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.
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