Review of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) by Ryan H — 04 Jul 2014

This third installment, helmed by Alfonso Cuaron, is a complete overhaul of the series to this point- and it works so incredibly well. From the opening shot you can tell that someone new is in charge, and he knows how to make films look great. This Harry Potter is darker and moodier, but also feels so much more real. Chris Columbus' films seemed like soundstage set-pieces- but this feels like a living, breathing environment. This is the closest thing to Terry Gilliam directing a Potter film... can you only imagine how great that would've been?

Only two scenes break the flow of the film in my opinion- the Knight Bus ride (which is the most a-hyuck goofy sequence) and the whomping willow scene. But between Dementors, boggarts, animaguses and a brutal werewolf transformation, you've got what a Harry Potter film should be- full of teen angst and emotion. Possibly my favorite film of the series.