Quick Review

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - This movie is the best of the three made in this series. The ominous, gothic touches, such as the Scottish landscape, the standing stones, the cloister walks and the giant mechanical clock, give the story a context it has not had before. Buckbeak and the Whomping Willow are unique characters and not just plot devices. The dementors are creepy. And the movie is paced at a better clip than the previous efforts; however, this sometimes comes at the expense of necessary exposition or character development. On the whole, one of the better movies this summer.

Now, on to Spider Man 2!