Under the assured direction of Alfonso Cuaron, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban triumphantly strikes a delicate balance between technical wizardry and complex storytelling. Read critic reviews
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2004, Kids & family/Fantasy, 2h 21m
259 Reviews 250,000+ RatingsWhat to know
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Movie Info
Harry Potter's (Daniel Radcliffe) third year at Hogwarts starts off badly when he learns deranged killer Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from Azkaban prison and is bent on murdering the teenage wizard. While Hermione's (Emma Watson) cat torments Ron's (Rupert Grint) sickly rat, causing a rift among the trio, a swarm of nasty Dementors is sent to protect the school from Black. A mysterious new teacher helps Harry learn to defend himself, but what is his secret tie to Sirius Black?
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Rating: PG (Frightening Moments|Creature Violence|Mild Language)
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Genre: Kids & family, Fantasy, Adventure
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Original Language: English
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Director: Alfonso Cuarón
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Producer: Chris Columbus, David Heyman, Mark Radcliffe
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Writer: J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves
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Release Date (Theaters): original
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Box Office (Gross USA): $249.4M
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Runtime:
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Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
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Production Co: 1492 Pictures, Heyday Films, Warner Brothers
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Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, SDDS, Surround, DTS
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Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)
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View the collection: Harry Potter
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Critic Reviews for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Audience Reviews for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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As the trio gets older the films become a little darker and more mature. Watching the Harry Potter series within days of each other can be a tough adjustment. Especially considering how family friendly the first two installments are, but no matter the subtitle, Harry Potter films always maintain that fun atmosphere. Harry and his buddies have turned 13, his first year of his teens, and this film subtly tackles some common issues that an early teen has. Not only is Harry dealing with the angst of trying to be independent from his muggle family, but he then is forced with coming to terms with an estranged family member returning to find Harry, Sirius Black. All the films have relatively the same setting, characters, and tone, but Prisoner of Azkaban is clearly a part of a maturation process for Harry. There's something to be said for a film that takes its franchise in a totally new direction (i.e. Fast Five), but I also can't help but think this film was missing a few familiar plot points. Alfonso Cuarón took the reigns from Chris Columbus and he brought a refreshing take on the Potterverse. Just by simply looking at the advancement of technology in CGI and in the unique camera movements/shots, this was going to be a different Potter film. Cuarón brought along Michael Gambon as the new Dumbledore, after the unfortunate passing of Richard Harris. As great as Harris is, his calming presence may not have worked as Dumbledore here. Gambon fits in well as a more demanding and mysterious headmaster than in the previous two films. With that said, Voldemort's lack of presence is definitely felt. I enjoy the late-game twist in the film's villain and I understand we don't necessarily need him every film, but there was barely any mention of him. Yes, that's the way it is in the book, but for me, it degrades the score a bit. The focus here is more on Sirius Black and Professor Lupin. Both of which have unexpected twists and turns that make the third act quite the whirlwind. To me, this film plays more as a part 1 of 2 to the Goblet of Fire, because we only get a glimpse into Pettigrew and his relation to the dark lord and Harry's parents. Either way, Prisoner of Azkaban is a welcomed changeup in the film's franchise and one that, on repeat viewings, only gets better. I mean, who doesn't love time travel, Hippogriff's, a long awaited punch, a little quality time with Harry & Hermione, and one big twist right? It's a slower pace and a darker tone, but Prisoner of Azkaban is no slouch of a film. + Cuarón's different style +Gary Oldman enters the picture +Fantastic visuals/cinematography +Hermione & Harry team-up -No Voldemort presence 8.7/10
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This was kind of weirdly filmed.
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It's always hard to take a beloved childrens franchise and make it more adult, but it worked for Warner Bros. when they gave Alfonso Cuáron the job of directing the third installment of the Harry Potter franchise. Cuáron does a magnificent job with this movie and you couldn't have thought of any director better than him to do this kind of transition into the more dark and gritty, but yet still funny world of Harry Potter. The acting is also way better this time around, but that doesn't come as a surprise when you add really experienced actors like David Thewlis and Gary Oldman to the mix, but also the performances of the our three main guys are pretty good. The direction has changed into something very exciting for me.
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Thanks to the amazing direction of Alfonso Cuaron, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban makes up for it's many storytelling faults with a fantastic visual style, a maturing tone and unique elements that only he could have invented.
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