Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Theatrical Release Date: 2004 06 04 (USA - IMAX) / 2004 06 04 (USA)

UPC: 085391173687

Studio: Warner Home Video

MPAA Rating: PG   Contains:[Mild Violence, Excellent For Children, Scary Moments]

Summary: After directing the first two movies in the Harry Potter franchise, Chris Columbus opted to serve as producer for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and passed the baton to Y Tu Mamá También director Alfonso Cuarón. Though "immensely popular" is an understatement when it comes to Harry Potter, Azkaban is somewhat of a departure from its predecessors, and particularly beloved among fans for its surprise ending. Prisoner of Azkaban also marks the introduction of Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), who has escaped from the title prison after 12 years of incarceration. Believed to have been the right-hand-man of the dark wizard Voldemort, whom Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) mysteriously rendered powerless during his infancy, some of those closest to Harry suspect Black has returned to exact revenge on the boy who defeated his master. Upon his return to school, however, Harry is relatively unconcerned with Black. Run by Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) -- who is widely regarded as the most powerful wizard of the age -- Hogwarts is renowned for its safety. Harry's nonchalance eventually turns to blind rage after accidentally learning the first of Black's many secrets during a field trip to a neighboring village. Of course, a loose serial killer is only one of the problems plaguing the bespectacled wizard's third year back at school -- the soul-sucking guards of Azkaban prison have been employed at Hogwarts to protect the students, but their mere presence sends Harry into crippling fainting spells. With the help of his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), and Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Remus Lupin (David Thewlis), Harry struggles to thwart the Dementors, find Sirius Black, and uncover the mysteries of the night that left him orphaned. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Category: Children's/Family

Awards: Best Young Actor – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Young Actress – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Live Action Family Film – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best British Film – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Production Design – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Special Visual Effects – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Makeup and Hair – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Makeup and Hair – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Makeup and Hair – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Score – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Features: Includes free collectible trading cards

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Format: DVD

Release Date: 12/11/2007

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 142 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French

Subtitles: English,French,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
1. Under Covers Prologue [1:36]
2. Aunt Marge's Big Mistake [4:55]
3. The Knight Bus [6:09]
4. The Leaky Cauldron [2:06]
5. The Monster Book of Monsters [1:19]
6. In Grave Danger [2:43]
7. The Dementor [4:53]
8. Welcome and Warning [5:00]
9. Tea Leaves [2:30]
10. Buckbeak [7:27]
11. Boggart in the Wardrobe [5:55]
12. Talent for Trouble [2:51]
13. Flight of the Fat Lady [2:02]
14. Substitute Teacher [4:03]
15. Grim Defeat [3:44]
16. The Maurauder's Map [3:55]
17. Who's There? [1:59]
18. I Hope He Finds Me [3:46]
19. The Patronus [4:42]
20. Seeing the Impossible [3:53]
21. Professor Trelawney's Prediction [3:22]
22. Witnesses to an Execution [3:19]
23. The Whomping Willow [4:58]
24. Sirius Black [2:43]
25. Peter Pettigrew [4:05]
26. Friends Become Foes [2:38]
27. The Dementors Kiss [5:26]
28. Hermione's Secret [3:15]
29. Onlookers to the Rescue [4:23]
30. Saving Lives [5:29]
31. Truly Seen, Truly Free [4:33]
32. Teo Places at Once [3:08]
33. Mischief Managed [2:46]
34. The Firebolt [2:40]
35. End Credits Map [1:04]

Tracie Cooper

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third installment of what will eventually be a seven-book series, is somewhat of a teenager unto itself. As familiarity inevitably begins to set in, the mere existence a magical community is no longer enough to sustain Harry emotionally, nor is the sparkling façade of Chris Columbus' Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets enough to satisfy audiences. Consequently, a then-43-year-old Alfonso Cuarón was faced with one of the key challenges of early adolescence in agreeing to direct the film -- establishing an identity and channeling the seedling stages of angst into productivity. Thankfully, Cuarón clearly remembers what it's like to be 13. From raging hormones and expanding egos to crippling self-doubt and hope despite it, the hallmarks of youth are apparent in virtually every frame of Prisoner of Azkaban. The actors, of course, play no small role: Daniel Radcliffe has improved exponentially, while Rupert Grint continues to exhibit an impressive knack for comic timing. Emma Watson is perfect as Hermione; similar to Michael Gambon's portrayal of Dumbledore, Watson emanates wit and power, and, in staying with her character, communicates a sense of harried urgency in everything she does. The veteran British actors making up the Hogwarts staff are equally impressive. Emma Thompson, in particular, is delightfully batty as the boy-who-cried-Grim divination teacher, while Alan Rickman's Professor Snape is as unfathomable and complicated as ever. Though David Thewlis offers a solid performance as the haunted Professor Lupin, Gary Oldman is perhaps the most notable newcomer to the film series. With little time to spare, Oldman manages to express the tragic but unerringly loyal nature of Sirius Black.

The nature of the soul and the life-altering effects of circumstance and choice are the two key elements of Prisoner of Azkaban, and Cuarón, to his credit, has helmed a production that is all soul. Even without the rich description of the book, the essence of the characters and the world they inhabit are more apparent than they have ever been, and the CGI fits into the "Potterverse" so seamlessly, it's easy to forget that Hippogriffs (a sort of half-eagle, half-horse) aren't part of the natural world. The only real fault in Cuarón's Azkaban, as devoted fans have duly noted, is the all-too-brief Shrieking Shack showdown, and the omission of Harry's final talk with Dumbledore. Besides depriving audiences of some well-needed history (why Snape hates Sirius enough to enjoy watching the soul sucked out of his body, the extent of the friendship between the Marauders, and the significance of the stag shape of Harry's Patronus, for instance), Dumbledore's explanation concerning the vast implications of the actions we take, and the life-debt Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall) now owes Harry because of a spontaneous decision, is not just an integral aspect to Prisoner, but to the series as a whole. Yet, even with a key scene conspicuously missing, this adaptation, more than its predecessors, gives an inkling into the tremendous success of the Harry Potter franchise, because Prisoner of Azkaban finally got what Harry is about -- magic, the bonds of friendship, and a whole lot of heart. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Chris Columbus  Producer 
Alfonso Cuarón  Director 
Steve Kloves  Screenwriter 
Mark A. Radcliffe  Producer 
John Williams  Composer (Music Score) 
David Heyman  Producer 
Michael Barnathan  Executive Producer 
Callum McDougall  Executive Producer 
Tanya Seghatchian  Executive Producer 
Daniel Radcliffe  Actor 
Rupert Grint  Actor 
Emma Watson  Actor 
Gary Oldman  Actor 
David Thewlis  Actor 
Michael Gambon  Actor 
Alan Rickman  Actor 
Maggie Smith  Actor 
Robbie Coltrane  Actor 
Tom Felton  Actor 
Emma Thompson  Actor 
Julie Walters  Actor 
Timothy Spall  Actor 
Julie Christie  Actor 
Richard Griffiths  Actor 
Fiona Shaw  Actor 
Peter Best  Actor 
David Bradley  Actor 
John Cleese  Actor 
Alfie Enoch  Actor 
Pam Ferris  Actor 
Dawn French  Actor 
Jimmy Gardner  Actor 
Joshua Herdman  Actor 
Matthew Lewis  Actor 
Devon Murray  Actor 
Kathrin Nicholson  Actor 
Chris Rankin  Actor 
Jim Tavare  Actor 
Jamie Waylett  Actor 
Paul Whitehouse  Actor 
Robert Hardy  Actor 
Harry Melling  Actor 
Adrian Rawlins  Actor 
Geraldine Somerville  Actor 
Lee Ingleby  Actor 
Lenny Henry  Actor 
Abby Ford  Actor 
Oliver Phelps  Actor 
James Phelps  Actor 
Bonnie Wright  Actor 
Warwick Davis  Actor 
Sitara Shah  Actor 
Jennifer Smith  Actor 
Bronson Webb  Actor 
Genevieve Gaunt  Actor 
Kandice Morris  Actor 
Annalisa Bugliani  Actor 
Tess Bu Cuaron  Actor 
Violet Columbus  Actor 
Ekow Quartey  Actor 
Rick Sahota  Actor 
Sharon Sandhu  Actor 
Danielle Tabor  Actor 
Freddie Davis  Actor 

Country: USA