Harry Potter 3 - 9.5/10.0

By all the gods, what a difference Alfonso Cuarón has made to the Harry Potter franchise. The third installment makes the first two look like childrens' cartoons. The new movie is more somber & darker in tone and image - the cinematography is amazing. Faded colors, somber landscapes, and I love the expansion of Hogwarts from a facade into a baroque castle.

The movie is definitely "scarier" than the first two, and features a lot more of character development by tossing out excessive garbage - Quidditch matches, new lessons, etc. I mean, it would've been nice to see Harry call forth the Petronum (Petronas?) in the Quiddditch match to scare the heck out of Draco, but its ommission does make sense in the overall movie progression. It's akin to say, Peter Jackson not filming the Houses of Healing scene for (the theatrical release) LoTR:RotK. That was the only reason my rating wasn't a full 10 on 10.

The new Draco Malfoy is definitely an improvement. He's transformed from a spoilt brat to a sneering malcontent. The sort who (in the Muggle world) would skip classes, wear leather jackets, and smoke in the restrooms. Of equal delight was the new darker Harry Potter. It's like seeing Anakin Skywalker take the first steps towards becoming Darth Vader. I love it! More, I say!

There is a fairly significant plot point - and I can't remember if this is in Azkaban, or in one of the later books - is that Snape's aminosity towards Harry is due to the fact that he was bullied by Harry's father & his gang. If this was revealed in Azkaban, then I'd say it's a major hole that should be plugged in the next installment.

There has been speculation of whether Daniel Radcliffe, et al., would continue to play the Hogwarts gang in coming movies. The current shooting schedule is a little behind the books - Daniel Radcliffe is nearly 15 now - a year older than Harry - and the shooting schedule is definitely going to throw the age difference out of whack. I think that the present cast should continue on till the end. These actors have definied the characters at inception and have indelibly etched themselves in our minds. To me, Richard Harris still defines Dumbledore, no matter how well Michael Gambon may fit the shoes. And besides, its common in Hollywood to have 30 year-olds playing 20 year-olds, or even teens! Why are poeple suddenly queasy about the Potter cast?

In conclusion ... damned fine movie. I would definitely see it again if I had the chance, and will definitely buy the DVD (and I haven't bought the first two!)