One of Voldemort's devout followers escapes from Azkaban
and goes after Harry Potter during his third year at Hogwarts.

FAMILY/FANTASY

Harry Potter and the
​Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón

Written by Steve Kloves

Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson,
​Michael Gambon, Gary Oldman, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman,
David Thewlis, Tom Felton, Robbie Coltrane, Timothy Spall,
Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, Pam Ferris, Matthew Lewis

Sequel to 2002's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Based on the novel by J.K. Rowling

Oscar Nominations - Best Visual Effects,
​​Best Original Score (John Williams)

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Connor Eyzaguirre

August 24, 2015

9/10

The franchise took the darkest turn yet with this third installment that is considered the best of the series by most fans. What I think is cool about this one is it works as a stand-alone. This film has a really neat story that is almost completely separate from the first two, apart from the characters.

I think it's this quality that makes this one so great. Michael Gambon's portrayal of Dumbledore is great on its own and doesn't take away from Richard Harris, who passed away in 2002. Gary Oldman and David Thewlis blend in to the main cast and play their respective characters perfectly. It's easy to see why most fans love this one the most.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is also the only film in the franchise not to feature Lord Voldemort in some capacity, which I think serves the film quite well. Instead, this film shines a light on those who follow the Dark Lord, who in some ways are even more demented than he is. With the many revelations this film makes about the characters' true motives, as well as its remarkable use of time travel, it's no mystery why this installment is one of the most well-received.

Caleb Leger

9/10

This was the one that took a noticeably darker turn and made the series more mature. This one also stands as one of my more favorites in the franchise. The storyline was very good and it was great to see some of Harry's backstory get explored more. This exploration of backstory means a new character was introduced, and that character was played phenomenally by Gary Oldman. Oldman plays Sirius Black and he proves to be a great addition to the cast, perfectly bringing the character to life.

Another great addition to the cast is Michael Gambon as Dumbledore, previously portrayed by Richard Harris before his unfortunate passing. Gambon does a great job as Dumbledore, making the character great on his own while honoring what Harris did before. The decision for a darker route was great as this still stands as one of mine, and fans', favorites.