'Prisoner of Azkaban' casts third magic spell
By Jane Muhlstein
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," the newest chapter in the saga tale of teen wizard Harry Potter, based on the books of J.K. Rowlings, successfully blends the whimsical style of the first two movies with the more sophisticated touch of a new director.
"Prisoner of Azkaban" reunites the audience with Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his best friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) in their third year at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As the noticeably older Harry, Ron and Hermione prepare to return to school for the fall, news breaks of the recent prison escape of Sirius Black.
The trio soon discovers that Black is actually Harry's godfather, who gave away the hiding place of Harry's parents so they could be killed by the evil wizard Voldemort. Black had spent the previous 12 years in Azkaban, the wizarding prison, waiting to finish the job by killing Harry.
Through some detective work, the friends set out to learn more about Black. When he finally catches up with Harry, they find themselves in a frantic race against time to protect the lives of two innocent people.
Between adventures, Harry, Ron, Hermione and friends round out their lives at Hogwarts by playing quidditch, learning the art of divination and helping their scruffy friend Hagrid save yet another magical creature.
"Prisoner of Azkaban" introduces a new director to the series. Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron maintains many aspects of the style created in the previous films, but makes the movie a work all his own.
Much greater attention is paid to the geographical setting, with the action often taking place against the backdrop of the surrounding lake and mountains. The beautiful, yet mysterious, British landscape lends itself well to enhance the tone of the film.
"Prisoner of Azkaban" also shows less concern for strict faithfulness to Rowlings' book. While it never strays from the plot of the book, it has lost the feeling the earlier films had of the forced inclusion of immense textual detail.
"Prisoner of Azkaban" takes advantage of the thorough introduction Harry Potter fans have now had to this magical world. While the first two films packed countless minute details into two hours, flawlessly creating the atmosphere and ambience of the wizarding world, it seems confident that the setting for its story is already established.
"Prisoner of Azkaban" perfectly maintains the tone of the book, but certain elements that were essential to the earlier films have been omitted. We do not find out how Harry spends his Christmas, which Hogwarts house earns the most points during the year or who wins the annual Quidditch Cup. Milestones that were traditional to the first movies are sacrificed, possibly in the effort to create a movie for an older audience about older characters.
The only true disappointment in "Prisoner of Azkaban" is that, despite the addition of excellent new cast members, like Emma Thompson as the divination professor, most of the Hogwarts instructors receive far less screen time than before. The new professor of dark arts (David Thewlis) is featured prominently in the plot, but old favorite characters have been downsized considerably. This is disappointing given the talented group of actors that makes up the school's faculty.
While some elements and characters could be better embellished upon, the liberties taken in this adaptation allow it to develop into a more sophisticated film than the first two, a trend that will hopefully continue with future films in the series.
Grade: A-
û Contact Jane Muhlstein at (408) 554-4546 or jmuhlstein@scu.edu.