Prisoner of Azkaban3
Rupert Grint’s Rave Reviews for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
“But Thewlis, who joined the cast as Professor Lupin for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, thinks it will be difficult for them to have acting careers outside the series. “The most likely is Rupert,” he said. “I think he’s the most natural actor… I can imagine him moving on…”
“But Rupert Grint is still the one to watch – the kid just has charisma.”
seacoastonline.com, Gina Garbone, June 10/04
“Rupert Grint’s comic-timing and face reminds me in an odd way of young “DEAD END” Huntz Hall… He’s a warm heart, a great friend and he is the perfect release valve for the frightening. He defuses a scene effortlessly and that is true magic.”
“Grint’s comedic timing is sharp as always, and he plays the sort of slow doofus friend well.”
“Rupert Grint, while not reinventing the wheel (or even Ron, for that matter) is doing better than ever at portraying Ron as the ultimate 3rd year Hogwart’s slacker.”
“Rupert Grint took Ron’s gangliness and awkwardness and used it to add comedic light to the dark film.”
“Watson has shrugged off the last of her stage school mannerisms, but it’s still Rupert Grint who gets the most laughs.”
“…and sidekick Grint is becoming quite adept at comic timing.”
Boston Herald, James Verniere, June 3/04
“…Harry’s best friends, regular-bloke Ron (Rupert Grint) and assertive brainiac Hermione (Emma Watson)… there’s a beautiful faraway shot of Ron’s hand pressed to the window, his flesh the only visible light at that moment of vulnerability.”
“Rupert Grint and Emma Watson succeed admirably in running circles around poor Mr. Radcliffe. Throughout the story we are supposed to be convinced that Harry is a very angry person capable of unspeakable violence, but the best Radcliffe can manage is a mild tantrum. The scenes he has to carry on his own drag on a bit and one scene specifically was strongly reminiscent of Titanic. But fortunately these are few and far between and his capable co-stars are more than up to the task of creating emotion or tension when necessary. Rupert and Emma have grown with their characters so now Ron is comic relief with compassion and Hermione’s type A personality is tempered with some feminine qualities.”
“Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley displays amazing growth in this installment. The shy young wizard, always unsure of himself begins to mature as he gains some confidence in his abilities and himself. He also begins to see potential with his crush on Hermione. ”
“Rupert Grint’s Ron was my least favorite character in the first two pictures; his whining became borderline irritating after we heard it ten or fifteen times. This time, though, he’s grown up and while he is still a wimp, Ron becomes significant in a way I might not have noticed.”
“Rupert isn’t in a great deal of the film but is still good at being Ron, especially in scenes in which he tries to deny an attraction for Hermione.”
“Harry and Hermione are still sympathetic, but are no longer cute in that kid way. Grints Ron, on the other hand, still manages to steal scenes with a fine sense of being ferociously overwhelmed at every turn as the least able member of the crew, both physically and magically.”
“Rupert Grint’s sad face and excellent comic timing continue to score big laughs as Ron Weasley…”
“Rupert Grint is always good, and he is here, too.”
“The returning cast all perform on the high level weve come to expect from this exceptional cast (Rupert Grint remains my favorite young actor, his Ron my favorite character in the series).”
“Here they are given greater reign to explore their characters through more movements and actions, though I must admit I missed all of Rupert Grint’s silly face making…”
“As for Grint, his mugging in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was truly appalling but that seems to have been a phase and this time around he’s note-perfect. Which is saying a lot – the role of best friend to the here is one of the most difficult in drama and has brought many a more seasoned thesp to his spiritual knees.”
“Rupert Grint has always seemed physically comfortable with being Ron and can handle the subtle signals of Ron’s growing attraction to Hermione.”
I was a Teenage Werewolf: PoA Review
“…and Grint is quite funny as Ron, who appears to be developing a mega-crush on Hermione almost against his will.”
“Ron isn’t as integral to the story as he has been, but Rupert Grint still has a knack for comic relief, now in the form of a cute budding romance with Hermione.”
“Potter’s pals Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) have finally begun to develop more complex personalitites as the two young actors have matured. You’ll be seeing a lot of Watson and Grint in the future.”
“The moxie-laden Emma Watson and Rupert Grint provide admirable, dramatic and comic backup”
“…where his good friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) have grown funnier and more mysterious respectively.”
“…with a deeper characterization of the now adolescent Harry (Radcliffe) and Hermione (Watson) and to a lesser extent their down to earth friend Ron.”
“Where Chamber of Secrets was focused on Harry and Ron, Prisoner of Azkaban is focused on Harry and Hermione. That is not to say Ron was all but invisible, he just took a more supporting role in the plot as the film progressed.”
“And then there’s lovable Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), who struggles mightily to keep up with his intrepid friends.”
“Rupert Grint’s Ron Weasley is as much loyal friend as mere comic foil.”
“That maturity has worked wonders not only on Radcliffe, but on the supporting players of Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) as well. [...] Always ready to jump forward for comedy relief, Rupert Grint seems to have found a comfortable spot in the series dynamic…”
“Rupert Grint returns as Ron Weasley, delivering the movie’s most humorous lines with his marvelous facial expressions.”
“Rupert Grint’s comic-timing and face reminds me in an odd way of a young “DEAD END” Huntz Hall… a pug-ish Skid row kid that’s always the butt of the jokes… be they by others or simply the joke of existence itself. He’s a warm heart, a great friend and he is the perfect release valve for the frightening. He defuses a scene effortlessly and that is true magic.”
“His best friend Ron has left a good part of his affably goofy look behind, but still retained enough to be the funny guy we all love.”
“Rupert Grint, while still most enjoyable in the first movie, is growing into Ron perfectly.”
“All three — Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson — have enormous poise and commitment. For me, nothing is funnier than Grint’s always-on-the-verge-of-tears expression under duress.”
“Harry and Hermione are still sympathetic, but are no longer cute in that kid way. Grint’s Ron, on the other hand, still manages to steal scenes with a fine sense of being ferociously overwhelmed at every turn as the least able member of the crew, both physically and magically.”
“And Columbus had a penchant for falling back on his Home Alone playbook, making Harry and his pals Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) grimace, throw open their mouths, and go “Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!” (His direction of Grint in Chamber of Secrets, with all the mugging and funny faces, bordered on child abuse.) [,,,]For all the eccentric and peculiar characters (and artfully grand acting) around the three young stars, Cuarón works with them to give the movie a real and solid center. It helps, too, that as they grow up, they’re also growing into their characters.”
“Grint has landed himself squarely in the love-him-or-hate-him camp. Personally, I love him and his priceless comic timing.”
“However, when you have a bunch of mouldable teens, you need to make them as realistic as possible, so this is where the problem lies. For somebody who was locked in a cupboard all his life, Radcliffe has transformed Potter into an actor, not a teenager; you can see this difference just by looking over at Grint’s Ron Weasley who acts like a teenager and not a pronounced, overdrawn stage actor.”
“But where Cuaron really succeeds is with the actors. Daniel Radcliffe as Harry is still a bit of a blank, but Emma Watson has really grown into the role of Hermione, and Rupert Grint as Ron displays fine comic timing.”
“Now, I have to mention the three leads because they’ve evolved steadily. Daniel Radcliffe is a bonafide leading man now, Emma Watson gets a great female character and runs with it, and Rupert Grint (my favorite) clearly has a charm beyond being excellent comedic relief. Life after Potter for them is filled with other good roles, I hope.”
“Grint looks appropriately gawking with his newfound lankiness, giving opportunity to play timidity without venturing into cowardice.”
“Perhaps the most notable change is that Cuaron has coaxed genuinely decent performances out of the three leads [...] Grint also seems more relaxed this time round…”
“The trio of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint is maturing into handsome teens, and with their heightened acting abilities (especially Radcliffe), should find good careers as they leave their teens. Grint especially has good comedic timing. ”
“The whole cast seems to be having a ball. [...] The kids just look more relaxed, loping about in their hip clothing and mod haircuts.
As faithful Ron, Rupert Grint mugs ridiculously as ever, but he has a sweet, stretched-out geekiness that makes the mothers among us want to stifle him in a hug.”
“Watson and Grint exchange places from the second film; she was in the background in “Chamber,” while he took a larger role in the action. In “Prisoner,” he has less to do and she more, but both carry off their assigned tasks confidently.”
“But it’s the kids who really stand out. Potter’s pals Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) have finally begun to develop more complex personalities as the two young actors have matured. You’ll be seeing a lot of Watson and Grint in the future, although Radcliffe faces the biggest challenge — finding roles that are not Harry Potter.”
“Our child stars are growing up. Harry, Hermione and Ron are all becoming much more powerful, and the actors are also learning more of their craft. Radcliffe still seems quite one dimensional, but Grint and Watson are really coming along.”
“The actors have all grown up tremendously well…
Rupert Grint as Ron was comical as always, and his lines were kept short so that when the humorous line hit, he then didn’t drag it out.”
“Daniel Radcliffe may not be quite ready for Hamlet yet, but he carries off an air of worried introspection with assurance. His companions figure more prominently. Rupert Grint’s Ron Weasley is as much loyal friend as mere comic foil.”
“The moxie-laden Emma Watson and Rupert Grint provide admirable, dramatic and comic backup.”
“Watson and Grint are growing into their roles nicely as well.”
“The lead trio – Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson – are growing at about the same rate as their characters. All are likable and recognizable, and the hope is that they will be able to continue in these roles until the series ends.”
“Radcliffe, Watson and Grint were appealing enough in the earlier movies, but their performances were also a bit stiff and perfunctory. Slightly older and more seasoned now — in addition to the fact that they’re working with an intuitive director who clearly knows how to guide young actors — they’ve learned how to fully relax into their characters. They never mug; their faces show gradations of expression we haven’t seen before.”
“Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson all return as the stars of the tale. They still prove that their casting was perfect and they nail the characters yet again. While Grint probably has the least screentime of any of the characters, everyone has their moment to shine this time around. I realize now that it’s going to be hard to accept any other kids in the roles of these beloved heroes.”
“Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint still work wonders, however. I think of these movies as buddy pictures and these three talented performers have established one of the most endearing friendships I’ve seen on film.”
“Of course, the kids do a fine job as Radcliffe, Grint and Watson show real maturity in their perfs and are quite comfortable with their characters.”
“The three young leads have settled into their respective parts marvelously, and can consistently find unseen nuances in the beloved heroes they have come to embody.”
“The three young actors that have taken the leads in the Potter films are finally being pushed to become better actors and we are being rewarded with fuller, stronger performances.”
“Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have certainly grown into the roles as the trio of friends, whose mannerisms and movements rightfully feel like those of long-time friends.”
“The acting is, once again, excellent. The main trio’s weakest link is still lead Daniel Radcliffe as Potter, although he’s noticably improved over the prior two films.”
“The now-famous child stars of the ridiculously profitable “Harry Potter” films are literally growing before audiences’ eyes as each new film in the series is released and fans of the series should take heart that Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson (playing Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, respectively) have yet again improved their skills in front of the camera as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban certainly highlights their increasing talents.”
“Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) couples his added age with a certain confidence in the role which had been lacking before, while the support cast of Emma Watson (playing Hermione), Rupert Grint (Ron) and Tom Felton (Malfoy) are now a whole lot more convincing.”
“Of course, our three young heroes Harry, Ron and Hermoine (Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson) have grown and matured a bit since we’ve seen them last, Ron most of all. [...]
And the three kids, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint along with Tom Felton as their nemesis Draco Malfoy, have grown both physically as well as actors and have definite improvements since the first film.”
“Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson (Hermione), and Rupert Grint (Ron), are faced with portraying complex individuals in genuine dramatic settings. Their characters are constantly growing. This film would utterly fail if its teen stars couldn’t adapt to the emotional changes in the story. They rise magnificently to the challenge and dispel any doubts about their acting abilities. [...]
There’s not one scene where their star power is not on display. They are the central characters and this is their movie.”
“Gone are the awkward kids of the first two films, as the growth of the three leads (Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint) in both stature and acting chops gives The Prisoner of Azkaban an incredible weight.”
“He has also drawn some excellent performances from Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint (Harry, Hermione, and Ron, respectively), who have developed outstandingly as actors since The Chamber of Secrets. Now teenagers, they seem very natural in their roles and interact confidently with the adult cast.”
“And as they become teenagers, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have fleshed out the roles; the relationship between the three characters always feels real. Whether it is a squabble between Hermione and Ron about her cat chasing his pet rat, or serious concern when Harry falls off his broomstick playing Quidditch in a stormy sky, we can relate to them all.”
“Radcliffe, Watson and Grint, as Harry, Hermione and Ron respectively, still show the inexperience of youth, but they’re all much more confident and much more able to carry the film than they used to be. They’ve grown perfectly into their characters, and there’s absolutely no reason why they shouldn’t be able to continue to play the parts in forthcoming films.”
“And then we have Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. They started together in movie #1 as young innocents, and here they are, quite wise and wonderful at thirteen. Their ability to grow with the roles as they grow up themselves is one of the things we think about as we watch. The three actors have grown in confidence, and their faces have become more chiseled, more adult.”
“Though I enjoyed Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson in the first two “Potter” movies, I was worried about would happen to the three once their “Potter” days are over. After viewing “Prisoner of Azkaban,” the question of whether they will be able to transition to other parts has been answered. Showing more depth and range than in the first two “Harry Potter” movies, Radcliffe, Grint and Watson have all come into their own.”
“The 3 young main characters continue to impress me with each outing.”
“But it’s not the onslaught of questionable websites dedicated to this underage urchin that is the reason for my liking her – it actually is her talent – as well as the talent of her co-stars; Rupert Grint as the nebbishy Ron Weasley and Daniel Radcliffe as the young hero, Harry Potter. In the first two Potter films, these three child actors seemed to be of average talent at best, but here, they seemed to have matured into a better class of actor.”
“Cuarón also understands the adolescent turmoil of the characters and draws strong performances from the young stars (Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and especially Radcliffe) to complement the artfully grand acting of the eccentric supporting characters.”
“Radcliffe, Grint and especially Watson, now teenagers themselves, show that they have matured as actors, offering more naturalistic performances, and with Cuarón’s help, conjuring up the real magic in the film.”
“With all that’s been made of the child actors who play Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger (are they too old? do they have enough experience? is one of them going to get slapped with the ugly stick before the movies are done? etc.) it’s clear that they’re maturing as actors as quickly as they’re maturing as teenagers.”
“Harry’s best friends, cheeky over-achiever Hermione and misfit redhead Ron, and the young actors who play them, Emma Watson and Rubert Grint, have grown as well, which helps Cuarón and screenwriter Steve Cloves to dispense with exposition and get down to real character development.”
“Hermione and Ron once again steal Harry’s thunder…”
“All the leads (Watson, Radcliffe, and Grint) do much better work this time out, partly because of their age, but also because they are clearly starting to truly inhabit these roles.”
“Watson and Grint likewise have an added maturity and Thewlis is a beacon of adult wisdom and sanity.”
“As Ron and Hermione are reaching puberty, their interactions with each other take on a decidedly awkward affair, trying to determine if they are merely friends or do they actually have feelings for each other. [...] Cuarón again captures the now pre-teens in a very good light and captures their emotions, actions, and reactions, much more succinctly than Columbus ever did.”
“Harry’s pal Ron* (Rupert Grint) says the Dementors make him feel cold, as if he’ll never be cheerful again—an evocative description of real adolescent depression. Cuarón is mindful of these metaphors, so the movie works on more than one level.”
“While Emma Watson and Rupert Grint are able to sustain their respective supporting roles of Hermione and Ron, the real work falls on the shoulders of Daniel Radcliffe, in the unenviable position of going through adolescence as the world’s most-watched wizard.”
“Cuaron discovers three excellent young actors in the central roles; nothing in the first two films suggested that Radcliffe, Grint and Watson could deliver such solid performances as they do here!”
“The cast of ‘Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban’ is marvellous: Harry, Hermione and Ron (Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and the beautifully-named Rupert Grint respectively) handle their roles with confidence and maturity.”
“Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, Rupert Grint as Ron and Emma Watson as Hermione are sort of a combination Hardy Boys-Nancy Drew, trying to figure out the strange doings at Hogwarts and put their nightmares to rest while skulking about the grounds. The young actors have settled into the roles they’ve been playing for several years, comfortable while becoming old friends who play off one another …”
“Also returning are the three main cast members: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, all three looking older and perhaps a bit wiser. For the first time in the Harry Potter films there is some real tangible emotion behind the lines of the main characters, showing that they’ve not only physically grown, but also are growing as actors. You don’t get the feeling of children delivering lines from a script, but instead that the actors have worked out emotion and thought processes behind those lines.”
“As Harry, Ron, Hermione grow older, so do the children behind the names and each of them are steadily improving as actors making the film feel less uneven and bringing you more into the mythology surrounding Potter.”
“The three young actors at the heart of this franchise have really grown into their roles. Ron is getting tall and rather awkward just like I picture him in the books.”
“The biggest revelation in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, though, is the emotional resonance of the film’s central trio—Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his two best friends, Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint). They have truly grown into their parts over the course of three years, and it’s impossible to imagine any other actors playing them.”
“Of course, another quite noticeable difference is that the three leading players—Daniel Radcliffe (who plays Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron), and Emma Watson (Hermione)—are all blossoming into adolescence, ranging in age from 13 to 15 (I think their characters are all supposed to be about 13 in this episode). Their acting continues to improve; while they all appeared energetic but inexperienced in Stone, they have certainly grown into the roles and imbued them with an increasingly textured depth to match their burgeoning physical maturation.”
“As Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson are, by now, fully at ease and comfortable within their characters’ skin and are nicely growing along with their film counterparts.”
“As for the three main characters, they are all maturing well, with no signs of those sometimes awkward teenage phases many of us know so well.”
“What is best here is watching how all of these actors have grown and moved right into their roles. In particular, Radcliffe, Watson and Grint appear far more comfortable, more polished, more assured. Sort of like the characters they are playing.”
“The main trio which consists of Harry Potter and his best friends Ron and Hermione are noticeably better, brining more depth and believability to their characters…”
“Speaking of which, Daniel Radcliffe does a great job once again, as do Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. These three primary actors really seemed to have a close bond that translates very well onto the screen.”
“The three leads, Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Emma Watson (Hermione), and Rupert Grint (Ron), inhabit their characters more comfortably and convincingly than ever; perhaps they’re simply growing into the roles, or perhaps credit is due to Cuarón for eliciting these performances.”
“The acting of the three leads is also ripening. Daniel Radcliffe is clearly comfortable in the title role now, Rupert Grint as Ron has always been great comic relief, and Emma Watson convinces as Hermione. As a threesome, they are hard to beat.”
“Like their characters, Radcliffe, Grint and Watson are growing up — as people and as actors. For the first time, they seem to be truly acting instead of being plopped on a set and told to recite Rowling’s lines (yeah, they were cuter-than-cute, but did we really buy them as actors before?). There’s a slightly angry adolescent edge to Radcliffe’s Harry, while Grint and Watson blush furiously every time they accidentally brush hands — just like real 13-year-olds.”
“The three teen leads are showing growth in their acting skills and Cuaron has especially been able to tone down Grint’s tendency to make Ron hammy.”
“Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint own this movie and each one is blossoming into a capable actor. [...]
The threesome work best AS a threesome, though. No matter where books/films 4, 5, 6, up to infinity take us, it’s satisfying that Ron & Hermione continue to be original characters who could exist in their own story, not just as sidekicks to Dirty Harry.”
“However, David Thewlis (as Professor Lupin) excels in a surrogate father role to Harry, while Daniel Radcliff (Harry), Emma Watson (Hermione) and Rupert Grint (Ron) only get better with each movie.”
“Watson and Grint also come into their own and stay true to their characters without overreaching. It is, however, a notable pity Hermione and Ron weren’t more fleshed out this time around.”
“Daniel Radcliffe remains deadly boring, but everyone around him is enchanting. With Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, Michael Gambon.”
“There is little development between the trio in this film as well, apart from the small, excellently handled awkward moments between Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) whose relationship will be furthered in the later films as it is in the later books.”
Suite 101: — Novel (1999) to Film (2004) comparison
“The younger actors have continued to improve. A franchise like this relies heavily on the young cast members, and Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have all grown into solid talents.”
“He [Radcliffe] was good in the second movie, but he’s truly great in the third, and for the first time he feels like the real Harry. Rupert Grint improves as well, in the same ways. Both of them hit their strides this time around, and have used what they learned on this film to great effect in the next two.”
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