Review of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) by Andrea — 15 Dec 2005

I just finished watching the first 3 Harry Potter films on DVD, in preparation for seeing the fourth film in the theatres tomorrow. Watching the films in this way really emphaszies how different the third film is from its predecessors.

If I had not seen the first two films I would probabyl have rated this film a bit higher, but what bothered me was that this director chose to change both the scenery and Hogwarth's structure/routines.

I liked that the first two films played up Hogwarth's similarities to traditional English boarding schools, and I was especialyl disappointed to see that this new director chose to "modernize" so many things (including the street clothing the characters wear for much of this film).

Most significant is the castign change for the role of Professor Dumbledore. Another reviewere noted here that Dumbledore is the centre of the novels, and it's important to really feel that he's trustworthy as a leader.

The late Richard Harris was wonderful; the new actor plays Dumbledore as a bit of a joke, and this bothered me. Dumbledore is portrayed in this film as a doddering old man, which is absolutely contrary to the books themselves and to the prior 2 films.

All in all, this film will probably be most appreciated by people who haven't read the books or seen either of the previous films.