Harry Potter And The Prizoner Of Azkaban

[A World Apart]

I saw this tonight. I must say I really enjoyed how well Alfonso put it together. I'm really hoping a fourth movie can be pulled off, they'll probably have to cut out a lot, i hope not though. Even if they made it 3 hours long i'd still be there to watch it, and i'm sure most people who love the series wouldn't mind, it'd be like LOTR. I actually wish this one would have been longer too.

[Tictacbk]

I think the 4th one will be somewhat disappointing, becuz they will be trying so hard to pull off a PG rating and keep it child oriented, when in actuality its an even darker story than the 3rd.

[grand theft sparrow]

Saw this in IMAX last night. Remarkable.  Cuaron nailed the vibe of the books (and those irises... oh, those beautiful irises).  For the first time, the wizard world felt real.  The set design felt more organic; nothing begs for attention anymore which I think suits the stories.  For instance, the scene when Ron's father is talking to Harry in the pub and the Sirius Black WANTED posters are synched up with each other... it was so simple but perfect.  Finally, Harry knows enough about the wizard world (and so do we) that he doesn't need blatant exposition (and neither do we).

Aside from that, the actors looked more comfortable in this world; the characters actually seem like they live there instead of being along for the ride like us.

And Daniel Radcliffe has finally become Harry.  He was just some kid who looked like Harry Potter and he never quite sold it for me until this one.

Let's hope that, with the Harry Potter film bar being raised now, Mike Newell keeps it going.  I, for one, am not very enthusiastic about him directing Goblet of Fire.  I don't think that he'll turn it into a kiddie minstrel show like Chris Columbus did (maybe that's a bit harsh, I enjoyed the first two), but I'm not very reassured that he'll pick up where Cuaron left off either.  But if Cuaron doesn't come back for Order of the Phoenix, it's time to give Gilliam a call.

[Sleepless]

I thought this movie was awesome. After the averageness of the first two films, this one really got me enthusiastic about HP again. And that's dispite the jarring pace about half-way through the film when they suddenly expose the twist.

When I was watching it I just thought it was beautiful - Cuaron has taken what is - arguably - the biggest film franchise in the world at the moment and has made it into an art film! One example - that long time in the pub where Ron's Dad talks to him. I just thought it was brilliant. He was even trying to out-do Hudsucker with all those circle imagery. And do all the flying objects have any significance, because he seemed to be overdoing that after a while - everytime someone stepped outside a bird seemed to fly right through the frame.

Finally, I think the new-look Hogwarts is far better than CC achieved. I'm not just talking about the courtyard and that wooden bridge, but the sloping hills, the giant rocks, the view... This will be a hard one to beat. And I don't think 4 will do it.

[Chest Rockwell]

Be optimistic guys.

[RegularKarate]

This was definitely the best of the three films... I'm glad that CC was off this one, but they SERIOUSLY need to get a new screenwriter.  Perhaps one who understands what makes the books good.

I don't get it... they're always trying to leave in shit we don't need and take out shit that matters.

I think Cuaron did an excellent job with this, but if they had given film one to Gilliam, the series itself might have gone in a better direction.

Book 4 is my favorite of the whole series, I hope they pull it off right.  Obviously, they'll have to cut a lot out of it.  Hopefully Kloves will have the sense to focus on less side plots instead of try to briefly cover every single one without getting involved enough to care.

[xerxes]

i agree with you there RK, kloves really needs to go

[SiliasRuby]

The first two were really conventional but I was really impressed by the visual flair of the third. I only hope the fourth is going to be up to par.

[LostEraser]

Hopefully Kloves will have the sense to focus on less side plots instead of try to briefly cover every single one without getting involved enough to care.

Exactly! That totally sums up what's wrong with the movies. They don't understand how movies are different than books. So the first two movies just seemed like watered down versions of the books. Instead of changing certain things to suit it better visually and leaving some stuff out and going deeper into the stuff they do include. I'm finally seeing the third one tonight. I've been looking forward to it for a while and i'm sure it will be a major improvement. Alfonso Cauron seems to be more passionate about the material than Columbus. But, yes, I still think they need to get rid of Kloves. I'll let you all know what you think later on.

[Chest Rockwell]

Can they really just get rid of Kloves? I thought he was one of the founding members of the Harry Potter Movies Club. One of the things I noticed with the third one was that it seemed to really take a little more liberty with the material (a fact a lot of people seem angry with, accusing the movie of rushing the plot, etc.). I don't know if suddenly Kloves is trying to make them more films than Librovies (Liber + Movies...get it?...ok....), or if it had something to do with Alfy or Rowling.

Oh, and I thought I read somewhere that Rowling keeps a tigh chain around Kloves' writing (for purposes of making sure he puts in things necessary to the complete story and not adding in things we shouldn't yet know). So fire her.

[xerxes]

Can they really just get rid of Kloves? I thought he was one of the founding members of the Harry Potter Movies Club.

$10,000 in an off-shore bank account and i can make it happen

[picolas]

too bad you can't avoid the crapiness of the script and kid actors.

eg. "--DEAD. YES I KNOW." etc.

i give it not good out of good.

[Chest Rockwell]

Who asked you, anyway?

[LostEraser]

Well, yea the script was almost as bas as usual and I thought the acting was even worse than the first two films. But I forgive all that because I thought the direction was brilliant.  Alfonso Cauron did some made some of the most creative camera angles I've seen all year. And I liked the look and the production design a lot more than the first two as well. More darkr and gothic looking.  I'll probably see it again pretty soon just because I had so much fun the first time.

[picolas]

the acting was even worse than the first two films. But I forgive all that because I thought the direction was brilliant.

ahhhhhh.