Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Single-Disc Widescreen Edition)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (DVD) (WS)

Harry, Ron and Hermione return as teenagers for a third term at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But Harry's fate, and that of the entire community of wizards, looks bleak when the infamous Sirius Black--convicted of abetting evil Lord Voldemort by killing 13 people with a single curse--escapes from prison. The only clue to where Sirius is headed: The Azkaban guards heard Black muttering in his sleep "He's at Hogwarts ... He's at Hogwarts." Now, even within the walls of his magical school, Harry may not be safe from a convicted killer in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

]]> Some movie-loving wizards must have cast a magic spell on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, because it's another grand slam for the Harry Potter franchise. Demonstrating remarkable versatility after the arthouse success of Y Tu Mamá También, director Alfonso Cuarón proves a perfect choice to guide Harry, Hermione, and Ron into treacherous puberty as the now 13-year-old students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry face a new and daunting challenge: Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from Azkaban prison, and for reasons yet unknown (unless, of course, you've read J.K. Rowling's book, considered by many to be the best in the series), he's after Harry in a bid for revenge. This dark and dangerous mystery drives the action while Harry (the fast-growing Daniel Radcliffe) and his third-year Hogwarts classmates discover the flying hippogriff Buckbeak (a marvelous CGI creature), the benevolent but enigmatic Professor Lupin (David Thewlis), horrifying black-robed Dementors, sneaky Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall), and the wonderful advantage of having a Time-Turner just when you need one. The familiar Hogwarts staff returns in fine form (including the delightful Michael Gambon, replacing the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore, and Emma Thompson as the goggle-eyed Sybil Trelawney), and even Julie Christie joins this prestigious production for a brief but welcome cameo. Technically dazzling, fast-paced, and chock-full of Rowling's boundless imagination (loyally adapted by ace screenwriter Steve Kloves), The Prisoner of Azkaban is a Potter-movie classic. --Jeff Shannon