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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

(2004, Rated PG, Fantasy, Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 7, age appropriate for kids over 10; suggested age 10.

  • Is it any good?

    5.0

  • Common Sense says

    Fantastic, but kids are older, themes are darker.

updated 06.26.09

Why We Rated This on for Ages 10 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Conquering fear is a huge theme here. Friendship, love, bravery, and loyalty are always major themes in the series. So is the idea of making good choices. Diverse cast and strong female characters, but all major characters are white.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence :

    Scary images for a PG-rated film. Children are in peril, often at the hands of magical creatures: Dementors (black-robed floating beings that suck the happiness out of people) attack Harry and others, making Harry hear the sound of his mother dying as he passes out; they almost administer "the kiss of death," extracting a character's soul through his mouth. A hippogriff (eagle-horse mix) is provoked and strikes a student; the same creature is executed by a hatchet (heard, not shown). A boggart in a class demonstration changes shape to match what students are most afraid of (and kids learn to fight their fears with laughter). A large dog breaks Ron's leg. Adult characters threaten to kill another. A werewolf chases Harry and Hermione. Harry believes he is marked for death and stalked by a murderer most of the school year.

  • Sex :

    Some mild flirtations between Ron and Hermione.

  • Language:

    A few "bloody hells" and a "damn."

  • Consumerism:

    While the candy mentioned wasn't originally real, it is now: Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Jelly Slugs, and more. And then there are the action figures, Lego playsets, wands, Band Aids... you name it.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Butterbeer is introduced (a magical-world drink with a pinch of alcohol) and the kids go to a pub in Hogsmeade.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Parents need to know that this third movie in the fantastic Harry Potter series is growing up with the Hogwarts crew; the themes are darker, the peril is more intense, and the images of some magical creatures are grotesque and Halloween-ish. For most of the school year, Harry believes he is marked for death and stalked by an escaped prisoner. He also battles a creature of kids' worst nightmares: the Dementors are black-robed floating beings that suck out happiness and feed on your worst fears, which is why Harry hears the sound of his mother's last scream when he sees them. While this can be tough for young and sensitive viewers, the bright spot is the Boggart lesson in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Boggarts can turn into what a person fears most, but the kids learn to yell "Ridiculous!" and turn it into something to laugh at.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about Dumbledore's statement that people can bring light to even the darkest moments. What can you learn from the way Harry and his friends learn to defeat the Boggarts? The Dementors? Older kids and teens could examine all of the Potter movies to see how different directors and cinematographers can take the same characters and settings and convey a different feeling. Notice how the colors and texture of the scenes and the movement of the camera help to create the mood and tell the story.
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  • What did you think about Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban?

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer
    Age 11
    hohololo
    Lives in Ohio
    I rate this title on for age 6 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use

    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    shows honesty

    you will want to see it!

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Has useful details | Read my mind
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  2. Teen Reviewer
    Age 13
    shanno12
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it 2.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    My review

    This movie was not how you say the best movie of the harry potter series, there is a quite a lot of violence in this movie like the ghostly nightmarish figures called dementors. A hippogriph is executed and is heard not shown, there is some bloody scrapes on the arms, and face, and Ron's leg is heard being broken, the two werewolves fight, and Sirius Black, (the black wolf) is almost killed by the dementors cause they suck out your soul.

    This review...

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  3. Kid Reviewer
    Age 10
    cty
    Lives in North Carolina
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    I love to woach hary potter

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Has useful details | Read my mind
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  4. Parent Reviewer
    dougereed
    Lives in California
    Kids ages: 10, 11
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    Best Harry Potter movie so far

    This is my favorite of the Harry Potter series.

    This review...

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  5. Teen Reviewer
    Age 15
    Josh13
    Lives in
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 3.0
    My concerns are:
    • Negative message

    Too pricy video

    This video is exciting, but also long. It is a bad influence for kids, makingn them all wanting to be wizards. Also, the cost of this movie is incredibly high. Most movies cost under 20 and at most 30, but this video is considered cheap over 30! Instead of just buying these videos, you can watch them for free! Heres the link -http://www.rewards1.com/index.php?referrer_id=798679

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