History Film / HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban

The film's defining characteristics are its [[DarkerAndEdgier darker tone, both in terms of subject matter and cinematography]], and its being the series' first distinctly {{pragmatic adaptation}}, taking a more character-driven approach that deviated from the events of the book. Both of these distinguished it noticeably from the light, faithful approach of the first two movies (both directed by Creator/ChrisColumbus).

While it can be seen as the most controversial film in the series for this reason, it opened to mass critical success and is highly seen as an apex for the series not only in terms of quality but influence, as future films took similar risks to abandon a linear perspective in favour of more cinematic elements.

** Harry and Hermione have this reaction when the realize they've follow Scabbers [[spoiler:actually Peter Pettigrew]] towards the Whomping Willow. Ron has one immediately after when he sees what he thinks is "the grim" [[spoiler:really Sirius Black]] standing behind Harry and Hermione.

** Harry and Hermione have this reaction when the realize they've follow Scabbers [[spoiler:actually Peter Pettigrew]] towards the Wamping Willow. Ron has one immediately after when he sees "the grim" [[spoiler:Sirius Black]] standing behind Harry and Hermione.

* AdaptationalWimp: In the book, Ron tries to throw himself between Harry and Sirius despite having a broken leg, saying that if wants to kill Harry, he'll have to kill all three of them. In the film, ''Hermione'' does this while Ron doesn't do anything but lie there (in his defense, he's in a lot of pain and unable to shield Harry as fast).

The film's defining characteristics are its [[DarkerAndEdgier darker tone, both in terms of subject matter and cinematography,]] and its being the series' first distinctly {{pragmatic adaptation}}, taking a more character-driven approach that deviated from the events of the book. Both of these distinguished it noticeably from the light, faithful approach of the first two movies (both directed by Creator/ChrisColumbus).

** Harry and Hermione have this reaction when the realive they've follow Scabbers [[spoiler:actually Peter Pettigrew]] towards the Wamping Willow. Ron has one immediately after when he sees "the grim" [[spoiler:Sirius Black]] standing behind Harry and Hermione.

** Hermione when she notices the full moon a few minutes after they get out of the Shrieking Shack, due to one of the people with them being a werewolf. Said werewolf [[spoiler:Professor Lupin]] also starts to panic as he changes to his werewolf form, while Sirius tries his best to bring him to his senses and asking if he's taken his potion to control his condition.

* TheQuietOne: Dudley Dursley has no lines in this film, due to not having any lines in the script. However, only a bit of his voice can be heard when he laughs before Aunt Marge kisses him and when he grunts the first time and the second time after 2 of Aunt Marge's buttons fly off her shirt and hit him on the forehead those two different times.

* Early

* AnswerCut: Doubles as a RewatchBonus; Harry asks Mr. Weasley why he would look for someone that wants to kill him and the film cuts to Mrs. Weasley moving through a crowd trying to find Ron so she can hand over Scabbers. [[spoiler:The frame after the cut is centered on Scabbers, who is responsible for the death of Harry's parents and someone who Harry will look for later to return to his owner, Ron]].

* AmbiguouslyGay: Cuarón and Creator/DavidThewlis were both under the impression that Lupin was gay and worked it into crafting the latter's performance. Cuarón specifically told him to play Lupin as a "gay junkie".
* AnswerCut: Doubles as a RewatchBonus; Harry asks Mr. Weasley why he would look for someone that wants to kill him and the film cuts to Mrs. Weasley moving through a crowd trying to find Ron so she can hand over Scabbers. [[spoiler:The frame after the cut is centred on Scabbers, someone that wants to kill Harry's parents and someone who Harry will look for later to return to his owner, Ron]].

* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: Despite the film's reputation for being angsty, this is actually inverted when it comes to Ron and Hermione's subplots. In the book, Crookshanks supposedly eating Scabbers causes a huge rift in Ron and Hermione's friendship, and Harry points out that Ron is probably right, causing Hermione to be angry at him too. In the film, there's just a brief scene of Ron and Hermione arguing about whether Crookshanks did it, with Harry apparently staying neutral. Also, the book features Hermione becoming noticeably distressed and overwhelmed from taking so many classes with the Time-Turner, but in the film, she seems to handle the extra classes just fine.

* DarkIsNotEvil: The crows near the executioner and at Hagrid's hut, who are just carrion birds. The executioner, however, is pure evil.

* RavensAndCrows: The crows that appear at Hagrid's hut.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Goes with the ageing of the characters and thus the target audience along with them. Marks a distinct turning point for the film franchise, where everything from the music to the cinematography to Hogwarts' very architecture has taken a turn for the complex and the noir.I

%%* CreepyCrows

* DarkIsNotEvil: The crowd that appear near the executioner and at Hagrid's hut are just carrion birds. The executioner himself, however, is definitely evil.

* CreepyCrows

* RavensAndCrows

* DarkerAndEdgier: Goes with the ageing of the characters and thus the target audience along with them. Marks a distinct turning point for the film franchise, where everything from the music to the cinematography to Hogwarts' very architecture has taken a turn for the complex and the noir.

* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: Despite the film's reputation for being angsty, this is actually inverted when it comes to Ron and Hermione's subplots. In the book, Crookshanks supposedly eating Scabbers causes a huge rift in Ron and Hermione's friendship, and Harry takes Ron's side, causing Hermione to stop talking to both boys for a while. In the film, there's just a brief scene of Ron and Hermione arguing about whether Crookshanks did it, with Harry apparently staying neutral. Also, the book features Hermione becoming noticeably distressed and overwhelmed from taking so many classes with the Time-Turner, but in the film, she seems to handle the extra classes just fine.

* AdaptationalWimp: In the book, Ron tries to throw himself between Harry and Sirius despite having a broken leg, saying that if wants to kill Harry, he'll have to kill all three of them. In the film, ''Hermione'' does this while Ron doesn't do anything but lie there.

** Harry and Hermione have this reaction when the realive they've follow Scabbers [[spoiler:actually Peter Pettigrew]] towards the Wamping Willow. Ron has one immediately after when he sees "the grim" [[spoiler:Sirium Black]] standing behind Harry and Hermione.

** The backstory of James, Sirius, Lupin and pePettigre and their relationship with Snape is not exlained in as much detail as the books,and the fact that they are the creators of the Marauder's Map is entirely ommitted from the film.

-->'''Harry:''' [''while crying''] "He was their friend.... but, he betrayed them." [''beat''] "HE WAS THEIR FRIEND!"

* AdaptationDistillation: The backstory of James, Sirius, Lupin and pePettigre and their relationship with Snape is not exlained in as much detail as the books,and the fact that they are the creators of the Marauder's Map is entirely ommitted from the film.

* AdaptationDistillation: The backstory of the creation Marauder's Map, i.e. the identity of Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, are ommitted from the film.

* AdaptationDistillation: The backstory of the Marauder's Map, and the identity of its creators, are ommitted from the film.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Goes with the aging of the characters and thus the target audience along with them. Marks a distinct turning point for the film franchise, where everything from the music to the cinematography to Hogwarts' very architecture has taken a turn for the complex and the noir.

** Florean Fortescue is cut from the film, as Harry's three week stay in Diagon Alley is not covered in the film.