Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Yesterday I saw Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban at the AMC Studio 30. I’ve read the five books, and I enjoyed the first two films. This one was much better. Less emphasis on the school year, holiday scenes, classes, Quidditch, and tests; a faster pace with less exposition; some nice cinematic touches, like the season transition shots. The clock motif was laid on a bit thick, but I like clocks, so it’s OK. The John Williams theme was made less oppressive in part by using it less and in part by varying the instrumentation. I think musical continuity is important for sequels, but this was a welcome change.
Overall, I think Alfonso Cuarón did a better job with the material than Chris Columbus did, so I’m sorry to see that he isn’t involved in next years entry, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (my favorite of the books), which Mike Newell will be directing. The only film of his that I’ve seen is Mona Lisa Smile, which, while not bad, failed to impress.
I can’t decide whether I like the idea of switching directors around to film pieces of a story. That method meant we got Cuarón’s Potter rather than seven of Columbus’s good-but-not-great Potter. It worked pretty well for Star Wars Ep. IV-VI, too. (Does anyone doubt it should have continued for Ep. I-III?) But it certainly would have hurt Jackson’s Lord of the Rings, and probably Indiana Jones as well.