scary man who later on seems to have a very likable side as well. David Thewlis is also a new face, who proves to be very deserving as a friendly outcast. With his wisdom, he is the other eccentric Harry of great support in his search for the truth. The also new Emma Thompson comically plays the fortune teller Sybil Trelawney. She’s the new professor of Divination, where the present doesn’t quite sink in. But the familiar actors are of course also present, albeit that they remain more in the background this time. Professor Snape and Dumbledore are the only ones who have been given a slightly larger role. Michael Gambon replaces late actor Richard Harris in his role of Dumbledore. Gambon shows himself, with his characteristic head and his idiosyncrasy, extremely suitable for this role and knows how to portray a charismatic grandmaster.

In fact, almost all the changes that have been made to this ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ have all been improvements, and it will be very difficult to follow up with a superlative film. Credit to Mike Newell, director of ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’. It won’t be easy.