By [Losing My Virginity articles are reviews written by someone who still hasn’t seen an incredibly popular movie after all these years. LMV reviews are interesting in that they can offer the perspective of a person who’s untainted by the cloud of commonness that surrounded a famous film of the past, and also show how well it has stood the test of time.]
I’m not quite sure why, but of all the Harry Potter titles, Prisoner of Azkaban has always stood out for me. I mean after all, it has a escaped prisoner of sorts in it, and that screams some kind of bad assery. I half expected a cross between Hogwarts and Oz, featuring a cameo by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and a shanking of sorts, but I was almost sure that wasn’t going to happen. A boy can dream though, can’t he?
[Losing My Virginity articles are reviews written by someone who still hasn't seen an incredibly popular movie after all these years. LMV reviews are interesting in that they can offer the perspective of a person who's untainted by the cloud of commonness that surrounded a famous film of the past, and also show how well it has stood the test of time.]
I’m not quite sure why, but of all the Harry Potter titles, Prisoner of Azkaban has always stood out for me. I mean after all, it has a escaped prisoner of sorts in it, and that screams some kind of bad assery. I half expected a cross between Hogwarts and Oz, featuring a cameo by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and a shanking of sorts, but I was almost sure that wasn’t going to happen. A boy can dream though, can’t he?
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Alfonso Cuaron’s direction in this film is a breath of fresh air for the series. A few minutes into Prisoner of Azkaban calls into question Chris Columbus’s direction in the first two films. Now to be fair, Columbus didn’t necessarily have the strongest of material to work with, but Cuaron’s film blows the first two out of the water. The framing, the lighting and the type of dissolves used, it all provided for a solid film with a classic yet vivid aesthetic. Most importantly, Cuaron’s use of seasons provided a beautiful depth, showing Hogwarts in a new light.
As far as plot, Prisoner of Azkaban is full of all kinds of bad-assery. First off, it pleased me so to finally see Harry finally tell off his adoptive parents and leave on his own damn accord. I’m all for angsty Potter, and only hope to see more growth from his character. Secondly, despite being the first film without Voldemort (or He Who Shall Not Be Named, whatever), it still managed to provide a rich history and drama while still moving the series forward. Third, werewolves, time traveling and super frightening grim reapers (Dementors)!? Too good to be true. All of that combined with a twist I really didn’t see coming, it made for not only a solid entry in the series, but a solid film period.
The supporting cast was only strengthened with the addition of Gary Oldman and Emma Thompson. Every scene with Oldman was an absolute treat and it only saddens me that he had so little screen time. The kids are getting better and better, with Daniel Radcliffe providing the most growth as an actor. That’s not to say that Emma Watson or Rupert Grint didn’t improve, just that Radcliffe had the most to fix in my opinion.
All in all, this was my favorite entry in the series thus far. With the first two movies, I was watching due to an obligation to the assignment and felt as though that was the only reason to see the movie to the end; however with the third film, I was entranced the entire time with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I worry now that I’ve reached the pinnacle of the series after finding out this is the only Potter film Cuaron directed. Either way, the film helped solidify my interest in the series and I look forward to watching the rest.
Overall Score: 8.35 – Great. Movies that score between 8.00 and 8.50 are great representations of their genre that everyone should see in theaters on opening night.
Random thoughts!
- In the beginning when Harry turned that lady into a balloon, I’m pretty sure he killed her. I mean, what was to stop her from leaving our atmosphere, both suffocating and freezing her to death. If the spell wore off, she would have fell to her gruesome death. Dark.
- Jamaican shrunken head, while offensive, still kind of funny.
- Everytime Ron asked where did Hermoine come from, although I didn’t understand it at the time, hilarious.
- Minus five points for not having Dobby, plus five points for inserting my new favorite racial slur “mud blood”in the dialogue, even if it was only once. So like anything involving points in this series, it all amounts to sh*t
Next up at bat: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
