Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Frank's Take
01/07/2004 . Source: Frank Ochieng 

Author J.K. Rowling’s bespectacled boy wizard wonder is back and better than ever. In fact, he’s matured and the subsequent growth of this sorcery student is evident in the burden of angst good old Harry carries around as his magic-in-training mode continues to dominate his colorful yet chaotic existence.

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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004). Warner Brothers 2 hours 22 minutes. Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Gary Oldman, Rupert Grint, David Thewlis, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Emma Thompson Directed by: Alfonso Cuaron.

Brace yourselves gang ‘cause Harry Potter fever is spreading once again on the big screen in the much-anticipated third installment of the celebrated children’s fantasy series. Author J.K. Rowling’s bespectacled boy wizard wonder is back and better than ever. In fact, he’s matured and the subsequent growth of this saucy sorcery student is evident in the burden of angst good old Harry carries around as his magic-in-training mode continues to dominate his colorful yet chaotic existence.

In stylistic Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron’s whimsically solid entry Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the adventurous plight of the talented lad with the bewitching touch is indeed a spirited gem to behold. Cuaron, no stranger to conjuring up tot-oriented treats such as the wonderfully spry 1995 offering A Little Princess, creates a Harry Potter universe that is visually more stunning and sardonic in content. In Azkaban, writer Steve Kloves (also responsible for the two previous Potter pictures’ scripts) delivers a potent fantasy that gels and ultimately compliments the directional vision of Cuaron’s giddy and glossy imagination.

There’s a glowing yet gloomy comparison of Cuaron’s excitable edition as contrasted to Chris Columbus’s enjoyably lightweight Harry Potter predecessors The Sorcerer’s Stone and The Chamber of Secrets. Because Harry Potter has gotten older (as evidenced in the film’s star Daniel Radcliffe’s sprouting puberty), his cynicism and curiosity is naturally an added bonus that contributes to his maturity as a blossoming young man trying to cope with unconventional adolescent growing pains.

For a special trickery tyke trying to overcome the responsibility of being saddled with powers viewed upon as both a gift and to a certain extent a blessed burden, Cuaron has concocted a conflicted Harry Potter that resonates with the mysteriousness and unresolved issues of Rowling’s introspective, wily pubescent protagonist.

As a complete production, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a stimulating enterprise. Clearly, there should be no doubt in reference to the adequate momentum for moviegoers anxiously looking ahead for the fourth Harry Potter film to make its distinctive and definitive mark. Invariably, Cuaron has artistically brought a sense of intrigue and gritty sophistication to the rousing proceedings. This narrative will undeniably satisfy the hunger for Harry Potter fanatics both young and old that appreciate the hocus pocus frivolous fare peppered with escapist frothiness.

The premise behind Azkaban is rather self-explanatory for close watchers of Harry Potter’s cinematic exploits. We find the magical moptop in his third year of studies at the prestigious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft. Harry has just departed the misery of his ho hum domestic dungeon populated by his indifferent and insufferable Dursley relatives.

Now, the 13-year old crafty kid is able to return to the school where he can find comfort and joy hanging out with matriculating sidekicks Hermoine (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint). Harry even looks forward to being in the company of his stuffy but well-meaning educators including Headmaster Dumbledore (Michael Gambon stepping in the role first portrayed by the late Richard Harris), Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith), Professor Snape (Alan Rickman), and the newly appointed instructor Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane). Thus, it’s back to work for Harry as he searches relentlessly to perfect his wayward witchcraft abilities.

Soon, the romanticism about attending Hogswart will take a tailspin when Harry learns about the piece of news that will cloud his mindset and understandably so. Apparently, a bothersome blast from the past has returned to the scene much to the dismay of Harry. When it is discovered that the despicable Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) had escaped from his incarceration at the Azkaban prison, the assumption is that this deviant is out to claim the life of poor Harry in retaliation of finishing off what he started previously.

In any event, the menacing wizard Sirius was responsible for the deaths of Harry’s parents and may want to complete the task of wiping the last known powerful Potter off of the face of the earth. Word has it that Sirius Black pointed his wicked finger in the direction where the dastardly Lord Voldemort could ensure the cemented demise of Harry’s victimized folks.

Of course Harry Potter addicts will marvel at the inspired darkness being displayed in Azkaban. Cuaron dutifully provides a frightening forum where the chills and thrills seem deliciously inviting and the presence of doom brings an ominous allure to the Harry Potter franchise that’s sensational and refreshing. The warped world that Cuaron assembles is emphatically bleak but quite essential to the topsy-turvy surroundings that consume Harry’s omnipresent disillusionment.

The stark surreal approach to the acclaimed Latin filmmaker’s project is welcoming in its edginess. Thankfully, some will appreciate Cuaron’s efforts in trying to stay faithful to the book’s expressive guidelines. But even if this weren’t a considering factor, Cuaron’s jolting exposition would still be invigorating for Potter pleasers to digest with noted aplomb.

Whereas the Columbus-helmed Harry Potter films were innocuous in its hardy spirit, Cuaron’s interpretation of Harry’s harried livelihood is fantastically sinister and rich with a dourness that captures the movie’s murky spirit and havoc-ridden heart. Although it’s nice to see a series of familiar faces back to rejoice in the Harry Potter hoopla express, the newcomers are just as riveting and appetizing in their contributions as well. As Professor Lupin, David Thewlis is effectively potent as he helps Harry deal with the demons he must confront eventually.

The Oscar-winning Emma Thompson is radiant and gleefully ditsy as Professor Trelawney. Gambon does a decent job assuming the self-assured shoes of Dumbledore in place of the dearly departed Harris who embodied the scholarly old coot. And Oldman is naturally reliable. As the riff raffish Black, Oldman is in his usual oily and deceptive glory on screen.

Radcliffe is to be applauded for turning in a well-rounded performance as the beleaguered boy bursting from childhood innocence and entering an uncomfortable stage where his Harry is starting to experience that silent rage by questioning his precarious positioning in his young life. It’s a juggling act that seems somewhat daunting—an orphaned miracle boy trying to harvest specialized skills without the comfort and support of his slain loved ones.

For once audiences can see the genuine vulnerability and psychological sluggishness of Harry’s inner turmoil. He’s a lost precocious pup in a lopsided dog eat dog Land of Disoriented Discovery. Actually, Radcliffe is afforded the golden opportunity to lend his Harry Potter alter ego some substantive spice in order to flesh out his character a bit as he reacts to the surly circus that he’s seemingly trapped in. Both Watson’s Hermoine and Grint’s Ron are as amusing and noteworthy as Radcliffe’s hangers-on school chum. In particular, Watson is given a juicy subplot to work with and one can also notice her physical enhancements as she prepares for young womanhood to compliment her costar Radcliffe’s spurt in growth as well.

Children may respond differently to the movie’s scare tactics but for the most part, it won’t have that much impact since they are knowledgeable about the farfetched peril that their spellbound teen hero mingles with on a regular basis. Muggles everywhere will open their arms to the likes of the sordid bunch of witches, wizards, werewolves, etc. that pop in and out of Harry’s everyday encounters.

And who can resist the CGI oddities that parade around the movie like monstrous misfits with a dash of pride? The Dementors (grimy-like creatures) are the unlikely protectors slated to guard both the Azkaban prison and Hogswart School. Buckbeak the Hippogriff (imagine a hybrid of your prized stallion and bald eagle all rolled together in one DNA experiment gone haywire) is a beastly spectacle to be seen to believe. The Whomping Willow is nasty in its deranged disposition. Plus, the Hogswart ghastly ghosts wander aimlessly in the hallways causing their share of haunting hindrance.

Overall, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban perform its notable job of promising the caustic and cockeyed stokes to its dingy quirkiness. As the third foray delving into Rowling’s lovable Munchkin of Magic, there seems like there will be better days ahead for Harry and his kooky company to pursue much to the delight of film fans worldwide.

More importantly, Harry Potter and his escapades sharply transcend beyond that of a special effects kiddie caper. What stands out is a viably entertaining creepy coming-of-age saga about an impressionable individual starting to explore the unanswered questions in a fiery vehicle that is as complex and confused like its youthful, blooming leading star.

In many ways, Harry Potter IS the actual prisoner of Azkaban not to mention a captured soul of his own brilliance and uniqueness. Now the "reel" challenge is for his filmmaking handlers to show this teenage trickster how to break out of his fantasy-filled funk and dramatically conquer his incomplete emotional linkage. After all, only a true worthy wizard is capable of demonstrating this feat so people shouldn’t count out Harry Potter just yet.

Frank Ochieng

(c) Frank Ochieng 2004