Third try for ‘Harry Potter’ lost its charm

Evan Marmol

Upon a cursory reflection on “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of

Azkaban” the special effects were a breathtaking amalgam of all types

of visual captivation. Everything else, on the other hand, was a

tepid, uninspired and an utter superficial film that is a grave

insult to its radiant predecessors.

Daniel Radcliffe reprises his role as the magnificent wizard

followed by all the other familiar faces, with one exception; Gary

Oldman was added for a pinch of panache. Oldman plays Sirius Black, a

nefarious convict on the loose and searching for one person.

Meanwhile, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is being

watched by ghouls called dementors, a creature that saps all feelings

of happiness from its victim, which have taken a mysterious interest

in tormenting Harry Potter.

This is all the formula for a magical movie that mesmerizes and

spellbinds at every turn.

Alfonso Cuaron, the director of “Y Tu Mama Tambien,” apparently

had other plans for his first foray in this area of film, his primary

focus normally the more scatological. In this film the acting and

story all felt unabashedly secondary. Moreover, the acting was

unapologetically lukewarm. And the adrenaline and energy and, most

importantly emotion, were nearly completely absent.

With actors of Oldman’s talent you expect dialogue; unfortunately

his minutes in the film can be counted with two hands. With the

renowned masterpieces of J.K. Rowling you yearn for intrigue and

fascination. I cannot completely blame the advent of computer

generated images; they have their place and can supplement a

narrative superbly. The problem is that overzealous directors have

been placing the emphasis on technology and have forgotten how to

tell a good, not to mention a great, story.

It seems a foreign concept to make the actors and story the focal

point of any great film. This film is no exception to that demented

new axiom in film making, sapping movies of anything but a feast for

the eyes. I, for one, was not impressed.