Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Reviewed by:
Paul Ulane

Harry Potter may still suffer from peach fuzz and voice cracks, but the franchise got a serious upgrade when they selected Y Tu Mamá También director Alfonso Cuarón for Prisoner of Azkaban. The silly names, magic spells, and annoying children assume a more serious tone on this trip to wizard class, and the extras explain why. "Creating a Vision" interviews Cuarón and series author J.K. Rowling in tandem to discuss how they crafted the source material into a movie. There are also specials on the animal trainers behind the critter magic and the effects team responsible for morphing werewolves, rats, and Gary Oldman from beasts to humans in the editing room. Unfortunately, cast interviews are accompanied by a Jamaican shrunken head from the flick for comic relief, and after that, the extras head even deeper into kiddie territory. All the menus are accompanied by a wizardly instructor's voice that allows you to sing with the school choir, tour the school's classrooms, and take the school's tests—all of which we failed, just like our pregnancy test. (Stupid wizards and their damn fertility spells!)

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