Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
88%RT Audience Score: 86%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 3 Oscars
17 wins & 69 nominations total
Under the assured direction of Alfonso Cuaron, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban triumphantly strikes a delicate balance between technical wizardry and complex storytelling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a magical masterpiece that captures the essence of the wizarding world. While some critics may nitpick at the details, the film’s ability to transport viewers to a world of wonder and danger is undeniable. Cuarn’s direction brings a new level of magic to the franchise, making it a must-see for fans and non-fans alike. Plus, who doesn’t love a good time travel plot? Overall, this film is wondersful and a true testament to the power of storytelling.
Production Company(ies)
Bi Bi Film, Rai Fiction, Film Commission Torino-Piemonte
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for some scary moments and mild language
Year of Release
2004
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS-ES Dolby Digital EX 12-Track Digital Sound IMAX 6-Track
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:2h 21m
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Language(s):English, Latin
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 31, 2004 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 23, 2004
Genre(s)
Fantasy/Adventure
Keyword(s)
starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, Michael Gambon, directed by Alfonso Cuaron, written by J.K Rowling, Steve Kloves, Fantasy, Adventure, PG, box office gross $249.4M, Warner Bros Pictures, reviewed by Christopher Orr, Antonia Quirke, Mark Kermode, Joe Morgenstern, Scott Tobias, David Nusair, Mike Massie, Debbie Lynn Elias, Guillem Martinez Oya, Rachel Wagner, technical wizardry, complex storytelling, delicate balance, Dementors, mysterious new teacher, time travel, Hippogriff’s, maturing tone, unique elements, visual style, storytelling faults, Voldemort’s lack of presence, Pettigrew, dark and gritty, funny world, experienced actors, Gary Oldman enters the picture, fantastic visuals/cinematography, Hermione & Harry team-up, unexpected twists and turns, long awaited punch, one big twist
Worldwide gross: $1,017,713,119
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,715,140,162
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 27
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 187,038,186
US/Canada gross: $318,886,962
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $537,416,513
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 59
US/Canada opening weekend: $90,294,621
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $152,172,482
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 30
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $125,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $210,661,056
Production budget ranking: 93
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $113,440,979
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $1,391,038,127
ROI to date (est.): 429%
ROI ranking: 307
Rupert Grint – Ron Weasley
Emma Watson – Hermione Granger
Gary Oldman – Sirius Black
David Thewlis – Professor Lupin
Michael Gambon – Professor Dumbledore
Chris Columbus – Producer
David Heyman – Producer
Mark Radcliffe – Producer
J.K. Rowling – Writer
Steve Kloves – Writer
Alfonso Cuarón – Director
Director(s)
Alfonso Cuarón
Writer(s)
J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves
Producer(s)
Chris Columbus, David Heyman, Mark Radcliffe
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 3 Oscars
17 wins & 69 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (260) | Top Critics (64) | Fresh (235) | Rotten (25)
Cuarn’s Prisoner of Azkaban, while a touch less faithful to the details of Rowling’s oeuvre, captures far better its mood, the constant sense of wondrous discovery and lurking danger.
January 5, 2018
Christopher Orr
The New Republic
TOP CRITIC
This Potter is terse, swift, sad — and welcome.
December 14, 2017
Antonia Quirke
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
Cuarn brought to the Potter franchise a quality curiously missing from the two previous films: magic.
November 16, 2014
Christopher Orr
The Atlantic
TOP CRITIC
OK, so the narrative may be a tad shaky, but what lends Azkaban its edge is the unabashedly creepy tone that Cuaron conjures.
November 16, 2014
Mark Kermode
New Statesman
TOP CRITIC
The right word for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is wondersful — as in full of wonders, great and small.
August 3, 2013
Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal
TOP CRITIC
For the first time, the non-converted may actually see what all the fuss is about.
August 3, 2013
Scott Tobias
AV Club
TOP CRITIC
…a marked departure for the watchable yet thoroughly bland series…
December 8, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
Definitely not foolproof, like almost every time travel explanation, but this film nevertheless presents a new, creative angle.
September 29, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
Hogwarts is back in session! And not a moment too soon. And although I’ve said it before, I’ve got to say it again, a technical and visual masterpiece.
November 13, 2019
Debbie Lynn Elias
Behind The Lens
Good film directed for a teenage audience in which not only is magic taught but also how stereotypes affect it while the film itself recreates some British stereotypes. [Review in Spanish]
July 11, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Guillem Martinez Oya
Cinematismo
It is without a doubt the best made film of the series.
April 4, 2019 | Rating: A
Rachel Wagner
rachelsreviews.net
Prisoner of Azkaban baffled me and completely floored me…it shows that Harry Potter ages with people.
January 26, 2018
Jeremy Jahns
JeremyJahns.com…
Plot
This is the tale of Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), an ordinary eleven-year-old boy serving as a sort of slave for his aunt and uncle who learns that he is actually a wizard and has been invited to attend the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is snatched away from his mundane existence by Rubeus Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), the groundskeeper for Hogwarts, and quickly thrown into a world completely foreign to both him and the viewer. Famous for an incident that happened at his birth, Harry makes friends easily at his new school. He soon finds, however, that the wizarding world is far more dangerous for him than he would have imagined, and he quickly learns that not all wizards are ones to be trusted.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley, had a difficult time filming the scene where he has to be dragged by a giant spider because he has a real-life fear of spiders.
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