harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban
Saw Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban for the second time the other night. Still a hot movie, apparently, the theater was almost as full as it had been opening weekend. Hunh. Anyway, presenting the highs and lows of the 3rd installment:
PROS:
1. A casting triumph once more with the always wonderful Emma Thompson as the addle-minded Divination teacher Sybil Trelawney, the earnest David Thewlis as the shaggy and understanding new DADA teacher Remus Lupin, the very talented Timothy Spall as the vermin-ish Peter Pettigrew, and the always intense Gary Oldman in a fabulously michievous turn as escaped prisoner Sirius Black. Thewlis hits all the right notes as a mentor for Harry and as the only DADA teacher the kids of Hogwarts ever respected. Thompson very nearly steals the movie with her goofy portrayal of Trelawney- I laughed so hard I cried when she asked after Neville's grandmother (..."Pity.") And Oldman played my long-time fav. Sirius just as he was meant to be portrayed. His confrontation with Alan Rickman's Snape is absolutely priceless ("Why don't you go off and play with your chemistry set?")
2. Cinematography. New at the helm, Alfonso Cuaron brings all the prettiness of his other movies (most notably his adaptation of Great Expectations ) into the HP franchise. Hogwarts never looked so good.
3. John Williams score. Everybody realizes the second movie was repetitious of the first, as far as music was concerned. Finally, Williams has treated us to something new- especially in the Double Trouble song adapted from Macbeth and used within the film's trailers.
4. V. V. cool credits. People at Visual FX, I salute you. The coolest credits I've seen all summer, hands down. The Marauders Map is simply beautiful and all the tiny touches (like making the footprints bigger when Robbie Coltrane's credit comes on screen) make it divine.
5. Hurrah for the supporting characters! Neville was given more of his proper due, showing that that young actor certainly has a gift for comedy. The Weasley family outdid themselves once more, especially the hijinks of Fred and George. Not to mention Percy's whining "Move out of the way, I'm Head Boy!" which unfortunately, almost gets overshadowed by the plight of the Fat Lady.
6. Alan Rickman's Snape. As ever, coolness itself to the point of sheer iciness. From his half-hearted clapping for Lupin at the grand feast, to his stalking the corridors at night, to the bravura performances upon taking over Lupin's class ("Page three-hundred and ninety...four") and his showdown with Sirius. As ever, the one to watch in every scene he's in.
CONS:
1. The Marauder's Map went without explanation. Now I realize this production, more so than the previous two, relied on the fact that the audience had read the books prior to going in. But that's no excuse. Lupin blatantly shows Harry that he knows how to work the map, and Harry lets him walk out of the room. No explanation whatsoever. No demystification of who exactly Moony, Prongs, Padfoot and Wormtail were. Grrr.
2. Michael Gambon is no Richard Harris. We can't raise him up from the grave, but Gambon certainly is a poor substitute. Where was the michievious twinkle in the eye, the good-natured wisdom for the youngsters, the flippant references to candy? Gone.
3. Robert Hardy's Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. This is a man with ambition for power, who already wields considerable clout like a blunt instrument in the magic community. This is not a nice guy who just speaks in hyperboles. Hopefully, he'll either radically change in Book Four, or they'll get someone else.
All in all, though, a fantastic movie and a credit to the series. Remaining hopeful for Goblet of Fire...
PROS:
1. A casting triumph once more with the always wonderful Emma Thompson as the addle-minded Divination teacher Sybil Trelawney, the earnest David Thewlis as the shaggy and understanding new DADA teacher Remus Lupin, the very talented Timothy Spall as the vermin-ish Peter Pettigrew, and the always intense Gary Oldman in a fabulously michievous turn as escaped prisoner Sirius Black. Thewlis hits all the right notes as a mentor for Harry and as the only DADA teacher the kids of Hogwarts ever respected. Thompson very nearly steals the movie with her goofy portrayal of Trelawney- I laughed so hard I cried when she asked after Neville's grandmother (..."Pity.") And Oldman played my long-time fav. Sirius just as he was meant to be portrayed. His confrontation with Alan Rickman's Snape is absolutely priceless ("Why don't you go off and play with your chemistry set?")
2. Cinematography. New at the helm, Alfonso Cuaron brings all the prettiness of his other movies (most notably his adaptation of Great Expectations ) into the HP franchise. Hogwarts never looked so good.
3. John Williams score. Everybody realizes the second movie was repetitious of the first, as far as music was concerned. Finally, Williams has treated us to something new- especially in the Double Trouble song adapted from Macbeth and used within the film's trailers.
4. V. V. cool credits. People at Visual FX, I salute you. The coolest credits I've seen all summer, hands down. The Marauders Map is simply beautiful and all the tiny touches (like making the footprints bigger when Robbie Coltrane's credit comes on screen) make it divine.
5. Hurrah for the supporting characters! Neville was given more of his proper due, showing that that young actor certainly has a gift for comedy. The Weasley family outdid themselves once more, especially the hijinks of Fred and George. Not to mention Percy's whining "Move out of the way, I'm Head Boy!" which unfortunately, almost gets overshadowed by the plight of the Fat Lady.
6. Alan Rickman's Snape. As ever, coolness itself to the point of sheer iciness. From his half-hearted clapping for Lupin at the grand feast, to his stalking the corridors at night, to the bravura performances upon taking over Lupin's class ("Page three-hundred and ninety...four") and his showdown with Sirius. As ever, the one to watch in every scene he's in.
CONS:
1. The Marauder's Map went without explanation. Now I realize this production, more so than the previous two, relied on the fact that the audience had read the books prior to going in. But that's no excuse. Lupin blatantly shows Harry that he knows how to work the map, and Harry lets him walk out of the room. No explanation whatsoever. No demystification of who exactly Moony, Prongs, Padfoot and Wormtail were. Grrr.
2. Michael Gambon is no Richard Harris. We can't raise him up from the grave, but Gambon certainly is a poor substitute. Where was the michievious twinkle in the eye, the good-natured wisdom for the youngsters, the flippant references to candy? Gone.
3. Robert Hardy's Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. This is a man with ambition for power, who already wields considerable clout like a blunt instrument in the magic community. This is not a nice guy who just speaks in hyperboles. Hopefully, he'll either radically change in Book Four, or they'll get someone else.
All in all, though, a fantastic movie and a credit to the series. Remaining hopeful for Goblet of Fire...
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