Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)

Growing up means discovering that the world is more complicated than it seemed, and that even your fiercest enemies may not be who you think. Alfonso Cuarón's "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," adapted by Steve Kloves from what many consider the best of J.K. Rowling's novels, is another triumph for the franchise, as if some movie-loving wizards cast a spell on it. Showing remarkable range after his art-house success "Y Tu Mamá También," Cuarón proves a perfect choice to guide Harry, Hermione and Ron into the tricky waters of adolescence as the 13-year-old students face a frightening new threat. Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), a notorious prisoner said to have betrayed Harry's parents, has escaped from the wizard prison of Azkaban, and he appears to be coming after Harry. The dark, dangerous mystery drives the action as Harry (a fast-growing Daniel Radcliffe), after inflating his obnoxious aunt and escaping aboard a madcap triple-decker bus, returns for his third year at Hogwarts. There, he and his classmates meet Buckbeak, a proud, flying hippogriff brought to life with marvelous computer effects; the kind but mysterious new teacher Professor Lupin (David Thewlis); and the terrifying, black-robed Dementors, soul-sucking prison guards sent to hunt for Black. Along the way, Harry acquires a magical map of the school, and Hermione makes clever use of a time-traveling device just when it's needed most. The familiar Hogwarts staff returns in fine form, including Michael Gambon, taking over as Dumbledore after Richard Harris' death, and Emma Thompson as the wide-eyed, eccentric Divination teacher, while Timothy Spall appears in a pivotal role and Julie Christie makes a brief, welcome cameo. Technically dazzling, fast-paced and bursting with Rowling's boundless imagination, it's a Potter classic. It earned Oscar nominations for its visual effects and John Williams' score.