Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Review

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban


Release Date: 3rd June 2004 - Australia (limited)


Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures

1492 Pictures

Heyday Films

P of A Productions

Distribution

Roadshow Films


Genre: Fantasy/Family

Rating: PG

Runtime: 142 minutes


Budget: $130,000,000

Box Office Gross: $808,485,294 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
Now in their teens, Harry, Ron and Hermione return to Hogwarts in their third year and must come to terms with the news that an escaped convict, Sirius Black, is now on the loose from the prison of Azkaban and is out to kill the one person which is Harry himself. And to make matters worse, the soul-sucking creatures called Dementors have been sent to guard the school in an attempt to capture Black and can inexplicably happen to have the most horrible effect on him.

Could this murderer really hold the connection to Harry's past, and will Harry and his friends overcome these perils and discover the truth about Sirius and what happened 12 years ago?


Cast

Daniel Radcliffe - Harry Potter

Emma Watson - Hermione
Granger

Rupert Grint - Ron Weasley

Robbie Coltrane - Ruebus
Hagrid
Gary Oldman - Sirius Black

Michael Gambon - Albus
Dumbledore

Maggie Smith - Minerva
McGonnagall

Alan Rickman - Severus Snape
David Thewlis - Professor Lupin
Tom Felton - Draco Malfoy

Richard Griffiths - Vernon Dursley

Fiona Shaw - Petunia Dursley

Harry Melling - Dudley Dursley
Pam Ferris - Aunt Marge
Warwick Davis - Wizard

David Bradley - Argus Filch

Emma Thompson - Professor
Sybil Trelawney

Devon Murray - Seamus
Finnigan

Jamie Waylett - Vincent Crabbe

Joshua Herdman - Gregory

Goyle

Mark Williams - Arthur Weasley

Julie Walters - Molly Weasley

Bonnie Wright - Ginny Weasley

James & Oliver Phelps - Fred and George Weasley

Chris Rankin - Percy Weasley
Lenny Henry - Shrunken Head
Jimmy Gardner - Ernie the Bus Driver
Lee Ingleby - Stan Shunpike
Jim Tavare - Tom the Innkeeper

Robert Hardy - Cornelius Fudge

Timothy Spall - Peter

Pettigrew

Julie Christie - Madame Rosmerta

Sitara Shah - Parvati Patel

Genevieve Guant - Pansy

Parkinson

Jennifer Smith - Lavender Brown

Dawn French - Fat Lady in

Painting

Alfred Enoch - Dean Thomas

Danielle Tabor - Angelina Johnson

Peter Best - The Executioner

Adrian Rawlins - James Potter

Geraldine Somerville - Lily Potter

Crew
Director - Alfonso Cuarón

Based on the Book "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" - J. K. Rowling

Screenplay - Steve Kloves

Associate Producer/First Assistant Director - Chris Carreras
Executive Producers - Michael Barnathan, Callum McDougall and Tanya Seghatchian

Producers - Chris Columbus, David Heyman, Mark Radcliffe and Lorne Orleans (IMAX Version)

Casting Director - Jina Jay

Animal Supervisor - Gary Gero

Head Animal Trainers - Julie Tottman and

Dave Sousa

Animal Trainers - Susan Humphrey,

Antony Bloom and James P. Warren

Production Designer - Stuart Craig

Conceptual Artists - Adam Brockbank,

Dave McKean, Dermot Power, Rob Bliss,

Andrej & Olga Dugin, Andrew Williamson

and Wayne D. Barlowe

Supervising Art Director - Neil Lamont

Senior Art Director - Andrew Ackland-Snow

Art Directors - Alan Gilmore,

Steven Lawrence, Gary Tomkins and

Alexandra Walker

Assistant Art Directors - Mark Bartholomew,

Alastair Bullock, Peter Dorme, Frederic Evard,

Dominic Masters, Martin Foley and Stephen Swain

Head Scenic Artists - Steven Sallybanks

and Marcus Williams

Construction Manager - Paul J. Hayes

Construction Coordinators - Amanda Pettett

and Nicola Short

Supervising Modellers - Pierre Bohanna

and Mark Woollard
Set Decorator - Stephenie McMillan

Assistant Set Decorator - Lee Sandales

Property Master - Barry Wilkinson

Assistant Property Masters - Ethan J. Platt and

Jamie Wilkinson
Costume Designer - Jany Temime

Assistant Costume Designers -

Françoise Fourcade, Vivienne Jones and

Guy Speranza

Costume Supervisor - David Crossman

Creature & Makeup Effects Designer -

Nick Dudman

Makeup Designer - Amanda Knight

Chief Hairdresser & Designer - Eithnee Fennel
Director of Photography - Michael Seresin

Additional Photographers - David Morgan

and Mike Brewster

Director of Photography: Second Unit -

Peter Hannan

Unit Production Manager - Tim Lewis

First Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Jamie Christopher

Second Assistant Directors - Fiona Richards

and Michael Stevenson

Second Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Simon Emanuel

Third Assistant Directors - William Dodds,

Tom Brewster, Philippa Hunt and

Al Morris

Third Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Lyndsay Bullock

Location Managers - Nick Daubeny,

Robin Higgs, Jonathan Hook, Janet Riddoch

and Mark Somner

Second Unit Director - Peter MacDonald

Stunt Coordinator - Greg Powell

Aerial Coordinator/Pilot - Marc Wolff

Diving Coordinator - Dave Shaw
Special Effects Supervisors - John Richardson

and Steve Hamilton

Special Effects Coordinator - Stephanie Leavitt

Special Effects Floor Supervisors - Ian Lowe

and Dominic Tuohy

Supervising Animatronic Model Designers -

Chris Barton and Gary Pollard

Key Animatronic Model Designers -

Val Jones-Mendoza, Mark Coulier,

Paul Spateri, Tracy Kneale and Guy Stevens
Visual Effects Supervisors - Tim Burke

and Roger Guyett

Visual Effects Supervisor: Framestore CFC -

Karl Mooney

Visual Effects Supervisors: Double Negative -

Charlie Noble, Mark Michaels and

Richard Clarke

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Bill George
Visual Effects Supervisor: Cinesite -

Simon Stanley-Clamp

Additional Visual Effects Supervisor - Mark Casey

Visual Effects Producers - Theresa Corrao

and Emma Norton

Visual Effects Producer: ILM - Sandra Scott

Animation Supervisors: MPC - Jason McDonald,

Rob Hemmings and Jeremy Lazare

Animation Supervisor: Framestore CFC -

Mike Eames

Visual Effects Animation Supervisor: ILM -

David Andrews

Lead Animators: ILM - Steve Rawlings and

Paul Kavanagh

CG Supervisors: ILM - Euan K. MacDonald,

Michael DiComo and Kevin Sprout

CG Supervisors: MPC - Simon Clutterbuck

and Peter Muyzers

CG Supervisor: Framestore CFC - David Lomax

CG Sequence Supervisors: ILM - Tom Fejes,

Bruce Powell and Anthony Shafer

CG Effects Supervisor: Framestore CFC -

Rob Allman

Model Unit Supervisor: Cinesite - José Granell

Motion Control Supervisor - Chris Shaw

Compositing Supervisor: ILM - Dorne Huebler

Compositing Supervisors: Framestore CFC -

Areito Echevarria and Adrian De Wet

Compositing Supervisors: MPC - Charley Henley,

Niki Wakefield and Ian Fellows

Compositing Sequence Supervisors: ILM - 

Stella Bogh, Patrick Brennan, Mark Casey,

Jay Cooper and Dean Yurke

Lighting Supervisor: Framestore CFC -

Andy Kind

Editor - Steven Weisberg

Additional Editor - JC Bond

Associate Editors - William Kruzykowski and

Alex Rodríguez

Sound Designer/Co-Supervising Sound Editor -

Richard Beggs

Co-Supervising Sound Editor - David Evans

Sound Effects Editors - Andy Kennedy,

Bjorn Ole Schroeder and Sam Southwick

Production Sound Mixer - John Midgley

Re-Recording Mixers - Matthew Gough,

Mike Prestwood Smith and Michael Semanick

Foley Artists - Andi Derrick and Peter Burgis

Music - John Williams

Music Editors - Peter Myles and

Kenneth Wannberg

Music Scoring Mixer - Shawn Murphy


Awards

2005 Academy Awards

Best Original Score - John Williams (Nominated)

Best Visual Effects - Tim Burke, Roger Guyett,

Bill George and John Richardson (Nominated)


Review
While I had only reviewed the first and last two of the series, I figured it was time to review the films I missed, starting with THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN and ending with The Half-Blood Prince. That is until I go and see the new Fantastic Beasts movie in theatres. The series' third instalment began to take a darker turn and develop its magic, as in The Chamber of Secrets, when it showed maturity. Alfonso Cuarón was a newcomer to the movie franchise and a brilliant director. He took over the reins from Chris Columbus when the former wanted to spend time with his family. Cuarón sought to accomplish what was missing in the previous two films.

THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN has set a standard for all Harry Potter films in its world-building, visuals and firm grip on emotional and profound storytelling. And to this date, it remains the second-best instalment behind Deathly Hallows: Part II was magical and instantly timeless.

One thing that stood out in this movie is Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson's improved acting. It marked the introduction of Michael Gambon as Dumbledore to continue the role from the late Richard Harris. It featured some actors like Gary Oldman, Emma Thompson and David Thewlis, whose characters like Sirius, Trelawney and Remus would go on and return in the following movies. It is John Williams' last film in the series for which he provided the background music, and he did not compose more of the later instalments after AZKABAN.

It's so fortunate to see the feature again after a long wait, and still, it is for viewers who have read the books or even watched the whole film series. EXPECTO PATRONUM!

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

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