In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry, Ron and Hermione, now teenagers, return for their third year at Hogwarts, where they are forced to face escaped prisoner, Sirius Black, who poses a great threat to Harry.Harry and his friends spend their third year learning how to handle a half-horse half-eagle Hippogriff, repel shape-shifting Boggarts and master the art of Divination. They also
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry, Ron and Hermione, now teenagers, return for their third year at Hogwarts, where they are forced to face escaped prisoner, Sirius Black, who poses a great threat to Harry. Harry and his friends spend their third year learning how to handle a half-horse half-eagle Hippogriff, repel shape-shifting Boggarts and master the art of Divination. They also visit the wizarding village of Hogsmeade and the Shrieking Shack, which is considered the most haunted building in Britain. In addition to these new experiences, Harry must overcome the threats of the soul-sucking Dementors, outsmart a dangerous werewolf and finally deal with the truth about Sirius Black and his relationship to Harry and his parents. With his best friends, Harry masters advanced magic, crosses the barriers of time and changes the course of more than one life. Directed by Alfonso Cuaron and based on J.K. Rowling's third book, this wondrous spellbinder soars with laughs, and the kind of breathless surprise only found in a Harry Potter adventure.
Some movie-loving wizards must have cast a magic spell on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, because it's another grand slam for the Harry Potter franchise. Demonstrating remarkable versatility after the arthouse success of Y Tu Mamá También, director Alfonso Cuarón proves a perfect choice to guide Harry, Hermione, and Ron into treacherous puberty as the now 13-year-old students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry face a new and daunting challenge: Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from Azkaban prison, and for reasons yet unknown (unless, of course, you've read J.K. Rowling's book, considered by many to be the best in the series), he's after Harry in a bid for revenge. This dark and dangerous mystery drives the action while Harry (the fast-growing Daniel Radcliffe) and his third-year Hogwarts classmates discover the flying hippogriff Buckbeak (a marvelous CGI creature), the benevolent but enigmatic Professor Lupin (David Thewlis), horrifying black-robed Dementors, sneaky Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall), and the wonderful advantage of having a Time-Turner just when you need one. The familiar Hogwarts staff returns in fine form (including the delightful Michael Gambon, replacing the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore, and Emma Thompson as the goggle-eyed Sybil Trelawney), and even Julie Christie joins this prestigious production for a brief but welcome cameo. Technically dazzling, fast-paced, and chock-full of Rowling's boundless imagination (loyally adapted by ace screenwriter Steve Kloves), The Prisoner of Azkaban is a Potter-movie classic. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Excellent Product:
Received product in excellent condition in a timely manner without any problems. I would use the system to purchase items again and inform my friends of my satisfaction.
The least of the 6 movies so far:
I found this the least satisfactory of the films. The new director apparently took it for granted that the audience had read the books and didn't find it important to explain things. Not only that, he sabotaged the screenwriter's plot exposition: when Fudge is explaining the resolution of the Aunt Marge plot the director tries to distract the audience with a dancing hunchback; later when McGonagall explains Black's (supposed) crimes to Rosmerta, the director has Fudge blocking the view of the women talking.... more info
Best Potter. Ever.:
I was surprised to discover that the third Harry Potter film was to be directed by none other than art-house favorite Mr. "Y Tu Mama Tambien" himself, Alfonso Cuaron. While I rejoiced Chris Columbus' departure, I was a bit hesitant if Cuaron could take Harry in the direction he so desperately needed to go. However, choosing Cuaron as director of "Azkaban" wasn't necessarily a complete shot in the dark. In 1995, Cuaron directed the very under-appreciated but very enchanting, "A Little Princess," an... more info
Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban:
Alfonso Cuarón comes on as the new director of this series and adds the magic that was missing from the earlier films.
The cast is still fun and the blue ray dvd is an improvement on the regular dvd
