Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban (2003) — Film Review

Year three at Hogwarts means new fun and challenges as Harry learns the delicate art of approaching a Hippogriff, transforming shape-shifting Boggarts into hilarity and even turning back time. But the term also brings danger: soul-sucking Dementors hover over the school, an ally of the accursed He-Who-Cannot-Be-Named lurks within the castle walls, and fearsome wizard Sirius Black escapes Azkaban. And Harry will confront them all.

Everyone has their favourite Harry Potter movie, and for me, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the standout. This book is also one of my favourites in the series, so I’ve always had a fondness for Alfonso Cuarón’s much darker take, as this story marks the transition point from children’s fantasy to young adult fantasy.

The cinematic style has a much more indie feel compared to Chris Columbus’s prequels, which had a grand, fantastical style that stuck as faithfully as possible to J.K. Rowling’s novel. Steve Kloves returns again to pen another solid screen adaptation, but there seemed to be more of a “follow the narrative beats and stay faithful to the characters” approach rather than relying too heavily on the source material.

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint’s reprisal of the golden trio saw them handling more serious material, and aside from a few scenes that wouldn’t have been hurt by a reshoot or two, I think the teens did well with the slightly heavier elements of this movie. I think the Harry, Ron and Hermione dynamic started to feel uneven here.

When I was at university, a thesis of one of my essays was that Hermione had more of a classic hero arc than the titular character. While Hermione had more agency, this did at times sideline Harry, and Ron was often reduced either to comedic relief or a damsel. It’s a pity, because whenever I re-read the books, I can see moments that would’ve given each character their own standout moments as a team and as individuals. I suppose that’ll be one of the benefits of the new HBO series, with at least eight episodes per season.

This film also saw some new faces enter the franchise. After the tragic passing of Richard Harris, the creative team had no choice but to recast Albus Dumbledore — Michael Gambon made his debut with a more serious take on the Hogwarts headmaster, though there were still attempts to capture the character’s whimsical nature. Along with the returning adult cast, David Thewlis made a brilliant addition as Remus Lupin, and Gary Oldman captured both the sinister and vulnerable sides of Sirius Black, with Timothy Spall as Peter Pettigrew giving a stellar performance in the climax of the movie. Plus, Emma Thompson’s eccentric Professor Trelawney was so good it was as though the Divination teacher had leapt off the page.

There’s always a mystery element to each of Rowling’s books, and this one is no different, but this is one of the few times that Voldemort does not make an appearance or serve as an obvious antagonist. With the dementors, the threat of an escaped mass murderer, and Hogwarts no longer feeling safe, the danger in this film is far more complicated than before. Throw in time travel and two rescue missions, and there was never a dull moment on the page.

Harry’s backstory became more real in this installment. Yes, he’s an orphan, but Lily and James began to feel like real characters. This was achieved through the additions of Sirius, Remus, Snape and Peter, as the emotional impact of their deaths was shown through characters who knew them.

As much as I enjoyed this film — and still do — I think the ending wrapped things up a little too neatly, but that’s a minor pet peeve.

My rating of Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban (2003) - ★★★★★.