Analysis
Symbols and Tropes
Hero's Journey
Ever notice that every blockbuster movie has the same fundamental pieces? A hero, a journey, some conflicts to muck it all up, a reward, and the hero returning home and everybody applauding his or...
Setting
HogwartsThe Wizarding World of Harry PotterIf you think visiting one of the greatest schools of magic would ever get old, you need some help. Or maybe a SAD lamp: are you feeling okay? But this is...
Point of View
Daniel Radcliffe has a lot of work to do, being in almost every scene of the movie—except when he's under the invisibility cloak, which gives him a bit of a break. The Harry Potter novels are tol...
Genre
FantasyHarry Potter is a fantasy story through-and-through, and a pretty traditional one at that. Wizards: check. Magical creatures: check. Castles: check. Magic spells that inflate annoying relati...
What's Up With the Title?
We covered the "Harry Potter" part of the title already (check out Harry's Character Analysis) so let's talk about the "Prisoner of Azkaban" part. First of all, what the heck is an Azkaban? A mind-...
What's Up With the Ending?
The Azkaban RedemptionIt was a lot easier to get out of Shawshank than it is to get out of Azkaban.While we're not sure how Sirius broke out of the wizard prison, his journey isn't done yet. While...
Shock Rating
PGAlthough Alfonso Cuarón directed the very NC-17 film Y Tu Mamá También prior to Azkaban, we stay firmly in PG territory here. Hormones haven't yet gone wild at Hogwarts, although we do glimpse...