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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
June 14 , 2004 by Movie Reviewers
Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Rated: Rated PG for frightening moments,
creature violence and mild language.
Runtime: 142 mins.
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Writer: J.K. Rowling (novel); Steven Kloves (screenplay
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe; Gary Oldman; Rupert Grint; Emma Watson
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Tagline: Something Wicked This Way Comes.
Memorable Quote: "Is that really what my hair looks like from the back? "
By
Jeremiah Lewis (Guest Critic)
As the latest film entry into the Harry Potter world finishes its all-important
weekend, several questions come to mind. One, when will Emma Watson turn 18; and
two, who knew the execs at Warner Bros. were so smart? Hiring Alfonso Cuarón to
helm was a move inspired by genius. It will pay off in spades, as Cuarón has
created a film that is both refreshingly satisfying to Harry Potter lovers and
mildly incoherent to those who are not in the know. Having not read any of the
books, I can only guess that The Prisoner of Azkaban is a work of genius
- what I saw, however, was more akin to two and a half hours of neck-cramping
semi-entertainment.
Cuarón put his "fresh vision" into the film by giving us gliding cameras in and
through window plate glass and clock gears. I guess he never saw Panic Room.
The critics proclaim this the darkest of the three movies thus far, but I didn't
quite get that vibe. His placement of Harry, Hermione, and Ron in an Y Tu
Mama, Tambien pose during one scene made me wonder if perhaps Cuarón was
going to turn the Harry Potter world upside down, but nothing ever came of it.
So much for improving the story.
That's not to say that Harry Potter is blasé or bad. Indeed, the overarching
story is engaging and ambitious, exercising emotional archetypes in favor of
search of self. HP is, at heart, a questioning and exploration of the survival
of the individual in a world gone strangely dark and twisted. Though Harry is
young, he is also strong; though humble and sometimes timid, he proves he can
also carry himself (with a little help from his friends). However, he also has a
good heart. He is the epicenter of the shift from child to adult, and his
adventures are more than just wizardry and cleverness - indeed, they are rites
of passage.
POA, however, seems to lack any defining moments of change; there are no
"growing up" moments for Harry here, just dwelling on his parents' death and
breaking as many Hogwarts rules as possible.
The Prisoner of Azkaban continues with the growth of Harry (Daniel
Radcliffe) and his friends Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasely
(Rupert Grint) into their third year at Hogwarts. Before beginning the semester,
Harry is warned that a mass murderer, Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped
Azkaban prison and is on the loose and searching for Harry, hence the movie's
Shakespearean tagline, "Something wicked this way comes." To aid in Black's
recapture, Azkaban has deployed the Dementors, black creatures that prey upon
the souls of those who stand in their way. When they turn their attention upon
Harry, he finds help and solace in Professor Lupin, who teaches him a new spell
to ward off the Dementors.
While this would certainly be enough material for one movie alone, the story
grows in scope, with a subplot involving a Hippogriff (half horse, half eagle),
the study of werewolves, and time travel melding into the anti-climactic
encounter between Harry and Sirius Black. Despite the mileage Cuarón and cast
trek through, it feels underdeveloped, rushed. Fans of the books will find that
many aspects have changed in the adaptation, and I'm not sure it's for the best,
though perhaps the source material is the problem in the first place. Whoever's
to blame, POA feels like a dartboard with darts hitting all the mid-range
numbers, but never the bull's-eye.
POA sports some impressive special effects; the Hippogriff is a stunning
achievement, even for jaded, CG-saturated moviegoers. John Williams' score is
low-key and appropriately moody, though the sound effects work leaves some
desiring. The production design is as impressive as it is complete (try to note
the lettering carved into the wood paneling of Professor Trelawney's classroom).
Most noticeable though is the subtext, which actually works better than the
actual film. Cuarón uses such images as the giant clock and the moon as both
metaphors and foreshadowers, giving POA a wealth of underlying cinematic
capital not quite seen in the previous two films.
Though small children may be frightened at some of the dark material, it is done
with enough restraint that it should still appeal to most families. If only the
filmmakers had delivered on the tagline, POA might have been fun for
geeks like me. Sadly, the end result is less Macbeth and more middle school
primer material. Something average this way comes!
Jeremiah Lewis
