Flick Review

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron

The third flick based on the HUGELY successful book series by Joanne Rowling. In this one Harry is hunted by escaped con Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) who appears to know something about Harry's dead parents. We also see the first of what will turn out to be many future romantic sparks between Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson).

When I first heard that Alfonso Cuaron was taking over the directorial reins of the franchise, I thought it a bit of an odd choice considering his previous flick, Y Tu Mama Tambien was a gay Mexican sexual discovery movie.

In fact, I am one who hates change for the most part, and there were a couple of changes (some casting, some set design) that for me took away from the flick. For example Mr Cuaron's choice to switch around the Hogwarts grounds dramatically, changing where Hagrid's cabin sits in relation to the castle, and changing the location of the Gryffindor common room entrance for really no reason whatsoever other than to have a particular scene take place on the stairs instead of a hallway. There were also a couple of scenes that seem to come out of left field if you haven't read the book, like Hermione storming out of Professor Trelawny's Divination class. I the novel there is much more set up to this, in the flick it makes her character just seem like a whiner.

But apart from this, he turned out a pretty decent flick, the art direction was solid, giving the movie a darker, grayer look that I imagine more befits the area of the world where the story takes place. I mean, when I think of the UK, I automatically think overcast and rainy, don't you?

Solid performances by Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint, who seem to know their characters inside and out, as well as a fabulous supporting cast makes this flick my fave of the three so far, with Chamber of Secrets and Philosopher's Stone second and third respectively.

I can only hope that Jo Rowling gets her act together and finishes the last two books in enough time so that the principle actors won't outgrow their roles, and will be able to stick around for all seven flicks because like I said earlier; I hate change.