Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Take 2. Arg. I had a whole long nice post written out...the longest yet, and somehow it disappeared...So I shall try again.
(when you read that last sentence to yourself, pronounce again as if it rhymes with rain...Sounds nice, doesn't it?)

Ok, so Friday night we went to see Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on IMAX. Now just let me say that I love this book...It is my favorite of the five, and so I knew I would be critical of it. That being said, I thought they did an excellent job of adapting this story to the screen!!!!

I am going to tell you about my opinion of the movie below. There are spoilers for the movie and the book, so be warned, particularly is you don't know the story at all!


******Spoiler Warning*******

Favorite Part:
The time turner sequence

Best effect:
The way they showed the Dementors effects, especially on Harry.

Well Done:
Michael Gambon taking over the role of Dumbledore after Richard Harris's incredible portrayal of the headmaster in the first two films. The transition was good, and Imust admit, that Gambon's portrayal seems more like how I imagined Dumbledore, a little more spritely, a little more energy.

Most cheesy:
While all of the actors are growing into their roles well, one area I believe needs a little work. Daniel did very will displaying many of the emotions required in this film, particularly anger.
However, there was one scene that was kind of off. Harry is sobbing under his invisibility cloak in Hogsmeade, and Hermione goes to comfort him. As she pulls the cloak of, his facial expression is far different from the sobs we heard moments before.

Part that was most like how I pictured it:
The scene with Harry and Sirius down by the lake, surrounded by Dementors, and the figure across the lake who uses the PATRONUS curse to save them...as well as the corresponding time-turner sequence.

Part that was least how I pictured it:
The physical space between Hagrid's hut and the castle...I didn't picture it quite so steep and rocky...I pictured it more as a gentle sloping grassy field. I don't remember such a striking difference from my imagination in the other two films, so I need to rewatch them to see if they show the route to Hagrid's hut in the other films.

Somewhat disappointing:
They don't show the letter Harry's godfather writes giving Harry permission to go to hogsmeade...the first caring, parental thing ever done to Harry in his conscious life (of course, as we know from reading Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore does many parental acts for Harry...But he doesn't know about them yet...)
this isn't a major complaint because I feel like they did a decent job of showing his new role in HArry's life by rearranging some other sequences. But the letter part was so moving to me in the book that I wish they would have included it...Of course, they still can in Goblet of Fire briefly...For example, "I can go to Hogsmeade...my godfather signed the form."

VERY DISAPPOINTING:
They don't explain who Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are. They show there name on the marauders map, but they don't explain who they were. Nor do they explain why Sirius and Peter were Animagi in the first place. I think this really should have been added...It would have fit in well in the sequence where Harry says goodbye to Lupin, and added only a few moments, I think key, to the movie. Oh well.

However, I hear they did hint that Harry figured it out...Although I didn't see this part (a, shall we say, medical situation caused me to have to leave the theater immediately after the film, thus being unable to watch the credits). The credits are shown on the marauders Map, and when that part of the credits is over, the map is tapped, "mischief managed" and you hear Harry whisper "Prongs"

Gee, I guess I'll have to go back and see it again to find out...

Anywho, I guess that's it for now. I hope that I am not missing anything.

In the meantime, here is a cool website to check out:
The Harry Potter Lexicon


http://www.hp-lexicon.org/index-2.html