I"ve just returned from London, where Daniel Radcliffe created a stir by speculating that his famous character, Harry Potter, might have to die at the end of the series. Certainly that seems lượt thích more of a possibility in "Harry Potter và the Prisoner of Azkaban," the third Potter film, than it did in the first two. It"s not that Harry, Ron & Hermione are faced with any really gruesome dangers (there"s nothing here on the order of the spider that wrapped up Frodo for his dinner in the "Ring" trilogy), but that Harry"s world has grown a little darker và more menacing.
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The film centers on the escape of the sinister Sirius black (Gary Oldman) from Azkaban Prison; Sirius was convicted in Voldemort"s plot to lớn murder Harry"s parents, and now it"s suspected he must finish the job by killing Harry. As Harry returns for his third year at Hogwarts, grim wraiths named Dementors are stationed at every entrance to the school khổng lồ ward off Sirius, but the Dementors are hardly reassuring, with their trick of sucking away the soul essence of their victims.
Harry, too, has developed an edge. We first met him as the poor adopted relative of a suburban family that mistreated him mercilessly; this time, Harry is no longer the long-suffering victim but zaps an unpleasant dinner guest with a magical revenge that would be truly cruel if it were not, well, truly funny. Harry is no longer someone you can mess with.
Harry & his friends Ron & Hermione (Rupert Grint & Emma Watson) return lớn a Hogwarts that boasts, as it does every school year, peculiar new faculty members (this school policy promises years of employment for British character actors). New this year are Professor Lupin (David Thewlis), who tutors Harry in a tricky incantation said to provide protection against the dark magic of Sirius, & Professor Sybil Trelawney (Emma Thompson), whose tea readings don"t pull punches-- not when she gazes into the bottom of Harry"s cup & sees death in the leaves.
To distract Harry from his presumed fate, his friend the gamekeeper Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) introduces the three friends khổng lồ a wondrous new beast named Buckbeak, which is a hippogriff, half bird, half horse, wholly misunderstood. When a werewolf begins lớn prowl the grounds, a battle between the two creatures is inevitable. Who could the werewolf be by day? Does no one at Hogwarts find the Latin root of lupus suggestive?
Among the movie"s many special effects, I especially admired the gnarled tree that figures in the third act. The tree is introduced with a wink to lớn the viewer who knows it is CGI: It shakes melting snow from its branches, and some of the snow seems to lớn plop on the camera lens. Beneath this tree is a warren that shelters unimaginable terrors for Ron, when he is dragged into it as part of a longer climactic sequence that plays tricks with time. First the three heroes witness one version of events, & then, after reversing the flow of time, they try to lớn alter them. The ingenuity of the time-tricks worked for me but may puzzle some of the film"s youngest viewers.
Chris Columbus, who made the first two Potter films, remains as producer but replaces himself as director with Alfonso Cuaron, director of the wonderful "A Little Princess" (1975) & the brilliant "Y Tu Mama Tambien." Cuaron continues the process, already under way in "Harry Potter và the Chamber of Secrets," of darkening the palette. The world of the first film, with its postal owls và Quiddich matches, seems innocent now, & although there is indeed a Quiddich match in this film, it"s played in a storm that seems lớn have blown in from "The Day after Tomorrow." I like what Cuaron does with the look of the picture, but found the plotting a little murky; just when we should be focusing on exactly who Sirius black is & why he killed Harry"s parents, there is the sudden appearance of a more interesting if less important character, Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall), a real rat who undergoes a change of purpose.
The actors playing Harry, Ron và Hermione have outgrown their childhoods in this movie, và by the next film will have to lớn be dealt with as teenagers, or replaced by younger actors. If they continue to lớn grow up, I"m afraid the series may begin khổng lồ tilt toward less whimsical forms of special effects violence, but on the other hand I lượt thích Radcliffe, Grint and Watson, và especially the way Watson"s Hermione has of shouldering herself into the center of scenes and taking charge. Although the series is named for Harry, he"s often an onlooker, & it"s Hermione who delivers a long-delayed uppercut to lớn the jaw of Draco Malfoy.
Unlike American movies such as "Spy Kids," where the young actors dominate most of their scenes, the Harry Potter movies weave the three heroes into a rich tapestry of character performances. Here I savored David Thewlis as a teacher too clever by half, Emma Thompson as the embodiment of daffy enthusiasm, Alan Rickman as the meticulously snippy Snape, Robbie Coltrane as the increasingly lovable Hagrid, and Michael Gambon, stepping into the robes và beard of the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore.
Is "Harry Potter và the Prisoner of Azkaban" as good as the first two films? Not quite. It doesn"t have that sense of joyously leaping through a clockwork plot, and it needs khổng lồ explain more than it should. But the world of Harry Potter remains delightful, amusing and sophisticated; the challenge in the films ahead will be lớn protect its fragile innocence and not descend into the world of conventional teen thrillers.
Common Sense truyền thông media reviewers include writers, editors, and child development experts. They"re trained in creating high-quality parenting advice based on best practices in child development.
Parents Say: age 9+ 56 reviews
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Conquering fear is a huge theme. Friendship, love, bravery, và loyalty are always major themes in the series, as is the idea of making good choices. Compassion and empathy are extended to lớn characters who've been falsely maligned and misunderstood."> Positive Messages
Conquering fear is a huge theme. Friendship, love,
Harry & his friends demonstrate courage, perseverance, & teamwork, as well as compassion and empathy."> Positive Role Models
Harry and his friends demonstrate courage, perseve
An example of strong female character, Hermione plays an integral role in the rescue of innocent lives. As the cleverest among her peers, she figures out an important piece of information well before Harry and Ron. Behind the camera, Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón brings a noticeably darker stylistic take on the children's series. Unfortunately, the fat-phobic stereotypes present in the two previous installments are even more exaggerated here when Harry magically inflates Aunt Marge in a spiteful manner. The appearance of a Shrunken Head, who speaks in a Jamaican accent, could be perceived as Othering -- especially since no other đen characters have a significant role in this movie."> Diverse Representations
An example of strong female character, Hermione pl
Scary images for a PG-rated film. Children are in peril, often at the hands of magical creatures: Dementors (black-robed floating beings that suck the happiness out of people) attack Harry & others, making Harry hear the sound of his mother dying as he passes out; they almost administer "the kiss of death," extracting a character's soul through his mouth. A hippogriff (eagle-horse mix) is provoked và strikes a student; the same creature is executed by a hatchet (heard, not shown). A boggart in a class demonstration changes shape khổng lồ match what students are most afraid of (and kids learn khổng lồ fight their fears with laughter). A large dog breaks Ron's leg. Adult characters threaten to lớn kill another. A werewolf chases Harry và Hermione. Harry believes he is marked for death và stalked by a murderer most of the school year."> Violence và Scariness
Scary images for a PG-rated film. Children are in
While the candy mentioned wasn't originally real, it is now: Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Jelly Slugs, and more. And then there are the kích hoạt figures, Lego playsets, wands, Band-Aid bandages ... You name it."> Products và Purchases
While the candy mentioned wasn"t originally real,
Butterbeer is introduced (a magical-world drink with a pinch of alcohol) và the kids go lớn a pub in Hogsmeade."> Drinking, Drugs và Smoking
Butterbeer is introduced (a magical-world drink wi
Parents Need khổng lồ Know
Parents need to know that Harry Potter và the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third movie in the fantastic Harry Potter series (all based on the books by J.K. Rowling) is growing up with the Hogwarts crew. The themes are darker, the peril is more intense, and the images of some magical creatures are…
Conquering fear is a huge theme. Friendship, love, bravery, và loyalty are always major themes in the series, as is the idea of making good choices. Compassion và empathy are extended lớn characters who"ve been falsely maligned và misunderstood.
Positive Role Models
Harry and his friends demonstrate courage, perseverance, và teamwork, as well as compassion & empathy.
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Products và Purchases
While the candy mentioned wasn"t originally real, it is now: Bertie Bott"s Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Jelly Slugs, & more. Và then there are the kích hoạt figures, Lego playsets, wands, Band-Aid bandages ... You name it.