Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

"Two big thumbs up for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  Ebert & Roeper
"Powerfully entrancing! This true kid's classic is just as magical for adults.  Peter Rainer, New York Magazine
"Irresistible fun.  Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
"A smart enjoyable film...this one is truly wizard!  Richard Corliss, Time
"One of the Best Films of all time!  Ryan Sucher, ShowTime

Editor's Note In this adaptation of the third book in J.K. Rowling's best-selling series, Harry Potter (Danielle Radcliffe) and his best friends Hermoine (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint), must face the dangerous convict Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), who has ties with their enemy Lord Voldemort. The spectacular fantasy-adventure action of the earlier movies (SORCERER'S STONE and CHAMBER OF SECRETS) is once again presented here, as Alfonso Cuaron lends his unique directorial style to recreating Rowling's magical story on celluloid. A scarier, darker story than the first two, this one concerns the mystery behind why Sirius Black is tracking Harry Potter. Slowly Harry and his friends unravel the clues, and learn secrets about Harry's parents that had all along been hidden from him. Meanwhile, because the deranged Sirius poses a threat to all students at Hogwarts, the school enlists a group of daunting black ghosts called Dementors to stand guard. These flying ghouls have a powerful effect on Harry and frighten him to his core. Yet even these chilling obstacles don't dampen the spirits of the youthful wizards, who meet Buckbeak--a giant flying hawk-horse creature, welcome a new dark arts teacher (David Thewlis) and a new divination teacher (Emma Thompson), and are still determined to beat the rival Slytherin team in Quidditch. HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN offers a visually stunning interpretation of the revered book, and will thrill viewers with its special effects, it's penetrating John Williams score, and its superb performances.

	Alan Rickman
	Daniel Radcliffe
	David Thewlis
	Emma Thompson
	Emma Watson
	Gary Oldman
	Julie Christie
	Maggie Smith
	Michael Gambon
	Richard Griffiths
	Robbie Coltrane
	Rupert Grint
	Alan Gilmore, et. al. - Art Director
	Alfonso Cuaron - Director
	David Heyman - Producer
	J.K. Rowling - Based On Novel By
	John Williams - Original Music By
	Michael Barnathan - Executive Producer
	Michael Seresin - Cinematographer
	Steve Kloves - Screenplay
	Steven Weisberg - Editor
	Stuart Craig - Production Designer

Entertainment Weekly
"[T]he first movie in the series with fear and wonder in its bones, and genuine fun, too....The whole movie zips along with a matter-of-fact cleverness that stays a step ahead of you." 06/11/2004 p.93-4

Rolling Stone
"Not only is this dazzler by far the best and most thrilling of the three Harry Potter movies to date, it's a film that can stand on its own..." 06/24/2004 p.186

New York Times
"This is surely the most interesting of the three Potter movies....It feels at once more dangerous, more thoroughly enchanted and more real." 06/04/2004 p.E1

Sight and Sound
"The magic here works not just on the level of weird and wonderful ghosts and monsters but through a series of haunting images that draw attention to key themes and a breadth of imagination..." 08/01/2004 p.51-4

USA Today
"Alfonso Cuaron directs for mood, and the result is the most satisfying HARRY to date." 11/26/2004 p.4E

Los Angeles Times
"[Cuaron] brought a new style and intelligence to Hogwarts." 11/25/2004 p.E27

Wall Street Journal
"The movie's set pieces seduce you with elegance, wit or suspense." 11/18/2010

ReelViews 8 of 10
It's interesting to note that, of the three Harry Potter novels thus far filmed, the longest on the written page has turned into the shortest on screen. This is a good thing, because it means that the filmmakers are becoming less literal and more cinematic in their adaptations. A flaw of the first two movies, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, is that they tried to cram every nuance into the screenplay - an act that had a negative impact upon the films' pacing. For Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, script-writer Steve Kloves has pared J.K. Rowling's story to its essence, resulting in a more streamlined motion picture...With both The Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter movies proving to be solid box-office performers, there's little question that the [fantasy] genre is here to stay. Although Tolkien's story is done, J.K. Rowling's has at least four more installments to go (the final two of which haven't even been published). If the filmmakers continue to keep the quality level high, there will be plenty of pleasurable hours ahead. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban proves that a new director with a different perspective can freshen a series that could otherwise resort to stale repetition. - James Berardinelli

Reel.com 9 of 10
Pardon the pun, but when it comes to Harry Potter films, the third time's a charm. Not that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets weren't excellent movies. They were. But Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban eclipses both of them...First, important information for Potter purists: 1) Three key points have been changed to streamline the story, which results in a nice adaptation, but not a faithful one. Whether these changes will affect future books/films is a question many are pondering. Author JK Rowling, in an interview with USA Today, claimed that director Alfonso Cuaron (Y Tu Mama Tambien) unintentionally made choices that foreshadow events in Books Six and Seven; 2) Numerous subplots have been deleted entirely; 3) There is only one Quidditch scene (you know which one)...Whereas the first two films were clearly kids' movies--despite grownups showing up in costume for midnight premieres--the mood of Azkaban reflects the adolescence it portrays...If you are new to the world of Harry Potter, fear not. Although Azkaban provides only minimal backstory, a fellow reviewer said she was able to follow along with no problem--and she thoroughly enjoyed the film. - Sarah Chauncey