For the next few weeks, we will be counting down our 25 favorite blockbusters! There were three criteria to be eligible for the list:

1. Must be a blockbuster: The movie needs to have a domestic gross of $100+ million during its original theatrical run OR a budget $50 million or more OR be in the top 10 for a given year.

2. Jaws is the earliest movie eligible for the list

3. Must be a summer movie, released between April 15 and September 1

From the list of over 150 eligible films, each staff member submitted a ranked list. Each choice was assigned points, and they were all tallied up. Over the next few weeks, we'll be counting down our top 25!

25. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (dir. Alfonso Cuarón, 2004)

by Victoria Potenza, Staff Writer

Unfortunately, I have felt very disenchanted with Harry Potter as of late. Of course, most of this has to do with J.K. Rowling being an all around horrendous person. However, Harry Potter was a huge part of my childhood. From the midnight book releases to the midnight movie screenings, the franchise has been so important to me. The Prisoner of Azkaban film was a blockbuster that came out the summer before I turned 14, making it memorable and essential, especially as a kid who hated the town I was living in. I remember getting my mom to buy me whatever magazine had the promotional photos for Azkaban so I could plaster them all over my walls. The incredible fantasy elements of this film took me away to an entirely new place with the characters I already loved so much. While some of the Harry Potter film adaptations feel more closely tied to the source material, Prisoner of Azkaban is an all around different experience, in the best possible way. While I love this book I particularly love the dark, gritty feel of this film, making it in my opinion the best of the series. 

In the third entry of the series, Harry faces off against the threat of Dementors and someone he believes was instrumental in the death of his parents, Sirius Black. Sirius escapes from the terrifying Azkaban prison and everyone believes he is after Harry Potter. With Ron and Hermione in tow, Harry must figure out the mysteries of the past while keeping his beloved friends and school safe. One aspect of the books I loved was how you grew up with them. As you matured, so did the content. The first two films in the franchise feel very much like the warm and fuzzy entries, but when director Alfonso Cuarón takes the reigns from Chris Columbus he does hit on how essential it was to make a tonal shift in the Harry Potter story and help these characters grow up. The tasks and challenges they go through feel that much harder and more terrifying.

The Dementors are one of the most terrifying creatures in a kids book. Even reading about them scared me so seeing them on the big screen made quite the impression. There are also a lot of interesting horror elements to this film. As a huge fan of the genre as an adult, it makes sense why I loved this film so much. There is the Whomping Willow tree which almost kills Harry and Ron, haunted houses, and even a terrifying werewolf. The world building in this film is phenomenal. The look that Alfonso Cuarón crafts for this film is so influential that almost every subsequent film in the series tries to mimic its tone. However, none of them really pull it off like this one.  

The introduction of Sirius Black is essential to the Harry Potter story considering how close the two become. The introduction of Harry’s new Defense against the Dark Arts Teacher, Professor Lupin, is also essential. David Thewlis does an incredible job bringing this character to life. Lupin feels both tragic and warming as another one of the essential figures that shapes Harry. He teaches Harry to fend off the Demeantors that terrify him and helps bring the truth to light in regards to Sirius Black. These men are so essential to the series that it was essential to get them right and this film does a great job with both of them.  

There are so many interesting elements to this film and story that are memorable, especially when it comes to the magical tools and devices the students rely on. Actually seeing the Marauder’s Map in action is so much fun and ends up being a really terrifying moment in the film. Hermione’s Time Turner is a beautiful prop and makes for a great time travel story line. There is also Professor Sybil Trelawney and her divination teachings that bring more of a witchcraft element to this magical story. 

It is no surprise that this was such a big blockbuster when it came out. Cuarón elevates the Harry Potter franchise from just some kids story to a full on fantasy series. My parents loved seeing these films just as much as my sisters and I did. There are so many iconic locations and scenes in this film, including the trips to Hogsmeade and the Knight Bus ride. It would have been a shame if they were cut or not translated to the screen in the right way but are just as magical on the page as they are on the screen. The amount of action and fun that the film packs in makes it earn its runtime in a way that so many action films now do not. It also shows that we have something lacking, there is not a great fantasy film series out right now. We were spoiled getting Harry Potter releases around the same time as Lord of the Rings, but fantasy hasn’t quite been as popular since.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban truly is one of the best in the series both for its unique look and how distinct it is from the book. There are so few adaptations that manage to stay true to the source material while being their own separate thing and none of the other films in the series manage to pull this off.