Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban: It Stuck Out Like a Sore Thumb

I, like many around me, love a good movie, especially when the movie is based off a book that has captured the hearts and minds of millions of people. However, when it comes to movies like the Harry Potter series, I am often rather critical of the movies. Something wasn’t quite right here, or something was completely wrong there. You could say that I am picky, but there is a reason, especially with the third movie, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I feel like it sticks out as a film, and it could blend in better if they had made some changes in the actor inconsistencies with the characters, the plot and character growth, and the tone.

“Consistent: constant, regular, steady.” The reason I put for those synonyms is because the actors don’t follow the meaning of consistent. In every movie, each character who is a student wears a uniform, which helps us to see that they are a student at a boarding school with a uniform. As long as they are on school grounds, they are supposed to wear a button down shirt, slacks for the boys (skirts for the girls), and a robe. Their hair also makes a statement about the character. For example, in the first two movies, Hermione was stricter, which is how she should have been. But suddenly, in the third movie, when she was supposed to be more ragged and frazzled, and appear to be more isolated because of her studies, suddenly appears to be more about how she looks. Instead of studying, she’s hanging out with Ron and Harry, and seems far less concerned about the uniform that shows that she goes to a boarding school.

For Emma, I believe she is the one that needs the most change to get into character, her costume, but also to get into character. Some actors will do everything it takes to get into character, from research, to spending time in the habitat of the role. Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor have even gone as far as to go to a gay bar, and sat in prison, just to help them get into character. I feel that if Emma had done this to get herself prepared for the role, then she would have been more convincing as Hermione. That, and if she hadn't tried to be all fashionable, then she could have done so much better.

As a contrast, there couldn't be anyone more in character than the marauders and Severus Snape. They are the cream of the crop when it comes to acting. However, the only two out of the three looked like they were the right age for the role. Sirius looked like he was the right age because he had a haunted look about him, the look he was supposed to have, which made him look older than he should have. Snape looked the right age, because let’s face it, Alan Rickman is an acting god, and with the black hair, I feel he pulled the look off well. The only one who looks like he is too old to play their role and that is David Thewlis as Remus Lupin. He has the costume down, and the acting skills, so with the makeup, and the special effects, they could have made him look slightly younger than he appeared. He only should have appeared a few years older than he was, so if the people in charge of the special effects could have made a tree move around, they could have found a way to make him appear slightly younger.

With getting into character, it’s not entirely their faults, but also the faults of the people who wrote the script. It was too rushed, leaving out any room for change into a person who would have been able to understand what happened in the shrieking shack. However, the script for the shrieking shack, as well as everything afterwards, was amazing, except for a few parts. The reason being Alfonso Cuàron told the cast to just duke it out: that was genius. If he had just had them do that in any scene that needed to show true anger, sadness, or happiness, then it may have shown more depth and emotional growth that we needed to see from all the characters that we see from the books.

However, the script might have been rushed because the plot seemed rushed. Scenes were cut here and there, especially important scenes that show something that was really important in the book, such as when they cut out Harry’s birthday. That birthday was the first time he received a meaningful a present on his birthday since his parents died. The fact that Harry was deprived of that life becomes more important in this book, as he could have had a life like that with Sirius, but he didn’t. Ron didn’t get a chance to show us his other side: the side of him when he gets the attention he feels he finally deserves, after being overshadowed his entire life (one of his best friends is the savior of the wizarding world; his other best friend is the smartest in their year; his brothers Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, and George were Head Boy, Quidditch Captain, second Head Boy, and the pranksters respectively; and his sister was the first Weasley girl born in generations). He was almost stabbed, something else that comes to be very important in the plot of the book, and something else they cut out of the movie. And the third book is where Harry hears more about the deaths of his parents, which is important, as he has been learning his whole life, and wanting to hear his parents’ voices his whole life. If they had added this to the movie, this would have added more to the script, which would have helped with the emotional growth and depth of the characters.

However, there were things that needed to be cut from the movie, as they made the tone too dark at times, or they tried to make it seem funny at times when it wasn’t funny or appropriate at all. The tone should have started off a lot lighter, but with the Jamaican shrunken heads, and the monster screaming at the cleaning lady, added a darker, more twisted tone than there should have been, especially since they weren’t even appropriate for Harry Potter at all. If there were a section where they were in Knockturn Alley, then maybe the shrunken heads would have been better, but they don’t go near there. The blowing up of Aunt Marge was funny, but done to a point where they…over did it. It seemed too light. Yes, the movie should have been lighter, but without the shrunken heads and the monster, they could have made the blowing up of Aunt Marge the length it should have been, and it would have flowed better.

Another thing that made the tone seem darker was the background music. If it got too fast, it made the tone seem either too dark, or too fast. The song, “Something Wicked This Way Comes” wasn’t placed in the right movie. If it should have been placed in any movie, it should have been the fourth late, but not the third movie. However, with that melody of the song slowed down in the background, it would have helped with the tone.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was good, but it stuck out too much, which made it seem worse than how it really was. If those changes were made, the movie could have had more flow, and would have been more appropriate. The actors would be more into their character, the script and plot wouldn’t be so rushed, important scenes would have been there, and it would have had better flow. At least, I hope it would. J

The Reason I Chose This Topic

The third book was my favorite of the series because whenever I read it, it reminds me of how things were for me when I was his age. Life seemed more simple back then, and it didn’t seem like I had overcome as much as he had (but let’s face it, at his age, no one else has overcome as much as he has). It reminds me of what I myself have overcome in my life since that book came out, because I have overcome things that I would never have thought possible. It was a metaphor, showing that as you grow up, you show who you are not just by what you say, but by what you do as well. And last it shows us that our past, and the past of our parents, is important, and should be carried on.

This movie turned everything that I felt into something that I completely disliked, and was utterly disgusted with. It reminds me of a time when I was a bitter teen, but instead of growing out of it, I feel like I am still that bitter teen every time I think about it or watch it. Because the characters don’t grow, I feel that I haven’t grown since I first saw it. Because his parents aren’t mentioned or shown as much, it seems that a person’s history, as well as the history of their family isn’t as important. And it makes me feel like I have overcome very little because of the feeling that I haven’t grown as much since first seeing it.