Thank god for Alfonso Cuarón, who has breathed new life into the Harry Potter franchise with “Azkaban.” My movie companions called it “too realistic,” and said the first two movies were better.
I couldn’t disagree more. Finally we saw on the screen a little of the real magic of Rowling’s stories. And I loved the “realism” of this one – it had an emotional heft that the cookie-cutter Chris Columbus movies sorely lacked. For me, these stories are about a kid growing up; the magic is just a vehicle, a way in. And Cuarón gets that.
The new tone, combined with sly production design (there’s always something interesting going on in the frame’s margins) and wonderful casting (I just wish Emma Thompson had more screen time) come together to make this the best Harry Potter yet. I want to highlight David Thewlis especially as Professor Lupin – his scenes with Harry are the movie’s best.
It’s not perfect; it’s still too long, and cramming everything in, even with Cuarón’s streamlining, means the pace can get a little choppy. But that’s the fault of trying to make each jam-packed book into one movie. Personally, I’m willing to sacrifice a few rabid fanboy details for some real magic.
Recommended.