Alfonso Cuarón</a> brings a noticeably darker stylistic take on the children's series. Unfortunately, the fat-phobic stereotypes present in the two previous installments are even more exaggerated here when Harry magically inflates Aunt Marge in a spiteful manner. The appearance of a Shrunken Head, who speaks in a Jamaican accent, could be perceived as Othering -- especially since no other Black characters have a significant role in this movie.</p>
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Violence & Scariness
some
Scary images for a PG-rated film. Children are in peril, often at the hands of magical creatures: Dementors (black-robed floating beings that suck the happiness out of people) attack Harry and others, making Harry hear the sound of his mother dying as he passes out; they almost administer "the kiss of death," extracting a character's soul through his mouth. A hippogriff (eagle-horse mix) is provoked and strikes a student; the same creature is executed by a hatchet (heard, not shown). A boggart in a class demonstration changes shape to match what students are most afraid of (and kids learn to fight their fears with laughter). A large dog breaks Ron's leg. Adult characters threaten to kill another. A werewolf chases Harry and Hermione. Harry believes he is marked for death and stalked by a murderer most of the school year.
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While the candy mentioned wasn't originally real, it is now: Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Jelly Slugs, and more. And then there are the action figures, Lego playsets, wands, Band-Aid bandages ... you name it.
Language
very little
A few "bloody hells" and a "damn."
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Conquering fear is a huge theme. Friendship, love, bravery, and loyalty are always major themes in the series, as is the idea of making good choices. Compassion and empathy are extended to characters who've been falsely maligned and misunderstood.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Harry and his friends demonstrate courage, perseverance, and teamwork, as well as compassion and empathy.
Diverse Representations
very little
An example of strong female character, Hermione plays an integral role in the rescue of innocent lives. As the cleverest among her peers, she figures out an important piece of information well before Harry and Ron. Behind the camera, Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón brings a noticeably darker stylistic take on the children's series. Unfortunately, the fat-phobic stereotypes present in the two previous installments are even more exaggerated here when Harry magically inflates Aunt Marge in a spiteful manner. The appearance of a Shrunken Head, who speaks in a Jamaican accent, could be perceived as Othering -- especially since no other Black characters have a significant role in this movie.
Parents need to know that Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third movie in the fantastic Harry Potter series (all based on the books by J.K. Rowling) is growing up with the Hogwarts crew. The themes are darker, the peril is more intense, and the images of some magical creatures are grotesque and Halloween-ish. For most of the school year, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) believes that he's marked for death and being stalked by an escaped prisoner. He also battles a creature straight out of kids' worst nightmares: The Dementors are black-robed floating beings that suck out happiness and feed on your worst fears, which is why Harry hears the sound of his mother's last scream when he sees them. While this can be tough for younger and sensitive viewers, the bright spot is the Boggart lesson in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Boggarts can turn into what a person fears most, but the kids learn to yell "Riddikkulus!" and turn it into something to laugh at. Characters demonstrate courage, perseverance, and teamwork, as well as compassion and empathy. In addition, friendship, love, bravery, and loyalty are always major themes in the series, as is the idea of making good choices. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
We love the Harry Potter movies! But the appropriate AGE bracket can be tricky...
I was pretty upset when within the first 6 minutes of the movie, and Aunt describes Harry Potter like he's a dog, and his mother as the "bitch" (female dog). Most children know this word as a curse or swear word. Luckily I only allowed my 11 year old to watch this, but she paused the movie in complete shock and came to tell me what was said in the film. I was very disappointed, because this should be included in the LANGUAGE section of the rating!! I could've had the discussion with my child prior to her viewing the film.
In HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN, when his relatives the Dursleys get to be too much for Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), the rebellious 13-year-old wizard packs up and leaves. Soon he's back at Hogwarts for his third year, along with his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson). Scary creatures called Dementors, guards at the wizard prison of Azkaban, are lurking about the school grounds in search of the first-ever escaped prisoner, Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), who betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and may be on his way to Hogwarts to kill Harry. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin (David Thewlis), befriends Harry, while Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) is now teaching the Care of Magical Creatures class, introducing the students to a hippogriff (a sort of flying bird/horse). When the hippogriff injures Harry's adversary, Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton), the incident gives ammunition to those who oppose the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon). Harry has to find a way to save the hippogriff and protect himself from Black, the Dementors, and even one of his teachers, who has a dangerous secret. Hermione has a secret, too -- how is she getting to all of her extra classes? The answer is the help Harry needs to save lives.
Harry Potter is 13 in this third movie based on the globally popular book series, and the movie itself seems to be entering adolescence, with its darker themes, darker images, and darker emotions. For Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chris Columbus, who directed the first two movies, stayed on as a producer. The brilliant production design and meticulous attention to detail established by Columbus ensured that the books' passionate fans were happy -- but played it safe.
The new director, Alfonso Cuarón, has previously demonstrated ferocious visual flair (Great Expectations) and great sensitivity in working with and portraying children (A Little Princess) and teens (Y Tu Mamá También). He's kept the best of the first Potter films and enriched it with his own splendid vision, meshing perfectly with the tone of the story and the increasing complexity of the themes and characters. The third in the series is darker than the first two, but it has the same magical qualities that Potter fans will love.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Dumbledore's statement that people can bring light to even the darkest moments in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. What can you learn from the way Harry and his friends learn to defeat the Boggarts? The Dementors?
Older kids and teens could examine all of the Potter movies to see how different directors and cinematographers can take the same characters and settings and convey a different feeling. How do the colors and texture of the scenes and the movement of the camera help to create the mood and tell the story?
How does this movie compare to the book it was based on? Is it an accurate adaptation? Why do you think the filmmakers made the changes they did?
MPAA explanation:
frightening moments, creature violence and mild language
Last updated:
April 16, 2024
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