Book
three was the first in the series that was more than a passing enjoyment for
me, and this film is much the same.
While I like The Sorcerer’s Stone
and The Chamber of Secrets, this is
just a terrifically-made movie, tons of fun with a lot of character. No, it’s
not perfect, but it makes for excellent viewing, and it’s still, for my money,
one of the best in the franchise.
The
central plot focuses less on our heroes investigating a mystery. Instead, it’s more personal – notorious criminal
Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban, the impregnable wizard prison, and all signs
suggest he wants to finish the job Voldemort started 13 years ago (a.k.a.
killing Harry). Harry is bewildered by
an early entreaty not to go looking
for the vicious killer, but the more he learns about Sirius Black, the more he
realizes how unalterably his life is tied to the fugitive wizard’s. Top-notch new characters, fine intrigue, and
serious emotional stakes are all in store.
Alfonso
Cuarón (Gravity, y tu mamá también, and my beloved A Little Princess) is the director this time, and it really
shows. More than most in the franchise,
this is just a great film. The dramatic, comic, and action set-pieces
are stylishly filmed with a careful hand; Lupin’s Boggart lesson and Harry’s
midnight encounter with Snape are just two of the many fantastic
sequences. Small, deft touches give the
movie a more lived-in tone, and the use of the Weeping Willow to mark the
seasons is inspired. Also, I love how Cuarón’s wizarding world is jam-packed
with casual magic use. In the first two
films, magic tends to be a Big Deal, and each demonstration gets its own
specific beat and focus. This movie,
though, reminds us that magic is part of everyday life for witches and wizards,
and as such, can occur without fanfare.
Some good examples are the enchanted note Draco passes to Harry, the
Gryffindor boys goofing around with charmed candy, and the various ways folks
at the Leaky Cauldron use magic for the little things.
But like
I said, as great as the movie is, it’s not all it could’ve been. The screenplay doesn’t match up to the
direction – there are some inconsistencies with the established rules of the
world, a few plots are foreshadowed a bit too strongly (especially the question
of Hermione’s workload,) and it’s a little too cavalier about cutting things. In particular, the big third-act info-dump is
majorly truncated, a sore point for many fans.
I can understand that, the way it’s shot, a long explanation would undercut
the dramatic momentum, but I still wish there could be just a bit more of the Marauders. It could’ve even moved closer to the end,
maybe to Harry’s final conversation with Lupin.
Another handful of lines would’ve been enough to tie it all together.
My only
other significant complaint is recasting Dumbledore with Michael Gambon. Even though, with Richard Harris’s
unfortunate passing, something had to be done, Gambon just does not work for me, especially after the
impeccable Harris. Other new cast
members continue the winning streak, though.
Emma Thompson is a hoot as hippy-dippy Professor Trelawney, David
Thewlis brings warmth and intelligence to Harry’s mentor/confidante Professor
Lupin, and Gary Oldman gives a tremendous performance as Sirius Black. I’ve said before that this is the role that
made Oldman catch my eye, and watching the film again reminds me how great he
is.
Warnings
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