In the third installment of the movie series, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) casts an enchanting spell on the audience once again in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."

Harry returns for his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, accompanied by his best friends, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson). At the same time, convicted murderer Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), who is supposedly connected to the evil Lord Voldemort, escapes from the Azkaban magic prison.

Everyone, from the professors to students, is on high alert until he is found.

Based on the book series by J.K. Rowling, the script is solid. It sticks very closely to the original plot line. Why mess with success?

The internationally known book series has sold more than a quarter of a billion books, and has been translated into 61 different languages. As the book and movie series progress, the characters grow older.

Although the movie runs more than two hours long, which would normally seem long for children to sit through, it goes by quickly. Many of the scenes are action-packed. Expensive special effects and elaborate costumes create many of the magical tricks the characters perform, and none of it appears cheesy or fake.

With new director, Alfonso Cuarón, behind the scenes, the movie's cinematography has graduated to a higher level. He is known for directing different types of film, like the racy foreign flick, "Y Tu Mamá También."

Cuarón's smooth transitions and dramatic musical score and lighting, along with Rowling's plot line, make the film a bit darker and more mature. Most noteworthy are the bird's eye view shots of the vast landscape and the school's giant castle, engrossing the audience into the film.

Also by using fast-action filming to portray time travel, distorting dimensions in a magical bus and casting a veil over the camera to mimic an invisible cloak, Cuarón makes the magic seem very real rather than cartoon-like.

The cast's chemistry, especially between Radcliffe, Watson and Grint, works well in the movie. The three 13-year-olds have the down-to-earth qualities that many blockbuster movies nowadays no longer have, making the acting all the more convincing.

Radcliffe captures genuine emotion in depicting Potter's heart-wrenching, early loss of his parents. Also, Watson and Grint's subtle hints at romantic interest mixed with annoyance, perfectly mirror a confusing childhood friendship that has the possibility of growing into something more.

The books and movies have a connotation of appealing to a younger demographic, but this movie could most definitely entertain adults as well. As the characters grow up, the plot line becomes increasingly intense, contributing moments of mild violence and a few flinch-worthy, scary scenes.