What is the best Harry Potter movie?

The Prisoner of Azkaban sets the tone for the rest of the films

Question: What is the best Harry Potter movie?
Position‹3 of 8›: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the best Harry Potter movie
Argument: The Prisoner of Azkaban sets the tone for the rest of the films

Director Alfonso Cuarón sets the tone for the rest of the films. His visuals did a great job of showing the maturity of this film and portraying the magic. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban changed the approach of the franchise to focus entirely on Harry's experiences.

The argument

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban set the tone for the rest of the films. This is largely credited to the best director of the series, Alfonso Cuarón. His change in visuals and narrowed adaptation sets up the success of the rest of the series. This is where the series starts focusing on showing the content through Harry. Stories only make it into the adaptation if they impact Harry. Cuarón’s visuals did a great job showing the maturity of this film and its great magical elements. The pacing of the film, the darker tones, and the camera nearly constantly moving creates risk and symbolizes change.This is a big theme for this film, with the kids maturing as actors and their characters maturing into adolescence. This film also showcased the introduction of Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Michael Gambon playing Dumbledore. The film was full of beautiful shots of great magic. The time travel storyline and the werewolf were wonderfully portrayed. Harry flying on Buckbeak and the night bus ride is captivating. The dementors, Patronuses, and Whomping Willow were all excellently brought to life. Finally, this film had two other great assets. First, the Prisoner of Azkaban had the best music with John Williams’ score.Second, this film had the spectacular moment on Hermione punching Draco.

Premises

[P1]Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, the best director of the series, Prisoner of Azkaban changed the visuals and narrowed the adaptation to tell the story through Harry. [P2] Its darker tones, moving camera, and themes of change set the template the rest of the films followed as the characters matured. [P3] It also introduced key figures like Sirius Black and Remus Lupin and delivered standout moments, John Williams' best score, and beautifully portrayed magic. [C] Therefore, because the Prisoner of Azkaban sets the tone for the rest of the films, it is the best Harry Potter movie.

Counter-arguments

The Prisoner of Azkaban is a confusing movie that tries to do too much. There are too many subplots to follow. The Time Travel storyline is particularly confusing, and it is strange that the only things time travel is used for in the series are to save Buckbeak and let Hermione take extra classes. Despite all the unnecessary plots that the film keeps, it disregards the socio-political commentary of the werewolf storyline that is present in the book.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P4] The Prisoner of Azkaban is a confusing movie that tries to do too much.