One of the most anticipated films of the year, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ” has arrived this summer instead of the fall debut of the previous chapters. The film is based on the third book series by J.K. Rowling that tell of the adventures of young wizard Harry Potter and his friends while attending Hogwarts Academy of Wizardry and Witchcraft.

      The movie opens with young Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), on Summer break with his guardians who have grown leery of Harry and his powers as while they still do not treat Harry well, and make false comments about Harry’s deceased parents. Unable to take the lies Harry stands up for his family honor and practices magic outside of school even though it is forbidden and runs away from his guardians.

      In no time Harry is aboard a magical bus that whisks him to the Ministry of Magic where Harry is absolved of using magic outside of school and reunited with his friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger( Emma Watson) as they prepare to board the train to school. Before they can depart, the trio learns that Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from the dreaded Azkaban prison and is likely after Harry as he betrayed Harry’s parents.

      Upon arriving at school, Harry learns that Sirius may indeed be heading to the school to get Harry causing extreme security measure to be taken such as the scary Dementors. Despite the added protection, it is evident that Sirius has compromised the school and that Harry is soon facing a threat greater than any he has even known. Thanks to the assistance of former caretaker and now instructor Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) Harry and his friends set out to stop Sirius and save the day and uncover the true connection between Sirius and Harry.

      Naturally Harry, Ron, and Hermione have to contend with Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton), Professor Snape (Alan Rickman) and the new faculty of the school including the kind Professor Lupin (David Thewlis), and the kooky Sybil Trelawney (Emma Thompson), The film has a much darker tone than the previous two films, as while the trademark humor, fantasy, and effects are still present, there is a darker and more sinister tone to the film. Even the color schemes appear more muted and foreboding than in past films. Despite having some nice effects, the film never relies on eye candy to be its drawing card as the interesting and lovable characters are what enables this film shine. The acting is first rate Radcliffe continues to grow with each outing and Coltrane gives a solid performance. Maggie Smith, and Michael Gambon (who seamlessly replaces the late Richard Harris) are sadly underused in the film as they are almost a cameo presence in the film and their stern but kind presence is missed.

      The film moves along at a steady pace, and despite its 120+ minute run time, there are few slow moments in the film. Director Alfonso Curan keeps the franchise moving along well and despite the darker tone stays true to the vision that Chris Columbus started in the first two films while imprinting his own unique style. The only real issue I had with the film was that certain situations and events were left hanging at the films conclusion leaving me a bit unsatisfied. I know this was necessary to set the stage for the later films but it seemed at times that I was watching a setup for the next film rather than a complete story with ongoing threads. That being said, the film will delight fans and already has me looking forward to “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”. It should be noted that despite its PG rating, some younger viewers might be frightened by some moments of the film. That aside, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” is a modern day classic that more than lives up to the hype and is well worth seeing for fans of all ages. The fourth film in the series is already under way and I must say that for many people, myself included, I look forward to seeing what future adventures Harry and his friends have in store for audiences.