Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (***)

Posted on June 6th, 2004 in Movie Reviews by EngineerBoy

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a very solid and entertaining film, with a sort of throwaway storyline, solid acting, and some eye-poppingly amazing special effects. The three main characters (Harry, Ron, and Hermione) are getting older and entering their teen years, and the film depicts this in an understated but effective way, including the subtle touch (pointed out by Mynagirl) of having them spend much less time in wizard robes and much more time in casual, everyday garb. Some new characters are introduced, some old friends make cursory appearances, and this film property is moved safely to the next installment without any missteps.

The basic storyline is that Harry and the gang are starting another new year at Hogwart’s, which is a much grayer and more forebidding place than in previous installments. You see, a crazed, murderous, lunatic wizard (Sirius Black) has escaped from Azkaban