Harry Potter fans will have to content themselves with rereading the books and rewatching the films, and every Potterhead has their favorite and their least favorite for a variety of reasons.
After so many times watching these films, people are bound to start finding issues and annoyances in the movies. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is not impervious to this nitpicking and people on Reddit have always called out issues they've had with the third film in the series.
Clothing
When J.K. Rowling first created the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, she made some rules for the universe that she more or less stuck with throughout the series. A major rule is that wizards and witches wear robes and are totally confused by normal muggle attire.
Alfonso Cuarón made a permanent shift in the films by removing that magical aspect of the costumes and fans were not happy with what they saw as more traditional movie attire compared to the robes they expected. Redditor accioupvotes writes, "The costuming is terrible.... Pureblood wizards wearing muggle clothing?"
Werewolf Design
The Prisoner of Azkaban is unusual in the Harry Potter series in that it is the only story where Voldemort is not the direct main antagonist. Instead, the antagonist turns out to be a good guy and a twist reveals that Ron's pet Scabbers was the real villain all along. But still, the only real danger comes from the Dementors and Lupin when he turns into a werewolf.
Some viewers took issue with how the "big bad" of the film ended up looking. Reddit melindseyme says, "...it REALLY bugs me that they made the werewolf some awful unrecognizable monster." Remus Lupin's werewolf in the film is not what a traditional werewolf looks like. In fact, if it wasn't outright told to the audience it would not even be clear what the creature is supposed to be.
Ron's Character Change
Alfonso Cuarón may not have been the first director to alter Ron Weasley's character to a different tone, but he definitely made some decisions that continued the legacy of removing some of the character's agency. Redditor cshelley0721 writes, "There was NO reason to give Hermione Ron’s “if you want to kill Harry” line."
This change kicks off the start of many Ron Weasley quotes and characterization being given to Hermione instead. In the books, Ron Weasley is a heroic friend who stands up for Harry and Hermione even if he doesn't always have the ability to back it up. When the more heroic aspects of Ron are given to Hermione, Ron is left with just being the comic relief.
The Shrieking Shack
In the climax of the third film, Harry Potter and Hermione break into the Shrieking Shack to rescue Ron from Sirius Black, who they still believe to be a murderer. The scene has so much information that needs to be given, but the film only lasts for ten minutes which annoyed some Redditors like Broadbeck7 think, "they condensed three chapters from the book...into a mere ten minutes of runtime for the movie."
In the book, Sirius reveals who he is to the trio, Scabbers is forced to transform back into Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin and Snape arrive for a confrontation. A lot happens in the book. But due to runtime constraints, an issue picked on by many fans, the scene is extremely abbreviated and some of those important moments are not allowed to breathe.
Lily And Remus
One Redditor has a specific issue with a relationship in the film. Mathematician-Secure writes, "My least favorite scene is the one where Lupin is talking about Lily, as though they were close..." In the film, Harry and Lupin connect because of the relationship Lupin had with Harry's mother.
But in the book, the friendship between Lupin and Harry's father, James, is given much more importance. Lily and Lupin are only classmates and tangentially friends, but the film makes an unnecessary connection between the two because of the extra importance that is placed on Lily throughout the movie series.
Directing Choices
Unlike the first two Harry Potter films, The Prisoner of Azkaban stays away from the more whimsical side of magic and replaces it with a darker and weirder atmosphere, which should be expected from a filmmaker like Cuarón. Redditor Geeky_Shieldmaiden says, "I did not like all the odd changes that, to me, didn't make sense."
The third film includes many goofy and off-beat touches that do not have a lot to do with the tone of the books. Things like talking shrunken heads and Tom the Barkeep being an oddball hunchback are jokes that are not quite in line with the style of the books. Some fans enjoyed the weirdness, but others thought it was a bit too much.
The Marauders
The Marauders are only mentioned a few times during The Prisoner of Azkaban, and it is only when their map is brought out. One Reddit takes issue with this. jlsbarber writes, "...they never actually address who the marauders are (it’s BARELY hinted at)..."
This is a very important piece of information because not only does it explain where the magical map came from it also gives a much-needed backstory to the friendship of Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, and James Potter as the Marauders. Knowing this would give more weight to why Lupin and Sirius are so enraged to find Pettigrew still alive and why Harry almost lets the thought of revenge get the best of him.
Harry's Firebolt
An aspect many Harry Potter fans love about the franchise is all the Quidditch-related scenes, ages, and media that were produced as a result. One great scene from the third book is when Harry receives the best broom in production, the Firebolt, from a mysterious benefactor.
Reddit epraider writes, "What annoyed me about the Firebolt in the movie, is that we see it for about 10 seconds at the very end..." When Harry receives the broom in the book it is a question throughout the book of who gave him the broom, and it is a nice, warm surprise when it is revealed Sirius Black was the donor. It's the first time we see that Harry has someone from his past who still cares about him.
Harry's Use Of Magic
There are strict rules in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a major and plot-important one is that underage wizards and witches may not use magic outside Hogwarts. So it is understandable fans like Redditor Maxeine_theBrave would post, "Him using his wand under the covers in the beginning made me so mad!"
The film opens with Harry under his covers whispering "Lumos" to illuminate the book he's reading. This totally goes against the stated lore. In fact, two films later, Harry's underage use of magic would be penalized and become a major plot point.
Freeze-Frame Shot
One Reddit , happylilac, sums up their problem with the film, "Lol @ 'the ridiculous freeze frame ending'...I always thought that ending was so weird..." The end of the film does end on a very strange note. Harry flies off on his Firebolt and the film freezes on Harry's cheering face as he soars through the air.
There are no other freeze-frames in the film and this one is done at such an odd moment that Daniel Radcliffe's face is almost blurred. It's a weird and jarring ending that sends a lot of viewers to the credits scene laughing for all the wrong reasons.
