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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Full Screen Edition) Customer Reviews (52 - 54 of 101 Reviews)

Bit of a disappointment......
Maybe I feel that way because this was the first time I had read a Potter book before actually seeing the movie, but I feel it strayed a bit too far from the written material.

First & foremost, WHY has the character of Ronald Weasley been reduced to comic relief?? Rupert Grint seems to be growing quite well as an actor, yet he was hardly given anything to do in this movie other than make funny faces & spout one-liners from time to time.

Some of the dialogue was so outright BAD it's almost laughable. That whole "Like trying to catch smoke" (or whatever) line given by the quite bad child actor for instance. The scene where Harry's crying after finding out about Sirius "betraying" his parents was just as bad. Daniel Radcliffe should NOT fake crying again, he sounded like a squeaking mouse. Also, Draco calling Hermione a mudblood again....we know he's a bad guy, no need to rehash stuff that wasn't even in the book.

I also have to express my disappointment in Emma Watson....she's just not a good actress. Ever since the first movie I felt almost everyone else stood head & shoulders above her. Her delivery can get a bit monotone at times, or she can over act to extremes (Yelling at Lupin about being a werewolf, for instance). It seems like she hasn't been able to find the right balance to her acting. One can only hope she tries a bit harder in the next film.

And WHY wasn't the scene where Snape went completely bananas over Black escaping put into the movie???? Do the filmmakers realize how enjoyable it would've been to see this ice-cold, fairly non-emotional character pitch the mother of all temper tantrums?

On the DVD there's an interview w/JK Rowling & Alfonso Cuaron in which she says she believes the book and the director were made for each other this time out. With all due respect, I have to disagree completely. POA was a huge step backwards from the first two films. One can only hope that if GOF is indeed the last movie that gets made, it'll leave a better taste behind than this mess.

enjoyable entry in the series
***1/2

Harry and his wand-waving friends return in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," the third in the series of high-flying adventures by British author J.K. Rowling.

This latest film finds a more grownup Harry being pursued by the evil Sirius Black, who has just performed the unprecedented feat of escaping from a prison for wayward warlocks. As Sirius moves inexorably closer to his intended victim, Harry learns some surprising details about the murder of his beloved parents.

"The Prisoner of Azkaban" is a pretty decent installment overall, although it could use some tightening here and there to make it more streamlined and evenly paced (the film runs an overlong two hours and twenty-two minutes). The production design and special effects are as stunning as ever, as once again we are transported to a visually beautiful world of unbridled fantasy and imagination. One of the reasons why the Harry Potter works are so popular is that they root their stories in characters who are realistic and believable, so that even amidst all the riding of brooms, casting of spells and reciting of incantations, Harry, Ron and Hermione are able to keep their feet on the ground and their hold on the audience.

Although many people have noted a "darker" element running through this film, I really didn't see it, and, in fact, I think "Prisoner" is less intense than the second - and best - installment, "Chamber of Secrets." Although there seems to be enough creativity in the original concept to support a few more "Potter" movies, even Potter-maniacs may feel that at least some of the bloom has begun to fade from this particular rose. I guess only future installments will truly tell.


I dont know what happened
I have read this book at least 30 times so seeing the movie shouldnt have confused me as much as it did. I cant imagine what a person who hasnt read the book would think. The movie makes no sense, I dont understand why the screenwriter and director left out so many plot points, but found time to put in pointless sceenes with shrunken heads, harry deep in thought or harry walking through the woods talking to lupin(that especially makes no sense for lupin to spend so much time with harry. I know he did in the book, but I dont recall them having deep heart to heart talks. Most people arent that close with their teachers.)

All in all I just dont like this movie, it will go on my list of the worst movies Ive seen. Not because it is that terrible, but the book is so incredibly good, I cant understand how this came from it.

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