"Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban" Talkback (Spoilers)

[Colin]

Something wicked this way comes.
http://www.toonzone.net/colin/images/poa_poster.gif
http://www.toonzone.net/colin/images/poa_poster.jpg


Release Date: June 4, 2004
Studio: Warner Brothers
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Starring: Daniell Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Chris Rankin, Tom Felton, David Thewlis, Gary Oldman, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Emma Thompson

Plot Summary: It's Harry's third year at Hogwarts, but a shadow hangs over the school. A dangerous mass murderer, Sirius Black, has escaped from Azkaban Prison. While learning to cope with the Dementors sent to protect Hogwarts, Harry learns the disturbing story of Sirius Black and yet more of his own history.

Visit the official movie site here (http://www.harrypotter.com)

[digitalmonkey]

Very Good. Watched it this morning at a midnight screening. Better than the first 2 for sure. But, my opinion may be biased, as its my second favorite of the series (OoTP #1)

[Barb Gordon]

Fantastic.

And yet, there are so many things I didn't like. But I'll start with what I loved.

Buckbeak - awesome! I figured he would be all CGI, but he just looked so cool and so well imagined...just perfect. I loved everything about him.
The movie in general was darker, scarier...all the child actors are getting big so fast! yet it really works obviously since the kids are getting older in each book/movie.
Sirius and Lupin were the best. They're my two favorite characters and I thought they were done beautifully. At first I didn't like who they'd chosen for Lupin (evil king from Dragonheart) but by the second scene I was so for him. The scene with Sirirus holding Lupin and trying to get him not to transform was probably one of my favorite scenes...definitely my favorite of the two of them. They were able to show, in such a short amount of time, what deep friends those two are. Yet how they did the Werewolf part seriously terrified me. It just creeped me out to no end...I thought the werewolf would be more full wolf, and not some creepy gangly limbed thing *shudders*
Dumbledore - I will always be fond of Richard Harris, yet I really liked Michael (Gamdon?) here. He really brought more of the hippy back in Dumbledore. I liked the change up of clothing too...though I wish McGonagall still had her Emerald robes, she looked so boring.

Okay, now what I didn't really like (yet in some cases liked, yes confusing)

Way too damn fast. Many times throughout the film I was thinking, wow we are going fast. I didn't like it. For a 2.5 hour movie we just seemed to fly by scenes, eveything was so fast paced...and what was bad was that you could feel it was fast paced.
Scenes were too cut and paste. It was just block scene, block scene, block scene, one after another. No flowing gracefully into one scene after another, no proper interval..it made things seem so disconnected at times.
I thought this was a horrible movie for anyone that hadn't read the books. I mean, I figured if you hadn't, you were screwed. The movie felt like a Cliff Notes version for readers because they left so much unexplained which only readers would know without having to be told.

I really hope they have deleted scenes on the DVD, because there seemed so much missing. I would have much rather preferred that they had tacked on another 20 minutes to allow for some more or longer scenes in some areas.

Overall, it's a give and take. I went with a group of 10 avid fans, and all of them came out not liking it in general. They thought it was a good movie, but found the first two way better and wished for Columbus to come back.
I agree with them for some points. From the moment the movie started it was blatantly obvious that it was drastically different from the first two. The first two felt more full, more colorful and more childlike. This one was much darker and grittier. There was no more holding your hand through some scenes...no, the scene just got thrown at you and that was it. No more developing characters, which makes sense because you should already know them well...it was just focusing on the hurried and dangerous events at hand.
I'm not sure, but so much more seemed to be left out of this movie than had been left out of the other two - which I think can be allowed for because so much is going on in the third story....there are so many characters and backgrounds thrown at you that for a movie I think it may have been too hard to keep in the other, lesser yet important moments in...like how Hermione got Crookshanks, and that Crookshanks was supposed to be at the Whomping Willow.
The WW reminds me of the difference of movies again. So much humour with the tree suddenly, which everyone loved actually. Stupid noisey bluebird.

I like the new director, yet I'm torn from wondering if he's cliche artsy, and if I just really yearn for the old style back.

PoA was really great, but there's always a "yet" in my mind.

~Barb

[sterfish]

What a Great Movie. I'm not sure if it's better than the last two films, but I appreciate that it's clearly different from them. I really liked Cuaron's visual style. I admit that it took a little getting used to, but it really was fun to watch. The look of the sets and actors was a welcome change as well. It gave it a more realistic look. And Michael Gambon did an excellent job as Dumbledore. I was especially glad that he didn't try to imitate Richard Harris.

Another thing I enjoyed was the humor. I enjoyed the first two films, but a lot of the humor present in the books seemed lost. This movie had laughing just as much as being entranced. I liked the random one-off gags in between scenes (such as the Whomping Willow taking out that bird).

The changes weren't so bad, but some details really needed to be shown. No one who hadn't read the book would realize that Lupin knew how to use the Marauder's Map because he's one of the people who created it, let alone who Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail are. And it's a shame that the Lupin and Sirius' past history with Snape (which helped to cause his disdain for Harry) wasn't explained either.

But the movie was fun, exciting, loose, and enchanting. I hope the filmmakers can keep the quality up for the remaining films.

[Bladesong26]

Saw it in a packed midnight showing last night, or I guess, this morning. Kudos to the cosplayers that acted out Harry and Draco's duel from CoS for some pre-show entertainment. Nice British accent on the kid playing Draco.

I really liked the movie. It kinda feels like a fever dream right now, since it was late at night and I had worked all day AND things really fly. I do admit that there were times when I thought "Slow down! Slow down and let me enjoy this scene!" I do understand why some of the critics have complained that if you haven't read the book, then you might be pretty lost. On the other hand though, I reply, then read the dang book. It's not very long, it's not a difficult read and it's not hard to find, so what's your excuse, anyway? Not to mention that most of the information about the Marauders that was left out can probably be put together by the average viewer, with a little sleuthing. I did wonder why they didn't emphasize the fact that Harry's Patronus in its full form is a stag, ie., James's form as an Animagus. We did see it a bit, just not enough to make what I always thought was a really nifty image.

Anyway...positives. I had recently re-watched SS and CoS in anticipation and I think that was a dumb idea in hindsight. It was almost jolting to go from Columbus's view to Cuaron's, especially since they're such different interpretations that I was little confused at first. Once you get past that, however, Cuaron is clearly the better director. I was amazed at how grounded in reality this film was and often, how beautiful that reality was. No longer are the special effects, the "magic," the focus of the movie. Harry and the viewer is used to the fact that photos move, people levitate items and classes at Hogwarts are just that, academic classes. The weirdness is almost mundane and I think that's absolutely brillant. With Columbus's movies, there was always a fourth wall of sorts. Everything was so colorful, magical, fanciful; it was almost like we weren't allowed to forget that, hey! Nudge, nudge, you're watching a movie! This couldn't ever happen in real life!

Not so under Cuaron. Beautiful cinematography, seamless special effects, some REAL emotions going on. Great acting all around with special notice to Emma Watson who really made Hermione her own girl this time.

I'd could probably blather for hours about this movie, both pros and cons, but I think one scene in particular sums it up for me: The first time Harry takes Buckbeak out for a spin across the lake. It wasn't, "Look how cool our CGI is!" or "Behold, major plot revelation!" We got to soar over the beautiful countryside on the back of a Hippogriff and I felt what it was like to fly. When Harry finally got over himself and yelled "Woo hoo!" or something along those lines, I felt it right along with him. A movie that does that is a good 'un in my opinion.

[zmanjz]

Anyway...positives. I had recently re-watched SS and CoS in anticipation and I think that was a dumb idea in hindsight. It was almost jolting to go from Columbus's view to Cuaron's, especially since they're such different interpretations that I was little confused at first. Once you get past that, however, Cuaron is clearly the better director. I was amazed at how grounded in reality this film was and often, how beautiful that reality was. No longer are the special effects, the "magic," the focus of the movie. Harry and the viewer is used to the fact that photos move, people levitate items and classes at Hogwarts are just that, academic classes. The weirdness is almost mundane and I think that's absolutely brillant. With Columbus's movies, there was always a fourth wall of sorts. Everything was so colorful, magical, fanciful; it was almost like we weren't allowed to forget that, hey! Nudge, nudge, you're watching a movie! This couldn't ever happen in real life!

Actually that's less an Issue of the Directors and more of an Issue of the Books. The first two are really Introductions to the wizarding world full of wonder, while mid way through Azkaban, the series begins it's change to a much darker tale.

Considering first two books combined are shorter than either of the last two released, I'm wondering how they're going to cram Goblet of fire (now in production) into a single movie.

[Elven Moon]

It was a good movie and I really liked it, but very confusing for people not very familiar with the books.

For one thing, why was the map never really explained? Lupin and Sirius obviously helped make it, why wasn't that pointed out? So, we don't really know WHY the map exists, who the people are who made it, WHY Remus knew so much about the map, and such. It wouldn't have hurt anyone to add maybe a minute or two explaining it, or even if they didn't want to do that, they could've put a subtle hint in, with Sirius and Remus greeting each other by their last names and letting the audience make the connection (an extra few seconds, really).

Harry and his family should've shown more anger. I do remember Harry leaving being a lot more dramatic and meaningful in the books.


The movie had a much darker feel, went by really fast and I don't know if I liked the "magical" and "childlike" lack in it, but oh well. Just my style I guess, I'll probably accept it.

[Colin]

Just got back from my second viewing of the movie...

I must say, Cuaron did a fantastic job adapting the book and moving towards the more dark tone that the series has gone towards. The visual effects were great and (most of) the Human/CGI interactions were believable (there was part of when Harry was riding Buckbeak over the lake towards the end of that scene that just seemed a bit fake...) The transformations of the animagi were neat to watch, just wish we could have actually seen Sirius' transformation... tho Lupin & Pettigrew were very neat.

Several of the running gags through the movie made it enjoyable, as previously mentioned, the Whomping Willow showing the changing seasons, and then there was also Hermione mysteriously showing up in class and Ron's great reactions.

The one thing that disappointed me most was when Harry got his Firebolt, I suppose it was handled nicely, since they didn't show a Christmas scene, but I would have liked to have seen the hubbub that surrounded the Firebolt in the book... which includes Hermione's paranoia over where the broom came from and Oliver Wood's lack of concern for Harry versus the awesome broom that was just given to the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

Overall, It was an excellent movie, very well done. Thewlis, Oldman & Thompson played their new roles exceedingly well, and I look forward to seeing them all do more with it. Gambon, while it took a little while to get used to him as Dumbledore, certainly brought a different light to the role that the late Richard Harris didn't bring...

...and my favorite part of the Boggart scene... the tapdancing spider (and I love how they made it a recurring part, with Ron having the nightmare about the spiders making him tapdance ;))

[peterparker05]

I felt that Azkaban was the best of the three movies. For once, it seemed as if they were trying to make a good movie as opposed to just shoving as much of the book onto film as possible.

The new Dumbledore is growing on me and I did suffer from lack of Maggie Smith, but Gary Oldman owned as Sirius. In Order of the Phoenix, he may cause me to care about his death more than the book did.

There was only one bit left out of the movie that I felt should have been explained: the history of James Potter's friends. Why they became animagus and the Snape connection.

All in all, I believe this new choice in director was a step in the right direction. Long live Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban!

[Joker85]

Like most, this movie was a mixed bag for me. Overall, it was a good movie, but there was a lot left unexplained and parts of the new tone didn't set well with me.

Positives:
-Emma Watson as Hermione shined in this movie more than any other! She really became Hermione in this one and stole most of the scenes she was in, even outshining Harry in some.
-Buckbeak was handled very well. The CGI was great!
-Lupin and Sirius...the actors playing them were Brilliant! But I expect nothing less from Gary Oldman. I wasn't very familiar with the man who played Lupin but he was excellent in the role!
-Snape. He was all over the 3rd book and it's good to see they kept the majority of his role in the movie. Alan Rickman is an awesome actor and more than the other two movies, he was really allowed to shine in this one.
-The special effects were at their best here. All of them were impressive!
-Michael Gamdon. While not Richard Harris, he did very well with the role and I had no problem seeing him as Dumbledore. He brought something different to the character and it worked wonderfully.
-The acting as always was good. Even people like Robbie Coltrane, Julie Walters, and Maggie Smith who didn't have much to do this go round were very good. Daniel Radcliffe improves with each movie and Rupert Grint was as good as ever.
-The Shrieking Shack and Hogsmeade
-Malfoy, and when he got hit by Hermione. hehe
-the choir at the beginning singing Something Wicked this Way Comes
-The basic story followed very close to the book

Negatives:
-The new style was a bit shocking. The castle was different, the robes were different...I just felt he changed to much. Like completely changing the location of the Gryffindor Common Room and Hagrid's Hut. I also wasn't a huge fan of the kids hardly ever wearing their Hogwarts uniforms.
-While the recasting of Dumbledore was necessary and worked, I didn't like the new Tom the Innkeeper. A minor character I realize, but in SS he was depicted, as I had always imagined him in the books, as a friendly and warm old man. Here he was the Hunchback of Notre Dame.
-Emma Thompson did fantastic with what she was given, but I think they could have done so much more with the character. She never really got as upset with her predictions of Harry's death as she should have. In the book she gets all teary eyed every time she looked at him. She was also a little crazier and strange in the book. In the movie she just seemed...I dunno, more goofy than anything else. A great character which I don't feel was handled as well as they could have
-Maggie Smith got cut down to size in this movie and that's a shame. She is a wonderful actress and was reduced, although necessary, down to a few blink and you miss her appearances. Same goes for Filch and to a certain degree, Hagrid.
- A lot of important elements, such as the further connection between Remus, Lupin, Peter, James, Lily, and Snape, were left out. As was the connection with the map and the whole animagi thing. Lupin being a Werewolf was sorta just thrown in there, with no way for the viewer to even deduce this if they hadn't read the book.
-The pacing. A bunch of short, choppy scenes that were moving so quickly. And I didn't feel that the shots of the WW were that important. Neither was that scene in the dorm room with Harry, Ron, Neville, Seamus, and Dean.
-the ending. OK, I've always had a problem with the ends of these movies. The first movie did it best. This one was the worst, and I didn't think anything could be worse than the standing ovation Hagrid got at the end of CoS. For one, the scene should have been at Christmas, with a lot more story surrounding it. Secondly, it just seemed cheesy and stupid. Esp that freeze frame shot that ended it. The ending to the book was far superior and I don't understand why they chose that particular scene to end the movie. It was just done poorly.

Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. I just don't care for some of the changes the new director made and I hate that they left out so much from the book, but that's simply a necessary evil . I don't see how they are going to do Goblet though. But, that's another movie.
****

[Yash]

For one thing, why was the map never really explained? Lupin and Sirius obviously helped make it, why wasn't that pointed out?
Actually, it was just Lupin who helped make it. If Snape helped on it, he would've known what it was when he confiscated it from Harry in the book.

Does Gryffindor end up winning the House Cup? I've also been told some things about how McGonagall's, Flitwick's, etc. conversation about Black at the Three Broomsticks being shortened... and Harry not throwing mud at Malfoy...

And is that a new actor for Malfoy?

[FredNash]

Wow, I just got back from the theater, and I've got to say I liked this movie better than the first two, and I liked the first two quite a bit.

After the first two, I looked forward to the next movie, but now I kind of want to read the books, if that says anything about the quality of the movie :D

I kind of wish there was more of Gary Oldman, but even so, I'd have to give this at least a 4/5.

[Pyro]

Does Gryffindor end up winning the House Cup? I've also been told some things about how McGonagall's, Flitwick's, etc. conversation about Black at the Three Broomsticks being shortened... and Harry not throwing mud at Malfoy...

And is that a new actor for Malfoy?
Same actor, new hair.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure Gryffindor wins the house cup each year so far. They just haven't shown it the last two movies. I agree with Joker85 that the endings aren't as good as the books, because the books tie things up. I think the movies are trying to go for different endings each time. The second one sucked. This one was ok in my opinion. I'll put up my review tomorrow because I'm running out of time.

[TnAdct1]

Lupin being a Werewolf was sorta just thrown in there, with no way for the viewer to even deduce this if they hadn't read the book.
There were two hints to Lupin's werewolf form in the film:

1. Lupin's image when he saw the boggart.

2. The Defense Against the Dark Arts session that was taught by Snape (which was all about werewolves).

[Mr. Pedro]

I saw this movie hours ago and I demand my money back. They said that Lupin was in this movie, but I didn't see the guy steal anything.:D

Back to Earth (or Hogwarts anyways). This was the third Harry Potter movie that I've seen in the last three days. I figured I'd get caught up on everything that had happened so far (yes, I know someone's going to tell me to read the damn books if I want to know everything. Well I will, just not today). To be honest, there were some noticable differences between the first two films and PoA. The first two were a bit brighter both in visual apperance and in the plot. This film was a bit more dreary and grittier than the first two, which I thought worked well for this film. I liked the performances of a lot of the actors. Emma Watson gave her best performance of the series thus far, and Alan Rickman churned out another solid performance (for some reason, I always think back to his role in "Dogma" where he was an angel that had no..... well, if you saw it, you'll know what I'm talking about). The new Dummbledore seems to have a more lively personality (a la Gandalf the Gray) and it seemed to work. Not as much Draco in this one, but it was nice to see him take one to the face. Good CGI jobs with Buckbeak, Dementios and the Wolf v.s. Werewolf battle.

I wasn't too fond of how that time traveling device seemed to pop up out of nowhere (Read the book! I get it!) but other than that, I enjoyed this film.

Grade: B+

[purplehairedwonder]

Well, I must say, the third book is my favorite of the series and now the third movie is my favorite as well. Though I admit, like everyone else, I have some positives as well as negatives:
Positives:
- The new feel: It was dark, the sky was always overcast, and the colors were duller. This makes perfect sense because in this movie the story takes a huge turn for the darker content. Everything being duller gives you a little feel that things are changing and for the worse.
- The kids being in "Muggle-clothes" more often: It made them seem more like average teenagers than witches and wizards with magic powers. Plus, the magic wasn't as focused on, but more the story and the people behind it, the magic taking second. I thought that was effective.
- The actors: Everyone was fantastic, really bringing their characters to life. Emma Watson as Hermoine was wonderful. She really came into her own in this one. She was more daring and had an attitude. It was refreshing. Gary Oldman as Sirius. Sirius is my favorite character from the books (besides Harry), and Gary Oldman really brought him to life. His scenes with Harry were wonderful and touching. Lupin was great. A lot of what I imagined him to be. Emma Thompson as Trelawney. She was so funny. Just how Trelawney should be. Michael Gambon as Dumbledore. You could definately tell the difference in the two Dumbledore's, but they both worked. Gambon reflected the more playful side of Dumbledore (I loved the scene after they rescue Sirius, and they say they did it, and Dumbledore says "Did what?... goodnight" with a wink). Everyone else I neglected to mention was great as well (I loved Tom Felton's new hair style).
- The CGI: Buckbeak was amazing. He looked realistic as well. Wonderfully done. The scene where Harry flies him over the lake is beautiful. Also, the scene with Harry, Sirius, and Hermione all on Buckbeak was great. The dementors were so scary. Perfectly evil and creepy. The animals (werewolf and dog). The fight between the two was great.
- The Quality: The overall quality of the movie... the efforts of everyone was great. It made the overall effect of the movie really nice. Totally enjoyable.
- The Shrunken Heads: The one on the Knight Bus was hilarious... and the ones in Hogsmeade. A funny addition.

There were a few negatives that kept me from giving it a full 5 stars (gave it a 4.5):
- The little subtleties that were lost, like the history of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. The history of the Marauders Map, and why Snape hates James, Sirius, and Lupin so much. I would have gladly sat through a few more minutes of the movie to see that explained.
- The Shrieking Shack scene: It just felt a little rushed, plus (like stated above) some of the most important subtleties are revealed here. It was my favorite scene in the book, but felt rushed in the movie.
- The Firebolt: It should have been at Christmas, and Hermione being so paranoid thinking that Sirius sent a cursed broom to Harry. Speaking of which, I missed Oliver Wood in this one. I guess it being at the end wasn't too bad, but it wasn't quite right.
- I missed the ending scene with Harry and the Dursley's, where Harry tells them his Godfather is a convicted murderer on the loose, and wants to keep in touch with Harry, make sure he's happy...
- They don't go into much detail about Trelawney's fortelling she has. It was actually a pretty important thing.

Anyway (I can't believe I typed all that), it was a really good movie, but I think it needs to pull a Lord of the Rings and have an extended edition with more of the story in tact. Overall it was very enjoyable, I'm just glad I've read the books already. 4.5/5

[lostrune]

Hiya, I had to step out in the middle of the movie to buy some snacks, so I missed some stuff. Can anybody please fill in what happened... lemme think... between invisible Harry sneaking into the pub after his professors and Hermione punching Malfoy? Much appreciated. :)

[Joker85]

There were two hints to Lupin's werewolf form in the film:

1. Lupin's image when he saw the boggart.

2. The Defense Against the Dark Arts session that was taught by Snape (which was all about werewolves).
I know, but I thought that they could have thrown in more hints. Snape brewing Lupin a potion was one I just felt sure would be in the movie. I thought that was the most important hint of all that something wasn't right with him, other than he had "taken ill."

[Jolly Bengali]

After finding out my mentor at work was out, I decided to go out and watch this movie, because I treasure the novel. Here's my overall take:

As far as fantasy goes, I really loved the Prisoner of Azkaban film. It stayed more true to the novel than the first two films, and I'm not talking about plot points, but more, the logic, subtle emotions, and development of the characters. In that aspect, everything important was included: that the Marauders knew each other as close friends, that Snape held a grudge against them (no, it does not matter that they didn't include the specific reason; it would be unnecssary exposition), that Harry wanted to go after Black, that Lupin was disappointed in Harry for riskng his parents' sacrifice. Basically the kind of crucial content Columbus would overlook so he could simply cite off various plot elements. It doesn't matter that the whole werewolf background is barely touched upon; that's merely interesting backstory suited for the novel; barely relevant to the plot and characters of the movie. The acting was pure class; the 3 main kids are growing up to be terrific actors, and Gary Oldman's brief but captivating performance alone is reason enough to watch this movie. For once, the use of CG was just right. Not overstated, not self-conscious like in the past 2 films, but just a natural part of life at wizard school. The cinematography was quite beautiful to look at; many interesting perspectives of the school and shots of the characters, that really gave additional insight and personality to Hogwarts. But, this was also one of my main beefs with the film. Cuaron, I think, overdid the scenery, particularly seasonal changes, and the result was a bit artsy-fartsy.

If you're worried about the film butchering the book, rest assured, I had no problem with how the film was paced and what was left out. Well, one exception:

The Shrieking Shack scene goes by super-fast. As a result, it's not explained how Snape somehow tracked them down, or how on earth Sirius knew who Scabbers was. How Sirius escaped Azkaban remained a mystery. These plot points should have been addressed, for the sake of logic.


Overall, I would recommend this film. It's a brilliant balance of drama and childlike whimsy. Like the best film adaptations, it adds even more style to the novel, not just rehashes it.

[Mike Spartz]

http://www.mugglenet.com/movies/gallery/High%20Resolution%20Photos/highres%20(03).jpg
It’s no Lord of the Rings, that’s for sure!
A fan review of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - the film adaptation
By Spontaneous Mike


Introduction:

I’ll be the first to admit it: I love to get spoiled before watching a new movie. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the newest film adaptation to the globally successful Harry Potter book series by J.K Rowling, is no different. In the weeks and days leading up to its release in North American theatres I went to every Harry Potter fan site on the net that I could find and stuffed my head and eyes with loads of spoilish information concerning the new film. I watched sneak peek clips on Yahoo Movies and browsed tons of online forums to read the latest in depth movie reviews by die-hard Potter fans. Why did I do this? Why would I want to ruin a movie for myself before I even go to see it? Simple, I spoiled myself rotten because I wanted to get a general idea of what the critics and fans who’d already seen the film before its release thought about it. That way, if the movie doesn’t live up to my expectations when I do see it, I wouldn’t be so angry with it. My plan worked, I saw Azkaban today and it was an overall disappointment for me but I’m not too worried because like I already said: I was prepared for the worst. So what exactly did I think was good and what totally sucked? Read below to find out!

What I liked:

Let’s start off with the cast. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, who collectively portray the three main characters in the books: Harry, Hermione and Ron, have all grown a few inches since we last saw them and, I’m pleased to say, so have their skills as actors.

I was particularly surprised and delighted with Dan’s performance. In the original movie I thought his performance was hollow and tense compared to his co-stars, however that’s not the case in this film. Here he finally seems to be relaxing into his role as Harry and, as a result, the majority of his scenes in Azkaban feel much more natural and genuine when compared to the previous outings. For example, in an early part of the movie, when Aunt Marge (played by Pam Ferris) asks Harry if the people at his “mental institution for hopeless criminal boys” beat him with whips, Dan reply’s ‘Oh yeah, I’ve been beaten loads of times!’ so causally that it’s very amusing! However, I still think he was a little hesitant in his scene with David Thewlis ( Lupin) on the bridge, but that’s okay because Thewlis did most of the talking and Dan didn’t have to do much anyway.

Emma Watson is also a treat as Hermione. Her portrayal of arrogant Hermione is very convincing and funny; I especially liked the scene where the trio are on their way to Hagrid’s Hut and Hermione flings her head in the air and calls Ron ‘Ronald’ with an air of supreme arrogance, that line was classic and Watson pulled it off wonderfully! However, even through she did an awesome job with her role, I didn’t like the way her character was written in this movie, but I’ll get to that later.

And finally we have Rupert Grint as Ronald Weasley. Given what he had to work with, I think Rupert did a marvelous job as Ron. Grint’s comic timing is genius and he provides the audience with many great one-liners and funny faces. I laughed whenever Rupert gave fellow co-star Emma Watson a look of shock and bewilderment every time her character Hermione turned up mysteriously for class. My only compliant is that his character doesn’t really have much to do and is rather wasted by the script, but as I’ve said before, I’ll cover that later.

Most of supporting cast from the previous two films have returned and with a few new faces among them. I must say that they all are really splendid to watch. Alan Rickman is decidedly gloomy as Potions Master Snape and Robbie Coltrane continues to warm the hearts of young and old as the lovable half giant Hagrid. However, the real star of the adult cast would have to be Gary Oldman as Sirius Black. Oldman’s Black is vengeful, murderous, a bit crazy and very very humane; in short, he is everything Sirius Black should be. One of the most touching scenes in the movie happens near the closing credits when Oldman’s Black says goodbye to Harry and Hermione before riding off on the back of Buckbeak the Hippogriff; while watching this scene, I remember being amazed at how smooth and skillfully Oldman was able to transform his character from a insane murderer to a loving friend and father-figure for Harry in less than a few minutes. Other cast members also get to shine. David Thewlis is prefect as Professor Lupin, he was more than able to capture the kindness of Remus and still make him out to be a man with a great burden on his back. Michael Gambon (who replaced the late Richard Harris as DumbleDore) gives a fresh and interesting new approach to the famed Howarts Headmaster; meanwhile, Emma Thompson is hilariously kooky as Divination Professor Trelawney and her scenes with the trio are a special treat for all Potter fans.

Aside from the wonderful cast, another thing that I really enjoyed in Azkaban was the unique cinematography and art direction. The entire movie has a very distinct “closed” feel with darker colors and the constant shifting of the camera that makes the film feel fast and exciting and also adds energy to the overall foreboding mood. We’re also treated to some beautifully filmed shots of the Scottish countryside, particularly during the “Care of Magical Creatures” scene with Buckbeak and Harry. Speaking of Buckbeak, the special effects in this movie were off the charts! I couldn’t believe how real and lifelike Buckbeak looked, especially when he was in the air and flying. The Knight Bus sequence was exciting as well, the camera moved very fast here and kept us viewers on our seats as we watched it swerve and screech toward its next destination. I couldn’t help but snigger every time the bus stopped because its back bumper would always kind of tilt a little upwards then fall back down again which was a bit amusing.

Something else that really made this film enjoyable was the humor. As I’ve already stated, Rupert Grint provided many of the laughs with his numerous one-liners and funny faces but there were also other scenes that are equally or even more funny than Grint’s lines. One of my favorites is the Gryffindor boy’s dorm room scene where Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean and Neville are sharing magic sweets that make the eater do strange things like making animal sounds and blowing steam out of ear holes. This scene was laugh out loud funny for me and it was just a nice touch to see all these kids (who are characters in the story) acting just like us in real life.

While we’re on the subject of “added touches,” I must confess that although I found some touches to be funny, there were others that annoyed me greatly but I’ll describe those in more detail in the next section.

Oh, one last thing before we move on, the music in the movie was fantastic and totally fit the darker mood, John Williams really outdid himself here. I was especially moved by the score that was playing during the Buckbeak flying lesson.

Areas in need of improvement:

The main problem I have with the Azkaban movie is the highly unsatisfactory screenplay written by Steve Kloves. The plot is pitifully thin compared to the book and several large, important sections of the story are cut out completely and never explained at all. The climax at the Shrieking Shack was WAY too rushed and unlike the book there wasn’t any suspense or tension between the characters involved in the scene at all. We never learn anything about the history of the Marauder’s Map and how it came into being or who its creators were. All we get is a brief explanation of everything that was already alluded to throughout the movie: Sirius Black is an escapee of Azkaban who was framed for the murders of James and Lily Potter thirteen years ago by his former friend Peter Pettigrew who was believed to be dead at the time. The only “surprise” we get is that Pettigrew is in fact an animagus who disguised himself as Ron’s pet rat to hide from the law and even that’s not a surprise for those of us who’ve read the books. Now, some of you might be wondering why it’s important to mention something about the Marauder’s and their history, I’ll tell you why: it’s important because it ties up a lot of the loose plot holes in the book and it gives us new insight into several of the story’s principal characters including their relationships with one another, relationships that will play a huge role in the plots of future installments. Take the relationship between Severus Snape and Sirius Black for example. Anyone who has read POA is aware that Snape holds a hateful grudge against Black for almost killing him at a young age but in this movie the reason for their animosity is never revealed and we the viewers are left with the highly uncomfortable feeling of watching an obvious plot hole appear and never go away. Furthermore, many viewers in the audience who’ve not read the books will become confused with this and other startling developments at the films end and none of them will make any apparent sense unless they’re described in detail by someone who is familiar with the novels. I personally heard some groans of frustration from members of the audience who were complaining about this as I left the theatre after the movie ended.

Another thing that annoyed me about the script was the strange characterizations given to Harry’s best friends Ron and Hermione. In the books Ron is portrayed as a brave, loyal, and comical friend to Harry but in the movie his sole purpose seems to just be for comic relief and nothing else. We see next to nothing of Ron’s brave side and I find it hard to believe that he wouldn’t even defend Hermione against Snape because it’s very obvious that he has a crush on her in the books. And other thing, WHY DOES RON HAVE TO WIMPER ALL THE TIME??? He’s not a coward in the books and he shouldn’t have to act like one on the big screen.

Meanwhile, Hermione has become a superwoman! In fact, why don’t we just call the movie “Hermione Granger and the Prisoner of Azkaban” since it’s so blatantly obvious that Hermione can do EVERYTHING! Hermione’s the one who had total control of the proceedings during the last 45 minutes of the movie and Harry’s just acted as her sidekick. She realized that DumbleDore’s comment of saving 2 innocent lives meant that they had to save both Buckbeak and Sirius from death, she got Harry past the Whomping Willow by herself and she howled like a girl werewolf to save Harry’s past self from werewolf Lupin (which looks very orginal and fresh BTW). Of course, Harry got to make his patronus in the end and save the day by this really pales in comparison to all the wonderful and amazing things super Hermione can do! Kloves even gave Emma one of Ron’s most famous quotes from the novels and that only served to further the glaring imbalance of characterization between movie Ron and movie Hermione. So unless Alfonso has a ton of deleted scenes available for us on the DVD, Mike Newell might want to get a new screenwriter for the fourth film coming out next year (which I’m VERY excited about by the way) because Kloves is a burden to a lot of us fans.

The pace of the film is also a problem. This movie is a lot shorter than its predecessor; as a result, many of the scenes feel very rushed and incomplete and this gives me the impression that the director might’ve left out a lot because he felt that most fans are already familiar enough with the Harry Potter universe and don’t require much explanation of certain events. If this is indeed the case, then not only do I think it’s a lazy and arrogant thing to do, but it’s a wasted opportunity to make certain scenes more fun and enjoyable. For example, during the scene in Honeydukes, the filmmakers could’ve spent a little more time showing off the various treats and the effects they had on certain students. Also, I wish that special effects team would’ve made the Harry’s stag patronus move and run like a real animal during the final Dementor scene instead of having it just stand there and send off great shockwaves of slivery light (what a boring patronus that one is!).

Finally, as I have already mentioned in the pervious section, some of the “added touches” to the film were not only unnecessary but ended up discrediting the actual book. Rules that are made clear in the books like “underage wizards are not permitted to do magic outside of school” get throw out the window one minute and are suddenly reinstated the next, much to my displeasure. And why did Harry have to discover Pettigrew on the map when Lupin discovering it (as he did in the book) doesn’t hurt the plot at all and is actually better because it shows that Harry isn’t always able to uncover everything by himself.

Conclusion:

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a visually breathtaking family film that’s full of fun and excitement but with a screenplay clock full of plot holes, a paper thin plot and not to mention a terribly boring climax, Azkaban falls way short of being the cinematic masterpiece that many Potter fans had hoped it would be in the weeks and months leading up to its worldwide theatrical release.

[Wounded_Dragon]

I liked the movie, even though it felt like I was on a Firebolt the entire time. That was one of the fastest 2 hours and 32 minutes I've ever seen.

I'm not sure how, but I felt more Dursley was needed. Unless you're familiar with how abrasive they are in the books (not the movies, the movies have softened them like most characters) Harry's blowing up Marge seems a bit...out of the blue.

Speaking of softening, I thought Ron and Hermione were going to have a few spats. Whatever spats they did have, blink and you miss them. And with moving the Firebolt to the end, that was one major spat gone right there.

Most of what was left out I can deal with, since most've it will be included later or is mostly irrelevant. Cedric doesn't really need to be introduced in PoA, for example. The Snape thing can be covered in OoTP.

I like the floating Dementors. They can swarm so much more like that. The Patronus was a little too indistinct for my taste.

Overall, I liked this one much more than the others. I fear for GoF and OoTP with what's been left out of PoA, but that's a worry for a later time. :D

[Salvor]

I've never read a single HP book, I only saw the first movie on DVD and thought it was barely watchable (no real atmosphere, too many special effects to make up for the lack of creativity, etc etc). Yet I liked this third installment. Contrary to the first movie, I actually FELT the magic, I caught a glimpse of sheer nostalgia of those fairy tales I used to dream of when I was a kid.

First and foremost, what I liked about it was that even someone who hasn't got A clue what HP is about can manage to grasp the story quite easily. For example, I didn't care about the origin of the map, so I'm glad they didn't delve into it too much.

The plot itself was pretty clever, the whole "going back in time" angle was very well handled. I liked the darker tone, the nice art direction, the cast, who all did an awesome job (way to go Emma!), the funny moments, Buck, the final "Expecto Patronum"...

Overall a nice little movie.

[Drachentöter]

The one thing that disappointed me most was when Harry got his Firebolt, I suppose it was handled nicely, since they didn't show a Christmas scene, but I would have liked to have seen the hubbub that surrounded the Firebolt in the book... which includes Hermione's paranoia over where the broom came from and Oliver Wood's lack of concern for Harry versus the awesome broom that was just given to the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
Oliver Wood was cut out of the movie entirely. A mistake, considering it's his final year and the first in which Gryffindor wins the Quidditch Cup. Cho Chang is also absent.

Good movie. Kloves could have written a more in-depth screenplay. Interesting style, but the film quality felt kind of worn and murky. Definitely better than Sorceror's Stone, can't decide if it's better than Chamber of Secrets.

[RogueMartian]

I give credit to the makers of the harry potter movies. They really are doing the best they can. But I'm beginning to realize, with the third movie (and probably even more with the fourth and fifth given the length and detail of those novels) that the movies just aren't cutting it.

I give them credit for doing the best they can. The set designs, acting, details, you couldn't do better if you tried...but I left the theatre feeling empty...

I want chris colombus back, I liked the previous visuals better. I began to notice it with the fat lady. I liked the original better. But I was willing to forgive that. Then i saw the quiddich uniforms....I liked the originals better, but I was again willing to forgive. Then I slowly began to be bothered by the sets. Hogwarts used to look like a grand old school. Now it just looks old. And finally, the characters uniforms. Now I always thought that they wore uniforms while in school. Suddenly Harry's walking around in a hoody and jeans, Hermione is in pink shirt and bells, and Ron is also sweater and jeans. Was something wrong with the school robes? I thought they looked cool before.....(Oh personal pet peeve, Hermione's Hair looked too good, one of the big deals in the fourth book is how Ron notices her at the dance with her hair straightened out, in this movie Hermione's hair was fine and normal looking, not bushy at all.)

Okay, that rant out of the way, It is time to face the fact that they got greedy. 7 books into 7 movies....is pushing it. The plots are too complex, the details and characters too many. Oliver wood, neville longbottom, the weasley family, etc. There are so many good and important characters who are being left out or just not getting enough attention. The movies feel like they're just taking the best scenes from the books and hoping they add up to a plot. If I hadn't read the books, i'm sure I'd be so lost and hating the movie. Maybe someday the book will get a deserving live action series or animated series.

I know it will be a cold day in hell first, but I hope.

[TnAdct1]

Speaking of softening, I thought Ron and Hermione were going to have a few spats. Whatever spats they did have, blink and you miss them. And with moving the Firebolt to the end, that was one major spat gone right there.
Blame it on Kloves, who decided to drop the whole plot point of Crookshanks, Hermione's pet cat helping Sirius is his quest to find Peter.

[Ayato]

Great movie, I liked it better than the first two. I just wish it had been longer. I can't hardly even remember the book anymore(Bad memory, its been a couple years since I read it.:sweat: ) so I don't have any complaints on whether or not it followed the book closely enough. Oh yeah, and the actors were great...

[Nick K.]

It was really good. I just love the books so much more. The movies will never compare to them. All in all though it was entertaining and fun. 4 stars!

[Colin]

Blame it on Kloves, who decided to drop the whole plot point of Crookshanks, Hermione's pet cat helping Sirius is his quest to find Peter.
Actually, you can blame it on Cuaron, he wanted the movie to focus mainly on one specific overall theme. (if I remember the interview correctly) he didn't want to overburden the viewer with too many running plots (as there are several in JKR's books) as they could be distracting/confusing to the viewer. Kloves was just doing what the boss asked him to do.

[JustJack]

Personally, I loved it. I was absolutely enthralled. This is, without a doubt, the best of the series, thus far.

And anyone who's taken even a basic film class can recognize the director of the first two Potter films is absolutely one of the worst directors of our time. His camera angles, everything...just horrible...and after seeing the brilliantly shot ''Prisoner of Azkaban", I can honestly say I hope Chris Columbus never get's work ever again. A good director knows how to begin and end a good shot...and just as an example, the use of the clocktower for Harry and Hermoine's time scene was absolutely brilliant. And the use of the Wamping Willow was great. Especially for you people who can't handle a "fast" movie(which it most certainly was not, in the least), having occasional cuts, just with the Willow slapping birds, or whatever....that gives you a moment to breath. It gives you a moment to pause the DVD, and go get another can of mountain dew. That's something Columbus never understood.

Oh...and Lupin absolutely owned me. He is, without a doubt, my favorite character of the movie. Another piece of perfection.

Of course, I give this all just from a film-buff/art student point of view. Especially from a film buff who owns nearly a hundred horror films, out of a 300+ collection. This Harry Potter was the perfect mix of horror, coming of age puberty, and general adventure. The look, the settings, the magic...everything the last film lacked was brought up in shining glory, here. It made me believe in Magic again...and not by seeing some glowing wands...

...but, I think it's clear as day. Anyone who has read the book, finds a lot to gripe about...and those of us who haven't think it was great. And in all honesty...this is one time I think I enjoyed the movie so much, I'll keep my distance from the book...at least for a few more years.

[Tobias]

Great movie, but Chamber of Secrets is still the best one, IMO. I think the reason why PoA didn't rate better for me was because I actually read most of the book (never got to finish it) so I was kind of disappointed that some of the stuff got cut.

Still a good way to kill an afternoon, and it is better than the Sorcerer's Stone.

[RD!]

Great movie, I haven't read any of the books or seen any of the movies and I'm fairly sure I got everything I needed. I was drawn in by the dark atmosphere of the previews and was (thankfully) amazed to see it painted the whole movie. I make no plans to see the previous but will more than likely continue out with any further sequels.



Lupin being a Werewolf was sorta just thrown in there, with no way for the viewer to even deduce this if they hadn't read the book.

The first mention of a warewolf should have triggered the most blatant hint of them all, the fact that he was named Lupin. Anyone who is old enough to be reading the Harry Potter books should have been able to connect events to his name.

[Deadly Messiah]

My g/f and I went to see it today. I do not care for HP, and this one was no different. I liked the part when they went back into time, but, when the hell could she do that? She is slowly becoming the only cool character aside from teh guy with the white hair from movie 2. I was very disappointed with the wraiths because I thought they would do more than just fly around. Not to mention I thought we would get to see this prison.

I give it a 2.5/5 just for the time part.

My g/f enjoyed it though, but she said it sucks if you compare it to the book.

[TnAdct1]

My g/f and I went to see it today. I do not care for HP, and this one was no different. I liked the part when they went back into time, but, when the hell could she do that?
The explanation for this (for those not familiar with the books): Hermione, during year three, was given a tool that allows her to go back in time so that she can attend two classes at the same time. The hint that she's doing this comes in the running bit in which Ron notices that she's pops out of nowhere during during various classes.

[Deadly Messiah]

The explanation for this (for those not familiar with the books): Hermione, during year three, was given a tool that allows her to go back in time so that she can attend two classes at the same time. The hint that she's doing this comes in the running bit in which Ron notices that she's pops out of nowhere during during various classes.Yeah, that I understood, but where did she learn it? Who gave it to her?

[Trogdor]

I really liked it, it was a very good movie! But is it just me, or did the Whomping Willow and Haggrid's hut move since the last movie? Ah well, that's not important. I am rather dissapointed, however, that J.K. Rowling allowed them to leave out the important little tidbit about how Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs were Remus Lupin, Peter Petigrew, Sirius Black, and James Potter's nicknames in the group they had formed when they went to Hogwarts together, and were therefore the makers of the Marauder's Map. It was also important to know that they gave each other those nicknames because Lupin was a werewolf, Peter and Sirius were animagi that could turn into a rat and a dog, and James was the only one that could summon up a full petronus, which took the form of a white stag; Lupin was supposed to have told this to Harry either when he took the map from him in his classroom, or when he was talking to Harry about his parents on the bridge; That's how Harry new the white stag he saw save Sirius and himself from the Dementors was the spirit of his father. But, it was still an awesome movie. I loved the Monstrous Book of Monsters :anime: It was also nice to see Malfoy get some of what was coming to him, too :D In other HP related news, I'm still too lazy to read the fifth book, but I really need to get around to it someday :shrug: I hope that the Malfoys the Dursleys finally get their just deserts in the seventh book :p But, I'm getting off topic, so I'll just stop now.


My Rating



**** Outta *****

[Discloner]

Yeah, that I understood, but where did she learn it? Who gave it to her?
In the movie she says Proffesor Mcgonicle (Sp?) gave it to her in the first term, and that she's been using it to get to all her classes throughout the year.

I'm not sure how she obtained it in the book, but atleast that's what she said in the movie.

[Barb Gordon]

Professor Minerva McGonagall

She gets it first term, which is basically the beginning of the school year. She got it the same way in movie or book form. McGonagall gives it to her so she can take twice as many classes as normal, yay nerds, at the beginning of the year. It was kept secret because witches and wizards in general, let alone kids, are not supposed to fool around with time. But Hermione is such an intelligent and respectable and trustworthy young person, and it's for school, that she is allowed to use it.

And yeah, Hagrid's hut and the Whomping Willow did seem to move. Didn't his hut seem smaller too? Actually, the school itself looked different too. Neat though...director's choice I'm assuming.

~Barb

[Bladesong26]

I was very disappointed with the wraiths because I thought they would do more than just fly around.

You didn't catch the fact that the Dementors leech out all your happy thoughts and pleasant feelings? Or that their ultimate weapon (the so-called Dementor's Kiss) allows them to suck their victim's soul out through his or her mouth, leaving the person worse than dead? That's pretty scary to me and I want to say that it was explained in full in the film. Memory may be incorrect, though.

By the way, Barb, I actually though Hagrid's Hut looked larger with the extension on the back that I don't remember being there before. And yes, the geography of some things have been changed and for the better, IMO.

[Deadly Messiah]

Who is Prof Mcwhat?

And I thought that was cool, but I was expecting more out of the Wraiths, especially from what my g/f kept telling me. Do they ever appear again?

Oh, the other thing I didn't like was their changing the set designs. The school no longer had the gothic midieval look to it, it was more of a classical style.

[Discloner]

Who is Prof Mcwhat?

In this movie she was the one Harry asked to sign his permission slip to go into town, but she refused.

In the other movies (most notably the first one) she was the teacher turns from a Cat into the teacher when Ron and Harry are late for class.

[Trogdor]

Who is Prof Mcwhat?

And I thought that was cool, but I was expecting more out of the Wraiths, especially from what my g/f kept telling me. Do they ever appear again?
Yes, Prof. McGonagal is the transfiguration teacher, and the head of Griffyndor House. I don't remember if the Dementors show up in book 4, but I do know that they appear in book 5.

[Deadly Messiah]

In this movie she was the one Harry asked to sign his permission slip to go into town, but she refused.

In the other movies (most notably the first one) she was the teacher turns from a Cat into the teacher when Ron and Harry are late for class.Ah, the old witch lady.

[JLApe]

I had faith that the director of Y Tu Mama Tambien would pull it off well and I wasn't disappointed.

Sharing the sentiments of most people here, this is by far the best of the series (Chamber of Secrets was the weakest). Cinematography is beautiful, so picture perfect - when it comes out on DVD, freeze-frame at any point in the film and see for yourself. The pacing is fast but not rush. Cuaron does not linger on any scene, which Columbus does frequently; his shots are short and sweet.

Columbus is not a bad director (certainly not the worst) but he can't pull off this one as well or as concise as Cuaron. If he used the same shooting script as Cuaron, the running time would go well over three hours. His pacing is not consistent, and like any Hollywood director is star-oriented and treats CGI as eye-candies. (He's a child's director; he works best with scripts that are kids-oriented than story oriented.)

Another big reason why I like PoA: no Dobby. He reminds me of Jar-Jar Binks. :rolleyes:

[Bladesong26]

I don't remember if the Dementors show up in book 4, but I do know that they appear in book 5.

A Dementor adminsters the Kiss to Crouch Jr. in Book 4, but even Rowling doesn't show us that scene, so I can't see a director doing it. It sounds like it's too horrific to describe anyway.

Just out of curiosity, Deadly Messiah, I seem to recall you saying in another thread that you tried reading the first HP book and didn't like it. I'm just wondering what kind of masochism makes you keep submitting yourself to the movies when you clearly don't care for them or the series they're based on? :D I mean, why bother?

[TnAdct1]

Another big reason why I like PoA: no Dobby. He reminds me of Jar-Jar Binks. :rolleyes:
If you don't like Dobby, then heed this warning (it's in the spoilers box so that I won't ruin anything for those who haven't read the books): GoF and OotP both feature other house dwarfs (like Dobby) whose involvement in the book is crucial (at least in OotP).

[Deadly Messiah]

A Dementor adminsters the Kiss to Crouch Jr. in Book 4, but even Rowling doesn't show us that scene, so I can't see a director doing it. It sounds like it's too horrific to describe anyway.

Just out of curiosity, Deadly Messiah, I seem to recall you saying in another thread that you tried reading the first HP book and didn't like it. I'm just wondering what kind of masochism makes you keep submitting yourself to the movies when you clearly don't care for them or the series they're based on? :D I mean, why bother?
Wasn't me that said I tried to read it. Maybe you are thinking of another book like LotR or something.

[Colin]

If you don't like Dobby, then heed this warning (it's in the spoilers box so that I won't ruin anything for those who haven't read the books): GoF and OotP both feature other house dwarfs (like Dobby) whose involvement in the book is crucial (at least in OotP).
Um... if you haven't read books 4 & 5 and don't wanna know minor plot points, best turn back now :)


While house elves do play a part in the next two books, I have a feeling that the house elf angle of GoF is gonna be played down... yes, they'll include Winky, but I have this suspicion that Hermoine's whole "campaign" probably won't play a large role in the film, and neither will Dobby...

and as for OotP, well, they just gotta keep Kreacher, but, to tell ya the truth, I wouldn't be that upset (at this point, anyway) if they nixed Grawp... but then, that depends on whether or not we see Grawp again in book 6

[JLApe]

I just didn't like how Dobby was translated into the film. He comes off as being mostly annoying. He had three major scenes in Chambers of Secrets, but none of them provide much explanation into his background. I had to look up a HP website to get the skinny on him.

[iKwak]

Going to be checking this out this weekend. :cool:

[Elven Moon]

I just realized... where is Cho Chang in all of this?

[Colin]

I just realized... where is Cho Chang in all of this?
Wandering quietly around the hallowed halls of Hogwarts. The movie-going audience won't be introduced to the likes of Cho Chang and Cedric Diggory until Goblet of Fire hits screens in November 2005 (despite both characters being introduced in the book version Prisoner of Azkaban)

[Eibhlin]

Actually, we do get a glimpse of Cedric Diggory during the Quidditch match in the rain. He's the other seeker chasing the snitch in the yellow robes. Too bad neither he nor Cho Chang actually had any real part in this film.

Overall, I liked the film though like most here, I thought it was way too rushed. Certain little things, like the Marauders Map and Snape's relationship to Sirius, Remus and Harry's father James needed explaining. These were so small, that they could have been shot and used for the film.

And I was kind of dismayed that Hermione's cat, Crookshanks was just shown to be an ordinary cat chasing a rat, something he certainly isn't.

The werewolf looked stupid. In the book, a werewolf seemed to be described as more wolflike, running about on all fours. This one looked like a bipedal Mexican hairless dog.

I was also bothered by the fact the Professor McGonagall never got to teach about Animagi, and how they are supposed to be registered with the Ministry of Magic. Nor did they have her reaction to Professor Trelawney, either in person or by subject in the film. That was one of the parts of the book that was very amusing to me. "Tripe, Sybill?"

all in all, I give this one 4 stars.

[Colin]

Actually, we do get a glimpse of Cedric Diggory during the Quidditch match in the rain. He's the other seeker chasing the snitch in the yellow robes. Too bad neither he nor Cho Chang actually had any real part in this film.

Actually, I'm not completely certain that that character was Cedric... We've never seen a Hufflepuff Quidditch uniform before... (tho, it most likely was) and it's not like they haven't created nameless characters before for quick scenes...

However, the one character I'm confused on where he came from... that one kid who described the Grim in the first Trelawney class... who the heck is he supposed to be? =X

[Conekiller]

Not being much of a book reader, I've been introduced to the Potterverse by talkative friends and the movies. I've enjoyed each movie a little more progressively as they've come along (the first was neet, the second was cool, the third was SWEET!)

And as a non-book reading movie-goer I had absolutely no problem discerning what was going on for the most part (Sanpe finding everyon in the shack was a bit sudden) But everything else people complained aobut I cound a quick logical mental expanation and just kept on going. the whole Snape being pissed at the...Marauders, was it, didn't really come thru, true, but Rickan's portrayal of Snape is good enough that I assumed he was just like that to everyone. (and more hostile to Black, a "murderer")

Lupin came off as gay to me for some reason, but it must be the actor, cuz I got the same impression from him as the villain in Dragonheart.

I really liked how the main kids grew into their roles quite nicely (thankfully Ron wans't as figitty as he was in the previous ones) especially Hermione and Harry. I'm also glad to hear that they'll keep these kids, at least thru Goblet. It adds a beleivable sence aging. These movies have all taken place roughly one year each. This is also around pubescent children. They're going to grow up, jsut like real kids do, so Harry, Hermione and Ron should reflect that.
However, Puberty hit Malofy also, hit him HARD. I'd like to say more like he was abused by Puberty. he was a whiny little b**** in this movie, and I loved it. I just hope the character eventually develops himself beyond "class annoyance" and actually becomes relevant to the plot.

As others have pointed out, I loved the "acceptance" of magic's presence here. there was no spectacle, it was just...there. perfect.

What noone else commented on was the brilliant (I'm getting sick of that term, Ron) Ending credits. There's nothing at the end, but I always enjoy when a director creatively plays with the scrollig credits. This has to be my fave (Rules of Attractions' "backwards" scroll was neet too)

Overall I enjoyed the movie much more then the previous two and I eagerly await the 4th movie.

One thing, I didn't get Hermione's fit in the Divination class (each Divination scene felt largely like a waste of time to me) Sure the teacher told her something she didn't like (you have to be predisposed, not just learn it) but her outburst was really out of character.

[JLApe]

The werewolf looked stupid. In the book, a werewolf seemed to be described as more wolflike, running about on all fours. This one looked like a bipedal Mexican hairless dog. Actually, his name Lupin is from the word lupine which means "wolf-like". Not a wolf, but resembling a wolf. It has been used in horror literature genre to describe a lycanthropy of a person into a man-wolf hybrid, like Lupin is in the movie. Not sure if the novel depicts it that way.

[Eibhlin]

Okay, I have actually read the books guys. I'm not as ignorant as you both seem to be painting me here.

First, Cedric Diggory:
chapter 9 Grim Defeat, US Edition softback
Page 175-176

"The Hufflepuffs were approaching from the opposite side of the field wearing canary-yellow robes. The Captains walked up to each other and shook hands; Diggory smiled at Wood, but Wood looked as though he had lockjaw and merely nodded. "

Just because he didn't have a speaking part in the film; which he didn't seem to have in the book, if I am recalling the print Prisoner Of Azkaban correctly, doesn't exactly mean that the Seeker we see racing after the snitch in yellow isn't Cedric. Everything we see of him in the scene matches what was written in the book, except the getting struck by lightning thing. The other seeker clad in yellow even looked larger than Harry.

Then again, it's my opinion that it IS Cedric.


Okay.. onto the werewolf... Yes, Lupin does have a root in the french word for wolf. His first name Remus comes from one of the legendary founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, abandoned as babies who were suckled by a she wolf.

That alone should have given it away right then and there that the dear Professor had a wolflike secret. Only I never caught it when I first read the book until it was revealed in the Shrieking Shack scene.

In every image that I have ever seen of wolves, they are not hairless. In the film, the werewolf was.

In the book, Snape asks the class to tell him how they can distinguish a werewolf from the true wolf. Hermione mentions the snout when Snape berates her.

still chapter nine, " Grim Defeat" Page 172,
" Please sir," said Hermione, whose hand was still in the air. "The werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf-"

From that passage, I gleaned that werewolves were quadrapeds, not bipedal. Being able to walk on two feet would be something that would give a werewolf away to those looking for it.

In the film, the werewolf ran on all fours, but fought on two. Wolves may leap on one another during a fight, but there is no lifting up and throwing from over the head.

There is also mention in the books that Sirius and James chose their animagus forms because they were large enough to keep a werewolf in line. Looked like Sirius' dog form was not good enough to hold the werewolf back. It was too way small for the task at hand.

Sorry, I would have been more impressed if they had used something a little more wolf like in appearance. The werewolf in the film just wasn't like a wolf.

Then again, this is my opinion gathered from what I have read in the book.

[Colin]

Okay, I have actually read the books guys. I'm not as ignorant as you both seem to be painting me here.

First, Cedric Diggory:
chapter 9 Grim Defeat, US Edition softback
Page 175-176

"The Hufflepuffs were approaching from the opposite side of the field wearing canary-yellow robes. The Captains walked up to each other and shook hands; Diggory smiled at Wood, but Wood looked as though he had lockjaw and merely nodded. "

Just because he didn't have a speaking part in the film; which he didn't seem to have in the book, if I am recalling the print Prisoner Of Azkaban correctly, doesn't exactly mean that the Seeker we see racing after the snitch in yellow isn't Cedric. Everything we see of him in the scene matches what was written in the book, except the getting struck by lightning thing. The other seeker clad in yellow even looked larger than Harry.

Then again, it's my opinion that it IS Cedric.

Okay, first off, *nowhere* am I painting you off as ignorant, as you claim. All *I* Was saying was that that particular character could or could NOT have been Cedric Diggory. None of us have any idea what Cuaron was thinking when he used that actor for the scene.

Plus, seeing as the role of Cedric Diggory wasn't actually cast until casting for Goblet began, chances of that actually being Cedric in the scene are slim...

However, director's intent is what comes into play here, and whether or not it was intended to be Cedric in that scene, I don't know, and you don't know. It is your opinion that it was Cedric, it's MY opinion that it's not. Plus, I don't remember Cedric being struck by lightning during that quidditch match... especially since Cedric catches the Snitch and wins the game for Hufflepuff... kinda hard to catch the Snitch if you've been fried by lightning, and presumably taken to the hospital wing...

[Johnlindsey289]

Excellent movie! saw it in Las Vegas, one of the best movies i've seen this year and is faithful to the novel all thanks to Alfonso Cauron's direction instead of Chris Columbus's direction.

I would like to say thank god that this had to come to this summer instead of last winter to avoid competing against Lord of the Rings which is another AOL-Time Warner owned fantasy franchise.

The acting is quite excellent, Gary Oldman ( a.k.a. Zorg from The Fifth Element) was definitely good for the role of Sirius Black even though he looked like Christ on the Passion of Christ with similar Beard, long hair and raggy robes. The movie was quite darker than the last two movies, i think this must be the most darkest family flick since " The Dark Crystal" and "Return to Oz", this movie is as dark as those two. Bring on "Goblet of Fire" which is heading next winter along with other fantasy flicks like " Chronicles of Narnia" and " The Last Unicorn remake".

Alex Proyas ( Director of "Dark City") should do Order of the Pheonix.

[Colin]

More on the whole Cedric thing... this piece being the report of the role of Cedric being cast and who the lucky actor is... http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/tv_film/newsid_3795000/3795855.stm

[Westlander]

In short:

For:
+ The film is way darker than over-sweetened Columbus flicks.
+ Little tension-relieving elements, like the shrunken heads, monsterbook and Whomping Willow.
+ Close to the book.
+ Visual FX, especially Dementors and Buckbeak

Against:
- We don't know anything about the Marauders' Map, the Marauders themselves and why the hell Harry's Patronus is a stag.
- Werewolf sucks. Looks like a bald humanoid dog.
- I don't remember seeing many robes...OK, kids can wear muggle clothes when out at Hogsmeade, but I caught some students without robes during the classes (only shirts and ties).

[Sandoz]

This has to be my favorite movie of the three. I liked the change of direction; as Westlander said, the other movies were over-sweetened.

Likes: The casting. It's a shame Richard Harris passed on, but his replacement captured the "spark" I thought was missing from Harris' performance. Gary Oldman was a great Sirius, very convincing as a lunatic and later a concerned godfather. I have no qualms with David Thewlis as Lupin; I quite liked the scars.

Buckbeak was cute, liked the flying scene. The time-turning was well-done and it fit together nicely. Loved the flying Dementors, and the scenes of them hovering like ghosts around Hogwarts at night was my favorite imagery from the film.

Dislikes: Hermione was given too much to do, and by beefing up her part a lot was taken from Ron to the point he was almost unnecessary. I also can't imagine Malfoy wimpering like he did when Hermione pointed her wand at him--he may be a weasel, but he's too proud to let a "mudblood" see him cower.

I really wish the story of the Marauders and the incident at the Shrieking Shack that made Snape hate them was explained. I know it's been said that information was saved for a later movie, but I'd like to know how they'll fit that in with everything else that needs to be covered.

The ending with the Firebolt was too abrupt, but better than the Hagrid love fest that ended CoS.

[Spider-Man]

The best of the three. This series has really matured and it was all up on the screen. I thought the direction and tone was so much better than the first two. The darkish touch has really given the series an extra edge and it works. These books do have a dark side to them and the first two movies barely acknowledged that. It's nice to see this one did and hopefully future installments will too.

[Caffeine King]

I thought it was good.

Though for some reason it seemed like something was left out...

:p I think i gave it 4 or 4 1/2 stars... :sweat:

[Fone Bone]

Great movie.

The Good:

A LOT more faithful to the book than I thought it would be. An article in Entertainment Weekly had me fearing the worst.

Micheal Gambon as Dumbledore. No disrespect to Richard Harris but his Dumbledore was WAAAY too frail and raspy. Gambon's got just the kick in his step the character was sorely lacking.

Malfoy. Aside from some out of character sniveling, he was as nasty here as in the books.

David Thewlis, Gary Olman, and Emma Thompson make welcome additions to the Potter family. Question: if Kenneth Branagh cameos in OotP will Thompson be in it? Are the former spouses still on good terms?

Snape. My favorite character left a great impression here.

The pacing of the movie and the cinemetogrophy was perfect here. No showing off ala Columbus. Magic is ordinary here and accepted as it should be at this stage of the game.

The Bad:

Would it have killed them to explain who created the Marauder's Map, Crookshanks, and Snape's connection to the foursome?

Fred and George Weasley got the shaft AGAIN! If they leave out them humiliating Dolores Umbridge in OotP I'm gonna be UPSET.

Like most people here, I felt the final shot lacking. I too much prefered the ending with Harry's veiled threat against Uncle Vernon.

The Verdict:

A really good, if not perfect movie. I'll be picking this up on DVD eventually. ****1/2.

[Johnlindsey289]

I think it's the summer's best movie this side of Spider-Man 2!

[Style]

I just skimmed this thread.

I haven't read the books. And I seemed to understand everything. As for the Maurader's Map... Was it really that important? I just took it as another one of those magical elements to the film, who cares who created it and why?

[Mike Spartz]

I just skimmed this thread.

I haven't read the books. And I seemed to understand everything. As for the Maurader's Map... Was it really that important? I just took it as another one of those magical elements to the film, who cares who created it and why?People who haven't read the books shouldn't comment on whether or not missing elements in the movies are important to the plot or not. But to answer your question, yes. The origin of the Maurader's Map is a huge plot point in POA. It ties figures from Harry's past and present together in a belivable manner. It sheds new light on Harry's father James and it introduces a new means of transport of Harry to use on his adventures.

[Style]

People who haven't read the books shouldn't comment on whether or not missing elements in the movies are important to the plot or not. Why not?

[Mike Spartz]

Why not?Just imagine how annoyed you would be if I started posting on the DCAU board that I thought Hawkgirl was evil when I haven't even seen one episode of Justice League Unlimited. This is in no way a jab at you, but it's always frustrating to me when I see people post questions that they could've answered themselves had they put a little more effort into researching the material or the thread. I'm not asking you to become a full fledged member of the TZ Potter book club, but at least search the thread carefully before you ask anything that might've already been answered.

[Colin]

I just skimmed this thread.

I haven't read the books. And I seemed to understand everything. As for the Maurader's Map... Was it really that important? I just took it as another one of those magical elements to the film, who cares who created it and why?

So, you are saying the fact that there's this magical map (which comes into play in each of the books thereafter) showing the precise location of ANYONE on hogwarts grounds (including people who shouldn't be there) is just a chance magical element? What if it was created by Harry's father? What if it was created by Harry's godfather? What if it was created by one of Harry's teachers? What if it was created by someone who double-crossed Harry's Parents and potentially set the entire series of events of the Harry Potter universe into play?

By just "having the map with no explanation..." the viewer doesn't get why the map is rude and obnoxious to Professor Snape... nor do they get why Professor Lupin knows how to use it properly... and that's just for starters as to why having the origin of the map was an important plot point that could have been covered in a quick scene in the movie...

[Style]

All I'm saying is that for someone who hasn't read the books the map wasn't something that threw me. It didn't break the story. I didn't start convulvsiley worrying about it's origins.

Now, if it is used in later stories and it's origin is important, then maybe later films should fill in that gap.

But, while I admit it's origin is probably important in the book, as the movie was constructed, it didn't seem to be.

[Colin]

All I'm saying is that for someone who hasn't read the books the map wasn't something that threw me. It didn't break the story. I didn't start convulvsiley worrying about it's origins.

Now, if it is used in later stories and it's origin is important, then maybe later films should fill in that gap.

But, while I admit it's origin is probably important in the book, as the movie was constructed, it didn't seem to be.
So, the fact that at the very end of the movie, when Professor Lupin is in his office talking to harry as he packs his bag, you see the map lying open on the desk. Lupin then closes the map up and gives it back to Harry, you weren't at all wondering "How the heck did he know how to open and close the map?!"

I know I would have been confused... I would have seen it as "Well, what's so special about Lupin that he knows how to use the map but other professors at Hogwarts don't.... Snape can't use it as we've been shown, but Lupin can? Does the map pick and choose who it lets use it?"

[Fone Bone]

So, the fact that at the very end of the movie, when Professor Lupin is in his office talking to harry as he packs his bag, you see the map lying open on the desk. Lupin then closes the map up and gives it back to Harry, you weren't at all wondering "How the heck did he know how to open and close the map?!"

I know I would have been confused... I would have seen it as "Well, what's so special about Lupin that he knows how to use the map but other professors at Hogwarts don't.... Snape can't use it as we've been shown, but Lupin can? Does the map pick and choose who it lets use it?"I'm thinking that for newbies to the movie it didn't even register while for us fans of the book it was sacrelige. Style has a point.