SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES.

As Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) begins his third year at Hogwarts, authorities are looking for a convict who could be hiding somewhere near the school.

The third entry in the series introduces a visually creative director, and it shows; this one has become a favorite for many fans. There’s a certain edge but the formula is getting a bit repetitious by now and there’s not much tension. Emma Watson should grab everyone’s attention this time round; her Hermione has turned into more of a leading character than Harry himself.

Gary Oldman’s entrance as the prisoner of Azkaban becomes somewhat of an anticlimax. 

2004-U.S. 142 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Screenplay: Steve Kloves. Novel: J.K. Rowling. Music: John Williams. Cast: Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, David Thewlis, Emma Thompson, Julie Christie, Julie Walters, Timothy Spall, Tom Felton, Warwick Davis. 

Trivia: Co-produced by Chris Columbus. Guillermo del Toro, M. Night Shyamalan and Kenneth Branagh were considered for directing duties. Gambon replaced the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore; Ian McKellen, Peter O’Toole and Christopher Lee were considered for the part. Dawn French can be seen as the Fat Lady in a painting. Followed by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005).