Director: Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men, Y tu mama tambien)Cast: Daniel Radcliffe (December Boys), Rupert Grint (Thunderpants, Driving Lessons), Emma Watson (The Tale of Despereaux), Michael Gambon (The Good Shepherd, Sleepy Hallow), Alan Rickman (Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), Maggie Smith (California Suite, Gosford Park), Robbie Coltrane (The World Is Not Enough, Cracker), David Thewlis (Kingdom of Heaven, Dragonheart), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight, Leon), Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility, Stranger Than Fiction), Timothy Spall (Enchanted, A Series of Unfortunate Events), Julie Walters (Driving Lessons, Billy Elliot), Warwick Davis (Star Wars, Leprechaun), Tom Felton
The Deal: Sirius Black (Oldman), a dangerous criminal and supporter of Lord Voldemort, has broken out of Azkaban and is hunting down Harry Potter (Radcliffe). Though safe behind numerous enchantments at Hogwarts, Harry struggles to deal with the addition guards now stationed there, the Dementors, as they suck the happiness from people. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Remus Lupin (Thewlis), is an old friend of Harry's father and is willing to help teach Harry to ward of the Dementors. With Black moving ever closer to Hogwarts, Harry's curiosity is only sparked further, and he slowly starts to think he might just want to encounter Black after all.
Thoughts: Alfonso Cuaron took over the third film installment, and with it he brought some positive changes. Gone are the super kid friendly likes from previous director Columbus, and in are very dark and mysterious overtones. It's a giant change of pace, but one that was also necessary. The story really depicts the growing darkness as Voldemort gains strength and strives to return. The magic and intrigue is still all there, but now the film franchise will be taken more seriously.
This is the first film where we really start to see the three kids grow up. Their performances have improved, and they're beginning to show signs of becoming solid actors. Rickman continues to amaze, stealing every scene he's in. Dumbledore is now being played by Michael Gambon, as Richard Harris sadly passed away. Though the change received mixed feelings from many, Gambon is well suited for the character and does a very good job. Thewlis was an excellent choice to play Lupin, he looks exactly like the character was described, and he does a great job bringing him to life. Behind all of the makeup and costume, it's hard to recognize Thompson, but she does a wonderful job, coming across as incredibly loopy. Oldman is a terrific choice to play Black. Though his role is small here, he does a good job and has all of the skills to make the character great in future films. The last big addition is Spall, as Wormtail. He's a perfect fit for the role and does a great job.
Accuracy: There were a slew of new characters in this film, and the casting department continues to nail their choices. All are excellent fits for the characters they are depicting. This is also the first film that doesn't have scenes that really stand out as differing with the book. There are always going to be slight changes, but none of them here are troubling. The most noticeable is that the children are all wearing normal clothes whenever they aren't in class, and it seems here that that is far more often than not. It'd be nice to see a bit more of them wearing their wizarding robes. ☆☆☆☆
Overall Verdict: Much darker than the previous two installments, director Cuaron does a wonderful job with the film. The magic and wonder are still there, but adults will really appreciate the film more. It's arguably the strongest film of the entire franchise. ☆☆☆☆1/2
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