I remember reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I began on an afternoon and read into the night. I couldn’t put it down so I read straight through until I finished at four or five in the morning. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban doesn’t have that intensity, intrigue, or involvement. It’s still fun to see though, whether you’ve read it or not.

Alfonso Cuarón’s take on Harry Potter is darker and more mature – as it should be. Using all the same sets and cast, Cuarón has affected change through a grittier film stock and darkened lighting: Cuarón is bringing Harry Potter into art film territory. Its general appeal and youth-centered drama remain just as constant, though.

In order to get the rather complex plot of Azkaban into a two hour story, a lot of things are either cut or compressed, and so Azkaban feels rather choppy at times. We move along quickly from one important event to another as we follow Harry (Daniel Radcliff), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) as they uncover the mysteries surrounding their new teacher Lupin and Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), a killer recently escaped from prison.

Though I wouldn’t have minded a longer movie, I think the filmmakers made the right choices in the adaptation. We get just enough so that we can figure out what’s going on as the story moves along, but we also get a sprinkling of the other fun stuff as well. We get a scene of quidditch, an introduction to the ferocious monster’s manual, a look at the marauder’s map, and even some lessons from the crazy divination teacher (Emma Thompson in a nearly unrecognizable role). There’s a lot there, we just get quick sample tastes of each item.

As Harry Potter does best, brief but lucid themes emerge throughout the story involving Harry’s ability to face his fears – both past and present – as well as coming to terms with his lost parents. Though it’s not as idealistic as it could be, Harry Potter presents a realistic portrayal of a young man dealing with real life problems in extraordinary ways. The Prisoner of Azkaban continues that tradition with flare and charm.

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