Full Synopsis
Thirteen year-old Harry Potter (DANIEL RADCLIFFE)
has reluctantly spent yet another summer
with the Dursleys, his dismal relatives, "behaving himself" and not practicing any
magic. That is, until Uncle Vernon's bullying
sister, Aunt Marge (PAM FERRIS), comes to
visit. Aunt Marge has always been particularly
horrible to Harry and this time pushes him
so far that he "accidentally" causes her
to inflate like a monstrous balloon and
drift away!
Fearing punishment from his Aunt and Uncle
(and repercussions from Hogwarts and the
Ministry of Magic, which strictly forbids
students from using magic in the non-magic
world), Harry escapes into the night.
He is promptly picked up by the Knight Bus,
a fantastic triple-decker purple vehicle
that whisks him off to the Leaky Cauldron
pub. Upon arrival, Harry is met by the Minister
of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, who inexplicably
doesn't punish the teenager for his errant
wizardry and instead insists that he spend
the night at the Leaky Cauldron before heading
back to Hogwarts for his third year of study.
It quickly transpires that a dangerous and
enigmatic wizard, Sirius Black (GARY OLDMAN),
has escaped Azkaban prison and is believed
to be searching for Harry. Legend has it
that Black was responsible for leading Lord
Voldemort to Harry's parents and ultimately
to their subsequent deaths; it is also believed
that he is determined to kill Harry too.
To make matters worse, Hogwarts is playing
host to the Dementors, the terrifying Azkaban
guards who are stationed at the school in
an attempt to protect the students from
Black. The Dementors suck the souls from
their victims and, unfortunately for Harry,
they seem to have more of an effect on him
than the rest of his classmates. Their ominous
presence chills the young wizard to the
bone, rendering him virtually helpless,
until Professor Lupin (DAVID THEWLIS), the
new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher,
trains Harry in how to use the Patronus
Charm to shield himself from the Dementors'
paralyzing effects.
Meanwhile, Harry's third year at Hogwarts
is filled with exciting new creatures like
Buckbeak, a magical half-horse, half-eagle
creature called a "Hippogriff"; eerie encounters
with Divination Professor Sibyll Trelawney
(EMMA THOMPSON) and the omen of death known
as the "Grim"; and breathtaking adventures,
including clandestine visits to the wizarding
village of Hogsmeade, deciphering secrets
hidden in the enchanted Marauder's Map,
and a terrifying trip to the Shrieking Shack
(the most haunted dwelling in Britain).
Along the way, Harry will try to make sense
of Hermione's (EMMA WATSON) puzzling appearances
and disappearances, with the help of Ron
(RUPERT GRINT) and the giant Hagrid (ROBBIE
COLTRANE), who has taken on a new position
at Hogwarts as the Care of Magical Creatures
teacher.
A confrontation between Harry and the menacing
Sirius Black seems inevitable.but what exactly
is Professor Lupin's relationship with Black?
What is the dark secret that Professor Snape
(ALAN RICKMAN) is so eager to reveal? And
just why is Ron's pet rat Scabbers so frantic
to escape his grasp?
Harry will need all of the courage, magic
and support he can muster to answer these
questions and uncover the truth behind Sirius
Black and his ties to the gifted young wizard's
mysterious past.
Reivews
By Carl Lazarevic (June 1st, 2004)
"A film based on a book will rarely be able to
compete with the source material but this remains
one of the better conversions."
By Blake Snyder (June 1st, 2004)
"In a summer of overwrought special effects films,
Harry Potter offers just the right balance for
children and grown-ups who've forgotten what being
a child is like."
By Christopher Monfette (June 2nd, 2004) "Overall,
Azkaban succeeds in being both suspenseful and
cheerful, dark yet wonderfully bright - a delightful
film - the best book in the series and, for the
moment, the best film in the lot."
By Brian Gallagher (June 9th, 2004)
"Potter looks older, Dumbledore looks younger...well,
he is younger, technically, and while this is
visually beautiful and a fairly entertaining movie,
it doesn't quite conjur the same magic as the
first two movies."
