The Sunday Tribune

Visual feast of thrills
Ervell E. Menezes

A scene from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

HARRY POTTER is back with Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban. And because he sends his bullying Aunt Marge ballooning heavenwards, he is forced to make it on his own into the night. He can't even go to the Hogwarts because the Ministry of Magic has banned the use of magic in the non-magic world.

But before long, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is forgiven and allowed to spend one more year at Hogwarts, where he learns that an enigmatic wizard Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from Azkaban prison and is bent on killing Harry. He is also believed to have done away with Harry's parents.

To make matters worse, Hogwarts is playing host to the Dementors, the terrifying Azkaban guards who are stationed at the school to protect the students from Black. In school, of course, he catches up with old friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) and they continue with their magic-pranks, as they did in the two earlier films.

But Prof Lupin (David Thewlis) and Prof Snape (Alan Rickman) seem to be hiding something from Harry and as time goes by, he realises that he has been misinformed about Sirius Black, who is not a villain but one more sinned against than sinning. Yet the film takes all of 120-odd minutes to make its point.

In the first place, Sirius makes his entry only halfway into the film. As for the Dementors, cute creations as they may be, they are given a miserly role.

The accent is on special effects and man turns into mouse or tree or whatever and the weird transformations are well picturised. There's also a three-decker bus for variety . Director Alfonso Cuaron (Chris Columbus's successor) has added a few more characters to enhance the action and they merely flit in and out of the frame like moths ---Dame Maggie Smith, Emma Thompson and Julie Walters.

The young trio is exuberant enough with Emma Watson impressing the most. The very talented Gary Oldman is totally wasted and Michael Gambon does well as headmaster Albus Dumbledore, the role played by the late Sir Richard Harris.

The outdoor locales are caressingly shot by Michael Seresin but I'd rather see Robin Hood --Prince of Thieves in this setting. In short, Harry Potter .... is a visual feast.