Chatverock Takes itself way too seriously

Executscan Expected more

ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Twilightfa Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.

adonis98-743-186503 It's Harry's third year at Hogwarts; not only does he have a new "Defense Against the Dark Arts" teacher, but there is also trouble brewing. Convicted murderer Sirius Black has escaped the Wizards' Prison and is coming after Harry. Although it's nowhere near as good as the first 2 films in the series 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' once again boasts terrific perfomances from it's young 3 stars but also a very good and sinister storyline. Although some cgi effects and the woman turning into a balloon were definitely a bit too silly in my opinion. But a fun sequel nevertheless. (7.5/10)

TheNabOwnzz The sheer emotion and the fantastic visuals of this entry into the Harry Potter series alone is enough for me to consider The Prisoner of Azkaban as the best in the series. It has a stroke of genius in its immersion that cannot be matched by any other one of the films in the series.Admittedly Alfonso Cuaron changed a lot of things when compared to the first two films by Chris Columnbus. Cuaron wanted to create an extremely dark atmospheric experience that can strike the fear in the hearts of the audience by use of its visuals alone, and he succeeded. The film is much, much darker than the previous two, and while it still has its joyous moments due to the fact that this is only the mere transitioning of the series into more mature territory, it is mostly a very serious film. Like the previous two, the narrative is once again outstanding, its non linear storytelling and use of time travel makes me also consider this film as my personal favorite narrative in the series, and the time travel sequence is quite possibly the greatest sequence in the series too. The introduction of the characters Lupin ( David Thewles ) & Sirius Black ( Gary Oldman ) also proves that like in the previous film, the Chamber of Secrets, the series manages to add new characters that are once again extremely interesting.This truly is the transcending film in terms of the three leads Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint & Emma Watson, as they have evolved into great actors by this film ( Except maybe Radcliffe, who was still lacking emotional intensity in certain scenes, such as the one where he breaks down after eavesdropping on McGonogall and the minister. ). Unfortunately Richard Harris passed away before being able to take part in this third entry and thus was replaced as Dumbledore by Michael Gambon, who is admittedly not as good as Richard Harris, whose soothing presence had no equal. Gambon is not a weak link however, and plays Dumbledore to the best of his ability. David Thewles as Lupin is an extremely likeable but as later discovered also quite a troubled character, but the friendly & kind nature of the way his character is played is simply brilliant. It is ofcourse always a great idea to cast Gary Oldman in a film, as he is one of the most versatile and talented actors to ever grace the screen, and his performance in this film is once again nothing short of spectacular, since the desperation and will for justice basically drips from his face.The cinematography was great in the first two films, but is even better in the third, as it focuses a lot more on outdoor shots and on connectivity of its world than its predecessors. Cuaron wanted to show the audience how the world is connected, with various shots of the bridge making clear that Hagrid's hut is beneath it, and the courtyard before it. It is the most immersive of the series because it makes you memorize the layout with its beautiful connecting cinematography. There are also a lot more shots of beautiful gorgeous scottish-esque natural backdrops of the green plains and mountains, a bit in Braveheart's style, resulting in a visually very pleasing film. The previous two films seemed to be filmed on flat pieces of land which focused more on the sets itself instead of its gorgeous backgrounds.John Williams's score is very different from the previous two films too, since he seems more focused on creating a couple of simple melodies instead of the gigantic orchestral scores in the first two films ( Such as the beautiful score when Lupin and Harry talk about his parents on the bridge ). Buckbeak's flight is also quite possibly the greatest scene in the series due to Williams's incredible score and the gorgeous grassy cinematography, being in stark contrast to Harry's previous life as a neglected cousin of the Dursley's, wheras now he can truly taste the freedom, and it results in a truly beautiful scene.Harry's interactions with Oldman & Thewles's characters are simply dripping of emotion due to its fantastic humane dialogue ( Result of a great screenplay ) and genuine character bonding, and it is truly wonderful how the series make you care about its characters, although The Prisoner of Azkaban is definitely the greatest entry of the series in this aspect.

azkaban_5 The best movie I ever seen, because of the knight bus! When I see the Double Trouble song in this movie, that's my favorite song in this movie! Harry is now a teenager (like a middle school student) and in his third year at Hogwarts. His friends are Ron and Hermione, and this movie is better than Studio Ghibli. I see this movie in a TV channel named HBO Hits.

Ross622 These days Alfonso Cuaron has proved himself to be one of the finest film directors of his generation thanks to him making great films like "Children of Men" (2006) and "Gravity' (2013) along with adding this movie to his resume of memorable films back in 2004. "Prisoner of Azkaban" is the third of 8 films in the entire Harry Potter franchise and it is a really good movie even though it isn't really as original as the first two movies in the series, even though Cuaron is very engaged with his storytelling here. Like the first two films the main characters along with Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) who still continues his adventures at Hogwarts with his two good friends Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ronald Weasley (Rupert Grint), but the threat against Harry is much more serious against him this time. The threat to Potter and his friends is realized after he returns to Hogwarts and is told by Professor Lupin (David Thewlis) that a convicted murderer by the name of Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) from the prison of Azkaban who is supposedly out to kill Potter. After the other professors find out about this threat Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) tells all Hogwarts students that they have set creatures that look like the Grim Reaper called Dementors at every single entrance on the grounds of the Hogwarts campus. Black was convicted in Voldemort's plot to kill Harry Potter's parents but towards the end of the movie Black becomes a changed man, for reasons that I will not spoil. The visuals are still breathtaking as ever, and the supporting characters along with Black and Lupin, as well as the likes of Dumbledore, Snape (Alan Rickman), McGonagall (Maggie Smith), Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), Trelawney (Emma Thompson) are expertly written. There are also other great components of this movie including the script by Steve Kloves who also wrote the screenplays for the first two films, as well as mind-blowing editing, excellent cinematography, brilliant performances, and the haunting score by the legendary John Williams are what make this movie work on a full scale. Though I have no problems with this movie, I do have a problem with Warner Bros. for not honoring the replacement request from Richard Harris who originally played Professor Dumbledore, of which Harris wanted his good friend Peter O'Toole to replace him after his death. Though Michael Gambon was excellent as Dumbledore I do happen to think that O'Toole could have done him one better. Despite that I still think that this is one of the finest films of 2004.