Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Directed by Alfonso CuarónHarry Potter, Ron and Hermione return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for their third year of study, where they delve into the mystery surrounding an escaped prisoner who poses a dangerous threat to the young wizard.
Cast of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Ratings & Reviews
- TanalienNovember 2, 2024For the third film in the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling and producers at Warner Bros. brought in Alfonso Cuarón, a filmmaker with extraordinary range to make children’s films like 1995’s A Little Princess and serious adult dramas like 2001’s Y tu mamá también? Turns out, they knew what they wanted – and they got it, a fresh entrance into an already developed world that equally appealed to both kids and adults.
- Manuel FrangisApril 6, 2025I just watched Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and I give it 5 out of 5 stars. This one is a total game changer for the series. It still has all the magic and charm, but the tone shifts in a really cool way. It feels more grown up, more mysterious, and way more personal. You can tell the characters are growing, and the story is starting to dig deeper into things. I loved every second of it. Right from the start, the movie feels different. The colors are darker, the atmosphere is heavier, and there is this feeling that something big is coming. It is not just about school anymore. There are real threats out there, and Harry is starting to realize how complicated his world really is. The pacing is great. There is no slow build this time. It jumps right into the action and never lets up. Daniel Radcliffe does an awesome job in this one. You can see how much Harry is changing. He is angry, confused, and starting to question everything. He is not just reacting anymore. He is taking charge and trying to find the truth. Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are great too. Ron is still funny and loyal, and Hermione continues to be the smartest person in the room. Their friendship is strong as ever, and you really feel how much they have each other’s backs. The new characters are a big part of what makes this movie so good. Gary Oldman as Sirius Black brings a ton of energy. His character is so important to Harry, and you feel that connection right away. David Thewlis as Professor Lupin is another standout. He is calm, kind, and someone who actually treats the students with respect. He brings a new kind of strength to the story that I really liked. The Dementors are one of the coolest and creepiest additions to the series. Their design is terrifying, and every time they show up, the whole tone shifts. You feel the cold, the fear, and the way they affect Harry. It adds another layer to the movie that makes everything feel more intense. They are one of those things that stick with you long after the movie is over. The time travel part of the story is also done really well. It is creative, fun to follow, and does not get confusing. It adds a twist that is both exciting and meaningful. Watching the characters try to fix things without making things worse is one of the most fun parts of the movie. The visuals are stunning. Alfonso Cuarón brings a new style to the series that feels more cinematic and grounded. The camera work is smooth, the transitions are clever, and the way scenes are framed gives the whole movie a fresh look. The music still hits hard, with new themes that match the more emotional tone perfectly. I give Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 5 out of 5 stars because it is bold, emotional, and packed with memorable moments. It pushes the story forward and shows that this world is not just magical but full of depth, mystery, and heart. Overall Prisoner of Azkaban is a powerful and beautifully made chapter that takes everything to the next level. It is one of the best in the series and a movie I will always come back to.
- 匚卂尺ㄥJanuary 28, 2025🤓🪄 The importance of The Prisoner of Azkaban to the Harry Potter film series cannot be overstated. This is the movie that established the creative direction and formula for the films that followed, as the series faced a crucial issue post-Chamber of Secrets. How does one adapt increasingly lengthy books into satisfying feature films? The solution: everything that is told from Harry’s point of view or that directly affects his character goes in, everything else is fair game for being dropped. But it wasn’t only the POV rule that Azkaban established going forward; it was also the freedom to get creative—really creative. Director Alfonso Cuaron significantly altered the look and feel of Harry Potter without completely removing what Chris Columbus had built in the prior two films, while at the same time expanding the depth of the characters and, well, getting weird. From the Knight Bus sequence to the Hogwarts choir (plus frogs) to the Dementors, Prisoner of Azkaban is absolutely tactile—you can feel this world. And it’s a testament to Cuaron’s vision and cinematographer Michael Seresin’s beautiful photography that nearly every frame of film on this thing looks like a painting. The irises, the Womping Willow marking the changes of the season, the camera move through the clock—this thing is filled to the brim with unforgettable imagery. Azkaban is also the film in which Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson really come into their own as actors and begin to forge a path that makes these characters their own. Radcliffe in particular shines opposite Gary Oldman and David Thewlis (Lupin), as the character’s unending search for a father figure continues. And Cuaron and Co. had the unenviable task of recasting Dumbledore following the great Richard Harris’ passing, but Michael Gambon picks up the baton beautifully—his performance neither tries to emulate Harris’ nor does it dishonor the actor’s previous characterization. And while the time turner business is executed to perfection (Azkaban really is one of the most streamlined stories in Rowling’s book series), simply telling the story is not enough for Cuaron—everything is in service to character, which in turn services the film’s thematic throughline of burgeoning adolescence. As they enter puberty, these young characters begin to forge a path of independence, and Cuaron captures this wonderfully in manners both subtle (each actor wears his or her uniform slightly differently in this film) and obvious (Harry “running away from home” at the beginning). The merits of Prisoner of Azkaban are almost unending, and while the Harry Potter franchise would lead to other outstanding entries in subsequent years, Cuaron’s film still marks the creative highpoint in one of the best, most diverse, and most satisfying film franchises of all time. At the risk of sounding cliché, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is pure magic.
- JozzMarch 6, 2025IMHO: Best of the complete saga.
- HumptyFebruary 20, 2025Woah not sure if it's the puberty making it darker or those God damn dementors
