There is no bigger fantasy franchise in the world than Harry Potter. The book series was incredibly successful and the Harry Potter movies managed to pull off a very difficult feat as all eight films were met with strong critical acclaim, despite featuring different directors.
The level of consistency across the Harry Potter movies is as impressive as it gets. Fans could spend hours arguing over which is actually the best but one of the films that has a great argument is actually the least commercially successful. It may have grossed the lowest total but it’s actually a fantastic Harry Potter movie.
The Lowest-Grossing Harry Potter Is Prisoner Of Azkaban
The lowest-grossing movie in the Harry Potter franchise is The Prisoner of Azkaban. The third installment in the series, The Prisoner of Azkaban brought in just over $800 million at the box office. That’s telling of the level of success of Harry Potter because that intake would be the best for most franchises.
Indeed, $800 million is nothing to scoff at and still allowed Prisoner of Azkaban to only sit behind Shrek 2 among the highest-grossing films of 2004. Regardless of its commercial success though, Prisoner of Azkaban is often viewed as the high point of the franchise for several key reasons.
Alfonso Cuarón Brought So Much Style To The Harry Potter Series
The first thing that stands out with Prisoner of Akzaban is the visual style. Chris Columbus had done a wonderful job of making the first two installments feel wondrous and just like the books but with the third novel, things needed to change.
The story gets darker and the characters become teenagers, so the studio turned to Alfonso Cuarón to take over. At the time, Cuarón wasn’t a household name with his most notable film being Y tu mamá también, a sexually charged drama from a few years prior.
However, Cuarón ended up being the perfect filmmaker to bring in. He perfectly captured the darker tone of this story and his visual style was perfect. Things like a tracking shot through Hogwarts, a clock tower, and onto the grounds were so well done.
Cuarón also made sure that aspects like the Whomping Willow, the Dementors, and Buckbeak all looked impressive. To this day, Prisoner of Azkaban is widely viewed as the best looking Harry Potter movie, even by those who don’t think it’s the best film in the series.
Prisoner Of Azkaban Was A Turning Point For The Harry Potter Franchise
The darker tone and Alfonso Cuarón’s style were important to Prisoner of Azkaban because the book works as a turning point for the series. The first two stories revolve around Harry getting comfortable in this magical world and there’s a lot of whimsy to them.
That aspect starts to fade in Prisoner of Azkaban, which sees the introduction of Dementors. The chilling creatures give the franchise its first true sense of horror, even more so than the remnants of Voldemort seen in the first stories, while characters like Sirius Black are menacing at first glance. That set the tone for the rest of the series.
While not everything about the later movies is dark, the tone shift from Prisoner of Akzaban onward is crucial. Voldemort returns in the next installment, characters are killed off in brutal fashion, and things look bleak at times. That makes Prisoner of Azkaban such an important piece of the overall story.
Key Characters & Plot Points Were Introduced In Prisoner Of Azkaban
Another reason why Prisoner of Azkaban is the best and most important entry in the Harry Potter franchise is what it introduces. For starters, some of the most pivotal characters in the series make their debuts here, from Sirius Black to Remus Lupin to Peter Pettigrew to Buckbeak.
When you consider that actors like Gary Oldman and David Thewlis play some of these characters, it’s an impressive addition to the films. Those are acclaimed, talented actors who brought gravitas to the cast. Emma Thompson also shines as Professor Trelawney, and being around talents like that had to help the young actors.
Dementors being introduced in Prisoner of Azkaban is also key since they play a major role in Order of the Phoenix. The wizard prison Azkaban was also given more focus, which again goes on to play a role as Voldemort rises to power again and his followers break out.
Other important elements introduced in Prisoner of Azkaban include the Maurauder’s Map, Hippogriffs, classes like Divination, the Time-Turner, the Firebolt broom, and Hogsmeade. These things debut here and are introduced in an impressive way.
It’s fair to say that every movie in the Harry Potter franchise has aged pretty well, with loyal fans still rewatching them over and over to this day. However, Prisoner of Azkaban has possibly aged the best. A lot of that is down to the filmmaking techniques that Cuarón utilized.
Prisoner of Azkaban looks like the kind of film that even non-Harry Potter fans can appreciate and admire because the cinematography is as good as it gets in the franchise. This film also has impressive character development and stronger performances from the young cast than the first few films.
It also helps that the darker tone of Prisoner of Azkaban makes it an ideal watch during the Halloween season, while the earlier installments feel more like Christmas movies.When you add in compelling themes surrounding love, family, loneliness, and more, and Prisoner of Azkaban is a relatable movie.
While you can’t go wrong rewatching any Harry Potter movie, Prisoner of Azkaban is the one that feels like it holds up the best and is part of why it’s the franchise’s true masterpiece.
- Release Date
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March 1, 2004
- Runtime
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144 Minutes
- Director
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Alfonso Cuarón
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