Approved for 18+

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) returns to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft for Wizards along with his best friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) in this fantasy adventure film. Harry hones his skills and gains confidence as a wizard and also seems to be the sole focus of an escaped prisoner from Azkaban, named Sirius Black (Gary Oldman). Black was imprisoned for the death of Harry’s parents. It is believed that Harry is destined for a similar fate, if Black finds him. The ghostly prison keepers, called “Dementors,” have rarely allowed someone to escape Azkaban, and they are not forgiving as they seek to punish Black for his stealthy evasion. These creatures are quite adept at scaring Harry and his fellow students as well. Faithful followers of J.K. Rowling’s work will undoubtedly find The Prisoner of Azkaban to be the greatest film yet.
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Negative Rating
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SexLanguageViolenceDrugsNudityOther
4
Positive Rating
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FaithIntegrity

Dove Review

There are some wonderfully creative fantasy elements in Rowling’s work, but each Harry Potter movie seems to get darker and more frightening and violent than its predecessor. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Dementors are faceless creatures with scary mouths and claw-type hands that feed on happy people, leaving them in great sadness with the chill of death. Although it is a highly entertaining and well-made film, Dove cannot award it the Dove Seal because of the emphasis on divination, incantations and dark themes.

Dove Rating Details

0
Faith

None

4
Integrity

Fantasy action and violence, involving creature attacks (demonic ghouls, werewolves, trees that come to ife, a hippogriff); a youth gets his leg broken; threats of death to other characters

0
Sex

None

1
Language

British-inspired cursing ("Bloody hell"; d***)

3
Violence

Fantasy action and violence, involving creature attacks (demonic ghouls, werewolves, trees that come to ife,
a hippogriff); a youth gets his leg broken; threats of death to other characters

1
Drugs

Alcohol is briefly seen consumed by adults; scenes in a pub where kids are permitted to drink "butterbeer"

0
Nudity

None

4
Other

Subject matter involving witchcraft and wizardry

More Information