Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

I enjoyed Cuaron's comedic sense in this film, the funny bits came more naturally. I thought the middle section of the film dragged a bit, but overall, I felt it was a visually interesting film to watch with much more of an economy from scene to scene that builds upon what came before (instead of meandering a bit too much in the first 2 films of the HP franchise). Cuaron was able to impart his style while anchoring the film in a reality in which magic didn't seem all that out of place. I approved of the use of a more washed out color palette gave Harry's world a different look that didn't seem too cheery and bright, thus I enjoyed the cinematography of this film.

Radcliffe got a little shrill when he portrayed an angry Harry Potter, but overall, he's got a good handle on the character. The rest of the cast did a good job, though the script is a little light in meaningful character development at the expense of plot and revelations of Harry's past.

The special effects were pretty good in the integration department, I think the washed out look of the film help in that area. To me, Buckbeak inhabited the space in which he occupied on screen, so kudos to the effects crew for him.

Fans of the HP books will enjoy this 3rd installment, and it's going to do really well at the box office.

I give it 3.5 stars, or a grade of B+.

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