Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

The Magic is Gone, 25 February 2005

Although I'm not in the target audience, I've read all of the Harry Potter books. I watched and enjoyed both of the first two Harry Potter movies. I have been waiting quit a while to finally get the chance to see Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I don't know when I've been more disappointed with a movie.

From the very start, the movie feels rushed. It's amazing that the longest of the Harry Potter books was turned into the shortest of the Harry Potter movies. There's just so much that's left out. Take Harry's crush on an older student, Cho Chang. This relationship is so important to the next book and she is not even mentioned in this installment. I realize that to include everything in the book would have meant a 6 hour movie, but to leave out plot points like this is unforgivable.

Unless your a fan of the books or have seen the first two movies, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban must be a very difficult movie to follow. I mean I've read the book twice and still had trouble keeping up with what was going on. Take the line spoken by one of Harry's teachers with no explanation, "Five points from Gryffindor!" I can just imagine someone asking themselves "Five Points? What Five Points?" or "Gryffindor? What the hell is a Gryffindor?"

I realize that my biggest complaint about the movie is something that is difficult to put into words, but (and excuse the pun) the magic is gone. I sat in wonderment of the magic power the first two movies had. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban didn't come close to giving me that same feeling. For the most part, it just left me cold.

6/10