Rating: 
Summary: A grownup-oriented review for those who have read the book
Review: The third installment of the Harry Potter films was ready for a new director, and Alfonso Cuaron seemed a likely choice. Chris Columbus was admirable in his fidelity to the plot of the first two books, but as Harry becomes a teenager and faces a more complex life, Columbus's candy-coated style is no longer appropriate. So it was with great anticipation that I looked forward to the "darker" style that Cuaron promised.In some respects I was not disappointed. Cuaron's interpretation of Harry's world is defined by inscrutable shadows and colored in misty greens and greys, rather than red-and-gold tapestry of movies one and two. This new palette is more natural, and in keeping with that, far more of the movie takes place out of doors. Cuaron gives Hogwarts a greater sense of age as well, making a crumbling courtyard and rickety bridge over a gorge central to many scenes. These locations, as well as the huge pendulum in the entry hall and clock face that Harry sits inside at one point, are a nicely subtle way to weave in the movie's (and book's) theme of time and how the past can't ever be completely undone. Cuaron handles some scenes very well, especially brief, telling gestures or moments that provide character definition, such as the bit where Hermione grabs Ron's hand which made it into the trailer, and another where the two of them have an awkward conversation outside the Shrieking Shack. Other highlights include Harry and his dorm-mates up late eating candy that makes them impersonate animals (touchingly shows how very teenage they are); and a moment when Sirius, trying desperately to hold Lupin back from his change to werewolf, places his hand over Lupin's chest and says "You live in this heart!" - which is made all the more poignant because we know he can't stop the transformation. Some plot points have been sacrificed in order to keep the film to a manageable length. Most of the time this works, as when Harry meets with Snape and Lupin in a beautifully lit nighttime corridor, precipitating the handover of the Marauder's Map and Lupin's realization that Peter Pettigrew lives; or when Harry receives the Firebolt from Sirius at a different point in the movie than in the book. There were, however, two changes which seemed inexplicable to me. First, the patronus charm is made into a shield of light rather than an animal which charges down the dementors. This eliminates Harry's discovery of his father within himself through his stag patronus (he does see a stag of light when he rescues himself at the lakeside, but when we see him from the perspective of rescuer there is no stag, and this is never explained). Similarly, even though Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are named on the Marauder's Map, the nicknames and their relationship to Lupin, Pettigrew, Sirius, and James Potter is never explained. It would have taken only a few more minutes to add that explosition, which would have strengthened Harry's cinematic connections to his father tremendously. All in all, I think it's possible that the viewers who enjoy this film the most will be those who haven't read the book. As someone who is very familiar with the Harry Potter book series, I kept finding myself hung up on the changes to the story (and just how much depth was lost) even as I enjoyed the beautiful cinemetography and deft handling of characters' relationships. My hope is that whoever directs film four is able to take some of Cuaron's artistic sensibilities and combine them with Columbus's sense of wonder and attention to plot detail. That would truly do Harry justice.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Brilliant!!!!
Review: Using our previous knowledge of the Harry Potter universe to his advantage, Alfonso Cuaron has created the first sophisticated film foray into the world of wizards, witches, werewolves and hippogriffs. Cuaron benefits from the experience his lead actors have in performing these roles in two prior films. Dan Radcliffe as Harry, Emma Watson as Hermione, and Rupert Grint as Ron have all become these characters before our eyes, and it is wonderful to watch. Michael Gambon does a fine job replacing Richard Harris as Professor Dumbledore, and Emma Thompson hams it up as the spaced-out Divination teacher, Professor Trelawny. Gary Oldman is good as escaped-prisoner Sirius Black. He doesn't have much to do, but what he does works well. I look forward to seeing more of him as the series continues. Of all the adult actors, my highest praise must go to David Thewlis as Professor Lupin. Thewlis was assigned the task of bringing to life one of the best-loved characters of the Rowling books, and has done so magnificently. This review wouldn't be complete without mention of the overall tone of the film. This of course is due to the amazing direction of Alfonso Cuaron. Everything about this film is in stark contrast to the first two offerings by Chris Columbus. By no means does this belittle Columbus' two Potter films. I enjoyed them very much. However, I must say that this third chapter was the most satisfying of the three. I believe it's because, as strange as this may sound, everything felt more "real." There wasn't this sense of wonderment that was ever-present during the first two films. In "Azkaban," everything in the wizarding world is just matter-of-fact, and that in itself is magical. Also of note is the fine special effects in the film. Buckbeak, the hippogriff, looked absolutely amazing - like a real animal. Those horrifying guards of Azkaban, the Dementors, were just the right touch of scary. It's tough to keep them from looking like the Black Riders from Lord Of The Rings, but their mouths are all their own and are truly frightening! In all, an absolutely fantastic film, and one that I am sure to see several times over.
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