HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
Reviewed by Harvey S. Karten
Warner Bros
Grade: B
Directed by: Alfonso Cuaron
Written by: Steven Kloves, novel by J.K. Rowling
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Richard Griffiths, Pam Ferris, Fiona
Shaw, Harry Melling, Adrian Rawlins, Geraldine Somerville, Lee
Ingleby, Lenny Henry, Jimmy Gardner, Gary Oldman, Jim
Tavare, Robert Hardy, Abby Ford, Rupert Grint
Screened at: IMAX, NYC, 6/1/04
You'd not think that a PG rating would be awarded for a
work of a director like Alfonso Cuaron, whose "Y Tu Mama
Tambien" deals with two oversexed Mexican teens who go on a
joyride with an older woman married to one of their cousins. But
that road movie, minus the graphic sex, shares its theme of
teens who are quickly growing up. As for the titled Harry Potter
(Daniel Radcliffe) in the third of the "Potter" series, he's thirteen
and, like the kids in "Y Tu Mama" is learning to deal with his
fears and to become more self-assured, all of which is
accomplished in part by his learning more about the death of his
parents.
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" opens with the
movie's most humorous scene, as the rebellious Harry, dumped
on by his obnoxious, adoptive aunt Marge Dursley (Pam Ferris),
gets revenge by violating his pledge not to perform wizardly
while under their roof. To the amazement of his uncle and not
the least of his aunt, Harry turns Marge into an even more
inflated version of wicked stepmother simply by casting his eye
on her until she puffs up to the point of exploding and casts off
into outer space.
When Harry returns to the school, he hears that Sirius Black
(Gary Oldman), who may or may not have been responsible in
part for the death of Harry's parents, has escaped from the
Azkaban prison and is on his way to the school.
Scripted once again by Steve Kloves–who emphasizes
shades of gray in his characters while making the story
cinematically alive, "Harry Potter 3" is replete with characters
who are neither villains nor saints, giving the kids in the
audience something to chew on when they talk about their own
teachers. For example, the hippogriff (part horse, part eagle)
looks at first like a menacing creature but gives Harry the ride of
his life while Alan Rickman in the role of Professor Snape is
found to be other than the good guy popular with Harry's best
friend, the often sour-faced Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint).
Characters from the previous two installments turn in their
assured performances: Robbie Coltraine as the lovable Rubeus
Hagrid and Michael Gambon, who stands in for the late Richard
Harris, as Albus Dumbledore.
Despite fears that this installment with its cloudy skies and talk
of death might be too scary for the younger folks in the
audience, at an advance screening the seven-year-olds
watching one of the world's largest screens at Loews Lincoln
Square IMAX theater buzz with comments like "I didn't know
that [so and so] was a werewolf." Adults in the peanut gallery
might think of this "Potter" as just more of the same, but you can
bet that their little ones will be watching the pic five, ten, twenty
times while getting ready for an inevitable installment to come.
Rated PG. 141 minutes. Copyright 2004 by Harvey Karten at
harveycritic@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
37923
X-Language: en
X-RT-ReviewID: 1285771
X-RT-TitleID: 1132921
X-RT-SourceID: 570
X-RT-AuthorID: 1123
X-RT-RatingText: B
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