Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban DVD Review:

As Harry Potter (Radcliffe) returns to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his third year, he learns that Sirius Black (Oldman) has escaped from Azkaban prison and his life is in danger. With the help of Ron (Grint) and Hermione (Watson), the three delve into mystery that surrounds Black’s imprisonment because all they know is that he had something to do with the death of Harry’s parents and he may be looking for him to finish the job.

With The Philosopher’s (Sorcerer’s) Stone and The Chamber of Secrets setting new standards for family entertainment, can the third movie keep up this very high benchmark? The answer is an emphatic yes!

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban pushes the franchise to even greater heights. Regarded as the best book in the series by Potter fans and Muggles alike, this is a much darker look into this magical world.

As Harry, Ron and Hermione turn thirteen, more adult problems and revelations come their way. Harry starts to learn more about his past, as he confronts the man who is said to have betrayed his parents to the wizard who’s name should not be spoken. Hermione has to come to terms with the fact that she might not been able to excel as much as she would like at Hogwarts without any magical help. Ron is Ron but he might have to acknowledge the fact that he might be getting close to a certain someone.

The character’s growth is reflected in the performances of the three leads. Emma Watson shines as Hermione, with a much larger part than in the second film. She is becoming a very good actress as the young witch continues to deal with her mixed heritage and the constant abuse from Malfroy. Rupert Grint again provides the laughs as Ron Weasley but the character is becoming a more accomplished figure and not just Harry’s accident prone and amusing friend. It is Daniel Radcliffe who shows the biggest advance and at last, reveals the reason why he got one of the most coveted child roles in movie history. As the character has grown, so has the actor as Radcliff as he finally gets to grips with the young wizard. Harry faces some really traumatic revelations about his past as the story unfolds leading to many different and powerful emotions. The good news is that the actor tackles them head on and gives his most authentic portrayal of the boy who lived yet.

Joining our three leads is the tremendous supporting cast, which again reads as a who’s who in British acting circles. While most of these roles are fleeting appearances from already established characters, such as Julie Walters and Mark Williams as Mr & Mrs Weasley, Robert Hardy as Cornelius Fudge and Richard Griffiths and Fiona Shaw as Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, they show they level of commitment to the stories shown by all of the actors. Even the bigger names like Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid, Alan Rickman as Professor Snape and Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall take a backseat to the three leads and the new characters.

Both Gary Oldman and David Thewlis bring their substantial talents to the franchise and provide standout performances. Thewlis brings so much to the Professor Lupin, the new teacher of the Defence Against the Dark Arts as he becomes a mentor for Harry, all the while struggling with his own dark secret. Gary Oldman is also exceptional as Sirius Black. Even though the character doesn’t have much screen time, he comes into his own during the climatic moments of the film with Oldman portraying the man with such honesty and vigour. While the character might not be new the actor certainly is, Michael Gambon does a good job at putting his own spin on Professor Dumbledore. He doesn’t quite have the presence of the late great Richard Harris but he is a more than able replacement for the legendary actor.

Chris Columbus did a great job with the first two movies in the series but director Alfonso Cuarón moves the franchise to a whole new level. Cinematographer Michael Seresin and Cuarón combine to bring you the most magnificent looking spectacle that is the Potter universe. They really open up the sheer grandeur of Hogwarts and its surrounding grounds with some truly astounding sets and brilliantly chosen locations. Combine this with some of the best effects seen in the Potter films, such as Buckbeak the Hippogryff and the relentless Dementors, you have one of the most visual fantasy films ever to grace the silver screen. What Cuarón also brings to the table is a complete understanding of actors and performance and this is how he gets the best out of the three leads and the rest of the brilliant ensemble.

The Harry Potter movies set the standard when it comes to family entertainment and The Prisoner of Azkaban continues that tradition. What they have going for them is a plotline that treats audience of all ages with the same level of intelligence and never panders to one demographic. This makes the picture instantly accessible to all, making you wish that all family entertainment could be this good.

Now where did I put my wand?

Star Rating = * * * * *

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Widescreen 2.35:1 Anamorphic with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the transfer is extremely good. The magical world of Harry Potter is vividly brought to life through an extremely sharp picture that highlights the excellent production values of the movie. The sound quality is also first rate, especially during the Knight Bus sequence and the finale.

BONUS FEATURES

Disc 1

Cast and Crew
View text based credits for the movie

Theatrical Trailers (4.00 mins)

Watch the trailers for Year One: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Year Two: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Year Three: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Trailer
See a preview of The Polar Express

Disc 2

Divination Class

Trelawney’s Crystal Ball (4.30 mins)
Five deleted scenes that show you more of the Knight Bus, Hagrid’s hut, gifts in the Great Hall, the new Gryffindor picture and Neville Longbottom’s mistake.

Creating a Vision (11.14 mins)

Director Alfonso Cuarón, producers Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe and David Heyman, screenwriter Steve Kloves, production designer Stuart Craig and author J.K. Rowling talk about bringing the third Harry Potter book to the silver screen. The featurette see the group discuss adapting the book, the move to Scotland, new and old cast members and bringing in a new director. J.K. reveals how important The Prisoner of Azkaban is and how it foreshadows future events and the control she has over the project.

Head to Shrunken Head (43.34 mins)

British interviewer Johnny Vaughn and the Shrunken Head from the Knight Bus talk to the heroes, the Gryffindors, the Slytherins, Professor Lupin and Sirius Black, Professor Dumbledore and Rubeus Hagrid, the Dursley’s and the filmmakers. The cast and crew discuss the growth of their characters, how they got their parts, how Harry Potter has effected their lives, the look and design of the movie and reveal some juicy behind the scenes stories.

Defence Against the Dark Arts

Magic you may have missed

An interactive quiz that gets you to watch clips from the third year and answer questions about what you have seen.

Tour Lupin’s Classroom

An interactive tour of Professor Lupin’s Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom that includes a look a in his office and you can watch him introduce a Boggit to the class.

The Great Hall

Catch Scabbers!

Using your remote control, help Crookshanks the cat catch Ron’s rat Scabbers as he tries to escape through the Great Hall.

Choir Practice (1.35 mins)

Sing along with the Choir as they usher in another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The Quest of Sir Cadogan
An interactive adventure that gives you the quest of guiding Sir Cadogan through Hogwarts to the Gryffindor painting

Hogwarts Grounds

Hagrid’s Hut

Care of Magical Creatures (4.53 mins)

Producer Chris Columbus, animal supervisor Gary Gero, trainer Dave Sousa and animal trainer Jim Warren talk about the real animals used in the third adventure of Harry Potter. We meet Hedwig, Crookshanks, Ripper and the Crows from Hagrid’s hut and watch them perform on set.

Conjuring a Scene (14.57 mins)

Director Alfonso Cuarón, producers Mark Radcliffe and David Heyman, production designer Stuart Craig, director of photography Michael Seresin, chief makeup artist Amanda Knight, chief hairdresser Eithne Fennell, creature and makeup effects designer Nick Dudman, visual effects supervisors Roger Guyett and Tim Burke, lead animator Steve Rawlins, digital effects supervisor Evan MacDonald and stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Gary Oldman, David Thewlis and Timothy Spall take you behind the scenes of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The featurette shows you how the visual effects for the movie where created, revealing how the look of Sirius Black, the transformation, the Dementors, Buckbeak, the Shrieking Shack, the Knight Bus and the grounds of Hogwarts were created.

DVD ROM

Place the DVD in your PC’s DVD ROM drive and you can look at a Hogwarts Timeline, view Magical Trading Cards and access exclusive material via the Internet.

Game Preview (1.01 mins)

Watch the trailer for the EA Games version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Tour of Honeyduke’s

Take an interactive tour of fabulous sweet shop and see what Fred and George Weasley are getting up to.

OVERALL

The best Harry Potter movie gets the best DVD treatment from Warner Bros. The previous two releases were orientated towards a younger audience but this release has something for everyone. As well as the interactive games and quizzes for the youngsters, we now have behind the scenes featurettes and interviews with the cast and crew that will appeal to the movie enthusiast. With an excellent mix of bonus features that will appeal to younger and older fans, this is an excellent package that is a must for all prospective Witches and Wizards.

DVD Star Rating = * * * *

Jamie Kelwick

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