Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

As noted at the time of its theatrical release, the third Harry Potter film is somewhat darker in tone than its predecessors, but the change in mood was certainly beneficial -- Azkaban is clearly the best of the series to date. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) begins his third year at Hogwarts under an ominous cloud: A killer wizard named Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from prison, and there's every indication that he's heading for the well-hidden sorcery school to do young Potter in. The bulk of the film finds Harry, accompanied by loyal friends Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint), trying to unravel the tangled strands of a mystery, with occasional help from their favorite new teacher, Professor Lupin (David Thewlis). The relatively benign witchcraft on display in the first two Potter films takes a backseat to more malignant occultism in Azkaban; the constant threat of impending death, along with some genuinely frightening scenes involving lycanthropy, makes this installment somewhat problematic for very young viewers. Seeing it from the security of home will lessen the impact on kids, but parents might want to prepare their most impressionable children for a slightly more scary time than they would normally have at Hogwarts. Director Alfonso Cuaron skillfully employs atmospheric visual effects and gives the film a more genuinely gothic look than the earlier Potter entries. Recurring cast members Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, and Robbie Coltrane are seen to good advantage; and Michael Gambon, taking over as Dumbledore for the late Richard Harris, figures prominently in a time-shift subplot that's extremely well worked out. Oldman is suitably menacing as the accused killer, and Thewlis brings genuine warmth to his sympathetic but complex character. Prisoner of Azkaban abounds in the delightful fantasy trappings that engage a youthful sense of wonder, but the darker undercurrents of its complicated plot make it unusually engrossing for older viewers as well. Ed Hulse, Barnes & Noble