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Sapphire W34P0N
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« on: June 07, 2004, 02:19:54 PM » |
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It is Harry's third year at Hogwarts, the magical school for young witches and wizards, and the only place Harry can call friendly. A lot has happened in three months, though, and upon his re-entry into the school year, he finds out that a murderous wizard has escaped from the Alcatraz-like prison of Azkaban, guarded by the evil dementors. Not only this, but Harry soon realizes that this wizard, this Sirius Black, has escaped for the sole purpose of finding HIM, and even Hogwarts might not be safe anymore.
If you have been following these movies even loosely, chances are you know that this new one is being directed by someone new; so chances are, the feel of Prisoner will be at least a little different from the two preceding it. If you didn't know that by now, get used to the idea, because the whole aura of Hogwarts and its personality has changed.
Being a huge fan of the books, it's difficult to watch this movie and not nitpick -- everywhere I looked there seemed to be something that had been altered however slightly from Rowlings' publication. Little things like the bar scene in Hogsmeade to much bigger ones like the entire part in the Shreiking Shack. Some can be overlooked, for others, you just gotta suck it in and realize that the book versions of these movies will always be better and more consistent.
But that's all from an avid reader's standpoint.
For those who haven't read the books but are following the movies, this one's a real treat. There's not much these people can complain about, because there's not much they realize they're missing. I think that if I had never read the books but had watched this movie after seeing the first two, I would have been much more pleased and would have been able to appreciate director Alfonso Cuaron's ideals much more.
And, how exactly did this new director fare? Well, I thought he did an excellent job, when it comes to his cinematography and the way he changed the feel of Rowlings' world. The entire setting seems to have shifted; instead of the flat, well-tended Hogwarts grounds you saw in the first two movies, the area here is much more mountainous and wild, more picture-esque. Instead of the bright, sunny days that gave the first two movies a more kid-friendly feel, you get almost all overcast or rainy days that outline the much darker, mature themes and undertone the film brilliantly. The characters themselves have grown; you can read article after article, interview after interview about how Daniel Radcliffe (playing Harry himself) has developed with his character, but you can definitely tell that him and the other actors have come into their own. They're not kids anymore, so of course they'll be going through different changes and emotions that will certainly help the characters they play to become more lifelike as they do the next movie(s).
Another change that's been made is Michael Gambon replacing the late Richard Harris in the role as Dumbledore. While the change is quite noticeable, it couldn't have come at a better time, as Dumbledore's part in this movie was not a big one, and was downplayed successfully from his part in the book. He DOES have a different feel, though. He's obviously younger, and his character has lost a lot of the whimsy and mystery that Harris so beauitifully integrated into his part.
Now, the things I didn't like in the movie had mainly to do with the connection to it's published counterpart. The scene at the end, perhaps the most important and shocking in the whole book and movie, felt rushed, and almost like the director wanted some things left unexplained. I think ten more minutes, if even that, would have helped tremendously in explaining a lot of the questions non-readers will obviously have upon leaving the theater. Also, characters didn't have much interaction in the movie. For example, in the book, Ron and Hermione have a huge fight that almost ruins their friendship that was barely there at all in the film. I can only hope that this is remedied in the next movie, because character interaction plays an enormous role in the next book, and if it is as minimized as it was in this film...well, it'll be a problem, to say the least. Also, little things like not explaining who Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are (I suppose that would be a bit bigger in other peoples' opinions), not explaining the stag-shaped patronus, and the flying dementors might have some readers complaining more than they should.
On a side note, I have to say I love the way Cuaron executed the dementors. The loathesome, soul-sucking guards of Azkaban prison were just done terrifically. The flying aspect that was added in the film actually made the dementors look even more evil, and the ice that covered everything when they got near was a creative little touch.
There's a lot more I could say about this move, good and bad. If you like good acting and the idea of an overall darker feel, see this movie. If you think you're going to get all uptight because of the mistakes and omissions that were made, wait for it to come out on video. I'll give it two scores: For the readers, I can't rate it higher than 3 (out of 4) stars. For those who either haven't read the books or honestly don't care, I give it 4. But one thing's for sure -- if you plan on seeing this, have an open mind. Whether you're a die-hard fan of the books or are just used to the aura of the first two movies, you can't go into the theater expecting what you've already gotten. This is something completely new, and as a result, you'll either embrace the new style or come running back to the safety of the prequels.
**Note: If you think Harry Potter is evil, don't turn this thread into a debate. I really don't care if you think it is; your opinion means nothing to me because you are wrong. Now get over yourselves and stay in your closed little minds for this thread, if you would. I'd greatly appreciate it.
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