Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

It's time for the next instalment in the Harry Potter franchise, based on the novels of J. K. Rowling following the adventures of the young wizard as he continues to make his way through Hogwarts, the wizarding school.

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is back at school for his third year of studies, with his two best friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson).

But of course, nothing for Harry is ever easy, and this year, he is a boy in great danger. Notorious criminal Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from the wizard prison Azkaban, and is believed to be coming after Harry, whom he blames for the death of his old master, Voldemort. (At least that is how the story appears for most of the film).

Of course, as with every other year, there is a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. This year, it is Remus Lupin (David Thewlis) who, as it turns out, went to school with Harry's parents. He takes a real shining to Harry, and the two become quite close, especially as Harry seems to be showing great aptitude in this class.

There is another new teacher, or rather, a new class that the students are taking. It is Divination, taught by the incredibly eccentric Professor Sybil Trelawney (Emma Thompson).

Even Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) is a teacher this year, teaching the Care of Magical Creatures class, a class it seems he was born to teach.

In order to protect the students at the school from any attacks by Sirius Black, the guards of Azkaban prison, strange spectral beings called Dementors, have been posted around the grounds to keep watch. But one wonders who they really answer to when they enter the grounds - against the wishes of headmaster Professor Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon).

The screenplay, again written by Steve Kloves, who also adapted the first two films in the series, is a relatively decent adaptation of the book on which it is based. A large number of cuts were made, from what some readers feel were significant moments of plot and/or character, but which still seem to work nonetheless. Of course, one must remember that a book and a film are quite separate entities, and any adaptation from one medium to the other is bound to be fraught with difficulty in some parts.

Under the direction of Alfonso Cuarón, this film feels very different from the previous two films. In fact, it feels very different from every other film in the series, and not necessarily in a good way. Cuarón has the students in normal 'Muggle' clothing rather than their traditional wizarding robes, and there are a lot of personal touches he brings to the film that make it feel very 'un-Potter-like', at least as far as all the other films in the series go.

Adding to this different feel is a new actor playing the role of headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Of course, this was a necessity, as Richard Harris, who played the role in the first two films, had tragically passed away before the second film was released (though obviously after it had been filmed). Gambon does his best to bring the role to life, but sadly, I don't think he does it as well as Harris did. For me, Richard Harris will always be Dumbledore, whereas Gambon will only ever be someone who tried to fill those shoes and sadly fell short.

There are some interesting turns of events in the final third of the film, as a time-travel subplot comes into play. As with any film that deals with the very concept of time travel, there are many interesting points that appear earlier in the film and reappear in a different timeline from a different viewpoint and make sense in a different way. This may seem like a very convoluted sentence that doesn't make a lot of sense, but if you've seen the film, you will know what I mean. And if you haven't seen the film, then hopefully it won't spoil it for you.

Aside from the change of director, the majority of the crew are the same as they have been for the previous two films. So, we get a very similar feel from Stuart Craig's production design, that at least tries to tie this into the series, and place it right between parts two and four seamlessly.

John Williams's score has echoes of his previous work on the two earlier films, yet has enough new themes and motifs to be considered a new project. Naturally, as with anything he writes, his score here is perfect.

But I don't think these things alone are enough to redeem this film. Cuarón may be an incredibly gifted director, but in my opinion, his involvement has actually ruined what could have been a much better film in the hands of another director.

6 out of 10.

Brave (2012)

If there is one thing Merida (Kelly MacDonald) knows, it’s that she hates being a princess. She’d much rather be a warrior, and is a true ace with a bow and arrow.

Her father, King Fergus (Billy Connolly) is supportive of her decision, as far as it depends on him. The trouble is, it doesn’t just depend on him.

His wife, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson) believes quite strongly that women (and particularly princesses) shouldn’t use weapons, but should be proper ladies, and follow the long-held traditions of their Scottish clan Dun Broch.

To that end, Fergus and Elinor have sent word to the three other clan leaders Dingwall (Robbie Coltrane), MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd) and Macintosh (Craig Ferguson) that their daughter is of age, and is in need of a suitor.

They all show up at the castle, presenting their suitors to Merida, who couldn’t be more uninterested. After a huge argument with her mother, she runs away, and gets a spell from a witch (Julie Walters) to try and get her own way with Elinor.

The spell has disastrous consequences, and Merida and Elinor must join forces to break the spell before it’s too late.

Firstly, I want to say that computer animation (this is yet another Disney/Pixar film) has come quite a long way since the early days. The scenery and backgrounds in this film are so realistic, it is quite easy to forget you are watching an animated film. The opening shot of mountains and trees as the camera swoops down to ground level is a great example, and it only gets better from there.

The music (composed by Patrick Doyle) is well suited throughout, with the use of many Celtic instruments to give a strong sense of place, while at the same time not resorting to stereotypes. There are even three songs in the film (while it isn’t a musical as such, the songs accompany the action rather than being sung by characters), and these songs are fantastic, in particular the first one, which is still going around and around in my head as I write this.

The script by Mark Andrews & Steve Purcell and Brenda Chapman & Irene Mecchi (as with all Pixar films to date) has plenty for young and old viewers alike to enjoy. I love the inclusion of Merida’s three younger brothers, who provide excellent moments of comic relief throughout.

Andrews, Purcell and Chapman also directed the film, and they have done a fantastic job. There are some beautiful messages in this film about family and tradition, and stepping out on one’s own, and being brave (yes, the name of the film).

In the same way that the film Meet Joe Black will make you call your father and tell him you love him, this film will make you call your mother. (And if you do call her, tell her to watch the film, too!)

It may not be Pixar’s greatest film, but it is certainly better than some of them.

8 out of 10.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)

Based on the worldwide bestseller that started a phenomenon, this film is a true delight, and a joy to review.

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) lives with his aunt and uncle and cousin. They keep him in the cupboard under the stairs, and mistreat him constantly.

On the evening of his 11th birthday, a strange visitor - a incredibly large man named Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) - tells Harry that he is a wizard, and he has been accepted to study at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Upon arriving at school, Harry learns there is so much more to his life than he ever knew. Not only does he come from a well-known wizarding family, he himself is famous as “the boy who lived”, the boy who defeated one of the most powerful dark wizards ever - Voldemort, or He Who Must Not Be Named - as a baby.

There is much for Harry to learn in his first year: the rules and gameplay of wizarding sport Quidditch, at which he is a natural of course, dealing with difficult teachers such as Potions master Professor Snape (Alan Rickman), and most importantly, the value of his two closest friends, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson).

One of the first things I must say about this film is that the casting is absolutely fabulous. This (and indeed the future films in the series) is a veritable ‘who’s who’ of British acting greats. Be it Richard Harris as Dumbledore (later replaced when he sadly passed away after the second film), Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall, Zoë Wanamaker as Madam Hooch (the flying instructor), or any of the rest of the cast, there are some amazing performances here. (Obviously, I will be reviewing the remaining films in the franchise, keep reading in coming months for those).

Another point I want to make is the quality of the adaptation. Screenwriter Steve Kloves has done an incredible job of translating J. K. Rowling’s novel to the screen. Almost everything that happens in the book happens in the film. It does help that the first book in the series is rather short, and apparently simple (though fans will know by now there was a lot more going on in that book than we knew at the time!), and doesn’t have a lot of complex subplots as later books did.

The score by John Williams is absolutely magical, no pun intended. Of course, any score by John Williams is bound to be good. One only has to look to the later films (and even the later Fantastic Beasts franchise) and hear Williams’s themes and leitmotifs used and re-used to know just how iconic and brilliant they are.

Director Chris Columbus has made a truly magnificent film here. Columbus works especially well with young and/or inexperienced actors, and has been able to bring out the best in his young cast particularly. He would go on to direct the second film in the series as well, before pulling out to make room for other directors, in order to spend more time with his own growing children.

I realise that in the United States, this film was released with the title ‘Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone’, but as any sensible person would realise (particularly by now, with all the books and films finished), the Philosopher’s Stone is an actual verifiable part of alchemical history and a vital element of this book/film and indeed later parts of the series, while the Sorceror’s Stone is nothing, and refers to nothing.

This may not have been the best film in the series, but by being the first, it was our first introduction to Harry Potter and his adventures, and as such, is a very special and important part of the series.

8 1/2 out of 10.