The world of Hogwarts School, its wizards, witches and other weird beings, is a changed world, now that Chris Columbus has vacated the director’s chair after two instalments of the Harry Potter series, and turned things over to Alfonso Cuaron for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. While Columbus created a highly colourful, intensely busy world, Cuaron’s is more muted, more weather-worn, more creepy. Partly as a result of this darker atmosphere, the third Harry Potter movie is the best yet, seemingly less dependent than its predecessors on cinematic gadgetry, and stronger in conveying its characters and story.
As the youthful actors mature, so does the storytelling. And thankfully, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson are up to the task, while Rupert Grint also does his job – principally that of mugging for the camera as well as ever. While it remains to be seen whether they’ll have the depth required to succeed as adult performers, it’s great to see that the teen-aged Radcliffe and Watson can act, as they are most certainly surrounded by a lot of talent. In addition to satisfying performances by Potter first-timers Gary Oldman and David Thewlis, we’ve got the dependable Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith and others returning. And while it’s sad to see the deceased Richard Harris gone from the troupe, Michael Gambon is a more-than-adequate replacement.
The story is extra-dark this time, as Harry (Radcliffe) returns to school for a third year with the knowledge that the murderous Sirius Black (Oldman) has escaped from prison and is likely to be looking to add Harry to his roster of victims. It’s not particularly reassuring that Hogwarts is being guarded by a spooky group of Dementors, as they seem to be almost as dangerous as the man they are trying to capture. Harry, Hermione (Watson) and Ron (Grint) get themselves into lots of trouble again, as they try to sort out who’s really dangerous and who is on their side.
While there will be the inevitable complaints from those who can’t accept the inevitable compromises of adapting a 435 page book into a 136 minute film, this is pretty close to an ideal adaptation, in that it works equally well for Potter adherents and newcomers who haven’t read the book or seen the first two movies. While there’s little sense of backtracking to set the scene, the characters are introduced in a reasonably accessible manner as Cuaron and screenwriter Steven Kloves manage to simultaneously acquaint them with first-timers while moving the story forward. The fact that a few of the series’ regulars get less screen time than we might like (especially the fabulous Rickman) is not a big weakness, as the newcomers, especially Oldman, are so compelling.
The beauty of Cuaron’s work is that the inevitable load of CGI effects is here, yet it does not dominate the proceedings. While Columbus sometimes seemed overly obsessed with the visual effects, there’s no sense of that here. Sure, Columbus’ visuals were more eye-catching, but Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is richer in its subtleties and a more cohesive film overall.
Equally appealing to kids, this third Harry Potter instalment is a more adult film than its predecessors, and breathes new life into a series that – perhaps due to the simultaneous unfolding of the remarkable Lord of the Rings series – seemed to be stumbling slightly after just its second film. Despite a slight dragging mid-film (as with both its predecessors), this is a most satisfying third effort.
The third Harry Potter movie is the best yet, seemingly less dependent than its predecessors on cinematic gadgetry, and stronger in conveying its characters and story.- Brian Webster
