Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

This film has been considered by many people to one of the best, if not the best film, in the entire Wizarding World franchise. Now, I will agree it is definitely one of my favorites as well, and also represents a turning point for the series going forward.

The story centers on Harry, Ron, and Hermione, played once again by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, as they attend their third year at the wizarding school Hogwarts. But this time, the stakes are higher, as Harry is being stalked by one of the dark wizard Voldemort's followers, a dangerous killer named Sirius Black, played by Gary Oldman. In addition, Harry begins to bond with his new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, a kind yet mysterious man named Remus Lupin, played by David Thewlis.

The thing that impresses me the most is that this is the first time the Harry Potter story goes in a more dark, mature, and serious direction, as you can see from my brief plot description above. Having the threat of a killer who is specifically targeting our main protagonist, and who, it is later revealed, has ties to Harry's parents and their deaths, really ramps up the intensity. But I would be remiss if I didn't talk about one of the most nightmarish creatures introduced in this film: The dementor. They are the guards of the wizarding prison Azkaban, and have the ability to literally suck the happiness out of a person. If that doesn't show how dark this story is, then I don't know what would.

The performances from our main trio are definitely better than the first two, with more moments for them to actually have some dramatic scenes to work with, even if they still feel a bit over the top at times. I'd say my favorite performances of this film, though, would have to go to Gary Oldman and David Thewlis. Gary Oldman plays the character of Sirius Black so well, and by the end of the film, you can't help but be impressed with his character work, being more complex than his character initially seems. Similarly, David Thewlis plays Lupin as if he was the father figure Harry never had, and watching them get to bond always brings a smile to my face.

Overall, this film is a massive improvement on the first two. While the first two acquainted you with the world, this one really allows you to know the characters and, despite going in a darker direction, it has a lot of heart and it makes you want to know more about where this story is going, and believe me, it only gets better from here.

Next time, we get to see a hero fall, and become one of the most well known villains in fiction. This is the film where Darth Vader is born. Join me next time when I review Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

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