10 reasons why PRISONER Of AZKABAN is the best film of the saga Harry Potter

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER Of AZKABAN is the real bomb signed Alfonso Cuaron (director of the now cult Son of Man and Gravity) ; and a film with perfect control of the universe is ultra-complex and rich ofHarry Potter but also of the themes both timeless and generational !

A work to the rhythm impeccable, rich and stimulating as ever, playful, done with care and precision, full of surprises – a story as emotional…

In short. THE PRISONER Of AZKABAN is clearly the best of the films Harry Potter : here are some reasons and GIFS to prove it !

Because THE PRISONER Of AZKABAN is more than just a successful sequel

In these times of operation hardcore and licensing of franchises… it’s good to remember these works, which have been successful, thanks to the unique vision of a director and/or by a decision of significant risk, to become a reference. Both inside the franchise, that sometimes in the film industry, or even, in the collective unconscious.

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER Of AZKABAN under the guise of a “film for pre-teens”, is clearly part of these works striking.

Like a Skyfall or a Fast 5, it is an unexpected revival in a franchise thought to have been oiled and calibrated;

I even dare to bring it closer to a lesser extent, of the key episodes that are Terminator 2, Indiana Jones 2, Dark Knight, Spider-man 2, Toy Story 2 & 3, Star Wars V or even Mad Max 2, (+ Fury Road) and a few others;

the sagas, moreover, rendered mythical in their entirety, thanks to authors who have succeeded in renewing their approach to a myth or a universe they themselves created.

Although it is not “illustrator” single, Alfonso Cuaron has been able to impose his paw in the world created by J. K. ROWLING to transform the saga Harry Potter and give him a tone that will be long pursued, rarely found.

Because HP3 has given a new impetus aesthetic to the saga

There’s not necessarily more violence or a tone darker in this third installment, as say compared to The Chamber of Secrets…

Yet, Alfonso Cuaron offers with its staging, a real upgrade of personality relative to Columbus, with already a few gimmicks that are more marked and bringing dynamism and pace, and then an aesthetic-formal less saturated, more dull… THE PRISONER Of AZKABAN is a film more palpable, more visceral, more realistic.

This camera is less static and more open is a sign of emancipation, an emancipation which is reflected in the costumes introduced in this third film.

Our heroes no longer move in uniform, but in clothes in the style of ultra-common and passe-partout, perfect in its timelessness and ideal for identification and that will remain the same until the very last episode: Harry pètera Voldemort with almost the same jean/sweatshirt/jacket as in the picture below !

This new aesthetic-formal is a rebellion within a mechanical one would have thought incapable of taking risks with the accessibility, having regard to the excellent results of the first 2 films (nearly 1 billion $ + 900M$).

However, if THE PRISONER Of AZKABAN remains the least profitable of the films (750M$ of revenue) despite this, it is the one who gave the tone to the 5 following films !

Because it is a precursor to the teen movie of the 21st century.

With this third film, Harry Potter, finished the childhood. Finished the constant delight or a misunderstanding of the violent reality. Finished the assimilation of the mass (the 4 houses). Up to the teenage years ! The style. The consciousness of self and of the world around them.

From the very first scene (masturbation barely disguised) to the last (a new flight enjoyable, on new bases) it is for Harry to break free of its defects that pre-pubertal or even his destiny, to find its own personality.

The concerns intimate of Harry merged in THE PRISONER Of AZKABAN with the stakes fairly reduced history, as well as with the achievement ofAlfonso Cuaron or the interpretation a little bit more mature and compelling young performers.

All this to one purpose : to accompany his viewer, as in his discovery of a world of wonder and full of mysteries, that in their internal conflicts.

A rare example of empathy within the hollywood industry, which-more-is within a franchise as massive.

THE PRISONER Of AZKABAN is for me, the precursor of a film movement a bit opportunist who will seek to precisely reproduce this pattern – from Twilight to Hunger Games, through The Maze: stick as closely as possible the concerns of a youth that seeks out and affirms, through extraordinary adventures and of the universe as distinct, rich and marked as anchored in reality.

Because Michael Gambon

The disappearance of Richard Harris just after the filming of Chamber of Secrets will force the production to change the interpreter to Dumbledore !

In place of the daron full of good advice, character certainly caring and sympathetic but relatively booooooring, Michael Gambon offers a fresh and unexpected in this archetype of cinema initiation in the component a Dumbledore particularly great.

Is a director of Hogwarts hippie (!!!) the language of ultra-cryptic, much more young of mind and unpredictable, much less “wise” than the first ; each of his short appearances is thus the bearer of surprises, both scénaristiquement that for Harry, Hermione, Ron, or us spectators… And it’s good !

Special Mention to their excellent last scene , which, beyond the absurd humor of his punchline, ends up literally running rampant in the film by translating the camera, the forward movement in progress since almost an hour, in a vaudevillesque not-of-hand accompanying the out-field of Dumbledore.

Additional way to shoulder the voluntary change of direction taken by Cuaron; with respect to the book and the characters, compared to the films of Columbus , and to their audience, compared to the specifications of the blockbuster slightly transgressed in this volume.

Because the new characters are awesome

The reassuring/dangerous Pr. Lupin (David Thewlis), the “mad man,” Sirius (Gary Oldman), the “rat” Pettigrew (Timothy Spall) and the eccentric Trelawney (Emma Thompspon)… These 4 new characters to ensure the renewal in the casting and add in some short scenes, a memorable supplement of madness and momentum, by complementarity !

Below, their key scenes – according to me, huh !

Because the Épouvantards and Détraqueurs

If the special effects do not generally make justice to the artistic direction of successful movies Harry Potter, these two still remain iconic;

the détraqueurs, kinds of beings pelted under a ghostly black cloak aspiring soul of those who stand in their way… A nightmarish vision and morbid, always introduced with style and that shows in this production is relatively childlike !

As to the Épouvantard, unfortunately, not implemented in the whole saga (only one scene !) his ability to turn into phobia the one that it attack in fact a monster as psychological and unpredictable !

Two monsters which transmit the Image to a certain emotional power. Negative and dark, but nevertheless memorable.

Because Chris Columbus and Mike Newell are too classic, while David Yates is a lack of precision

Chris Columbus (Pixels), the Peter Pan of the film, keeping steadfastly to his soul of a child, was required to relearn the public to believe in the wonderful, drink of magic. However, if two films have no shortage of qualities, they also illustrate by their total lack of risk-taking with the novels, or in terms of staging.

The goblet of Fire is a good adaptation hidden in a bad movie. Everything that was pleasant to readers is present, but the realization of grandfather of Mike Newell gives no rhythm to the film, removing almost all sense of climax where the book consisted of four huge. We remember when even the “birth” of Voldemort, thanks mainly to its excellent incarnation by Ralph Fiennes.

As for the four movies David Yates… They accompany effectively the slope mature of the saga. It is unfortunate that the director has made three films to understand that patience was his best asset to create atmosphere, tension, and interest (the extremely slow 7th movie is also one of the most successful of the saga), before a complete change of style for the epic final battle.

In the middle of these guidelines, is THE PRISONER Of AZKABAN in counter-point: a movie with personality, both magical and mature, half with pace and efficiency of the memorable scenes up to a final scene climax in climax. Success in great part related to the director and his vision of the saga;

Because of Alfonso Cuaron

Not yet recognized as one of the great filmmakers in 2004, Alfonso Cuaron affix, even though it was already a paw very personal to the universe thought to have been calibrated, ofHarry Potter. Because after the two components located too close to the child made by Chris Columbus, his film is much more dynamic, dark, and racy. A surprise ultimate fan growing up with the movies.

It is fun to spot these small details that confirm that it is indeed a film of the same Cuaron as that of Gravity or of the Son of Man. That the author is alive and well under the Yes-Man supposed, and he developed a few tics of staging and obsessions !

A little more difficult to find, the similarities between THE PRISONER Of AZKABAN and The Son of man…

A little farfetched, I see it 🙂

 

That said, it is by the pace, his vision of adolescence that is inherited from the sweet/sensual Y Tu Mama Tambien and the care given to the description of the universe ofHarry Potter that Cuaron stands out.

It is the mark of a true filmmaker, author and even almost producer, able to link ALL the technical elements and artistic a film to match his own vision.

Because the plot is transcended by the realization

Among the seven books Harry Potter, The prisoner of Azkaban is perhaps the one that receives the least attention; it is an immersion in the heart of the life Poudlardienne, to the rhythm of the students, and only the threat posed by Sirius Black created of the rhythm. Outside of his penultimate revelation, the point of moments of bravery, especially removed;

This third book therefore does not really compare with the other …

The sorcerer’s stone, introduction magical, dark and wonderful,

The Chamber of Secrets, survey incredibly well handled, the climax final stimulant;

The goblet of fire, so dense and generous that it remains for me the best of books (unfortunately, the adaptation failed)

The order of the Phoenix with half-a whole new world outside of Hogwarts,

The Prince of blood mixed, pretty hybrid with the 5 previous ones, the dark final;

and finally The Relics of the Death, plunging into the real conflict, well-evil, and pushing the plot to its limits.

Yet, Alfonso Cuaron manages to make the Prisoner of Azkaban and its rhythm throbbing one of the film’s most exciting !

His trick is simple: the narration by the universe. I was talking about the Mad Max challenge / dome of thunder / Fury Road, or about Sicario… It is a choice of achievement exciting, which allows a pruning of the story, making the film particularly visual, sensory, and visceral.

In The Son of man , for example, vulgar route from point a to point B, it is the persistent universe and ultra-touchable that gives power to the actions of the characters.

In Gravity, it also travel linear, what are the events that hit Ryan that tell by the metaphor of his journey is psychological (detached, drifting, I’ve Got You, excerpts, promotional titles, suggestive, or survive, get up)

It is a bit like in the PRISONER Of AZKABAN, or the environment tells who is Black, the evolution of the world around Harry Potter (regardless of its presence), and presents us with the details of what lead the characters to the climax :the final

Because they are bored, and that this last scene an hour is a moment of pure cinema.

A peculiarity of this film is Harry Potter (which will be re-adopted without success by David Yates in particular) is never to leave the frame without movements. Thus, even in the mandatory scenes of explanation/chit-chat/intimate, or more details off-topic, but in the present framework come magnetize our attention, regardless of the seriousness of the scene.

For example: this scene or the father Weasley explains to Harry Sirius Black: during this time, the coffee in which they are found continues to live, and is full of details. The most visible of course, remains this GIF mythical of Sirius Black screaming, punctuating visually the tragic nature behind each piece of information !

A feature that is reflected in the pace of the film, which is intimate to the viewer to do several things at the same time !

The culmination of this logic is, of course, the insane final scene.

Difficult even, to know when it starts… is it the time Hermione used the turner of time ? Or when the team is getting ready to go see Hagrid ? It is still the case that no respite will not interrupt the course of the last hour (!!!), summoning of many elements of film that made the reputation of other great movies. Choice of:

Time travel/duplication/multiple visions of the same element; a twist absolutely insane and unpredictable (well, if one has not already read the book), and in the middle, a sequence of a fluidity foolproof. Everything is falling into place for this double climax !

BRIEF

You will have understood it, HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER Of AZKABAN is a film that is absolutely fascinating that not is intended not only to its target audience and would need largely to be re-evaluated !

If you’ve never seen (or reviewed with the eyes of an adult), I strongly advise you to throw you, in the same way as on the rest of the films by the brilliant Alfonso Cuaron, including The Son of man and Gravity.