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HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN Send This Review to a Friend
In many ways this is the best Harry Potter film yet. It is a visual delight and the action is tied to very human elements, with the story clipping along at a very good pace, enhanced by some especially entertaining special effects. Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón, who made the popular art theater film “Y Tu Mamá También,” demonstrates that he has the power to handle this type of a mass-market adventure film with style and intelligence. The writing by Steve Kloves, based, of course, on the novel by J. K. Rowling, is to the point and does justice to the characters.
There is one inventive stretch when Daniel Radcliffe as Harry and Emma Watson as Hermione flip back in time to follow themselves and thereby come to the rescue to change events. It is fun watching them duplicated, and so is the action. Key to developments is Buckbeak, a cross between a giant bird and a horse and capable of giving the twosome a great ride. The special effects involving the dangerous dementors are superb, too, as are all of the other generously sprinkled effects.
Ron Weasley is back as Grint, and the cast includes David Thewlis, Emma Thompson,
Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Richard Griffiths, Timothy Spall, Emma Thompson and Tom Felton as the obnoxious Draco Malfoy, who gets a good sock in the face from Hermione, a blow guaranteed to please.
Some of the film may be quite terrifying for very young children, but the dangerous moments should keep older ones engrossed. The handling of Harry’s feelings for his father adds a warm emotional touch. A Warner Brothers Pictures release.
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