Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (novel)/YMMV
YMMV tropes present in the book
- Ensemble Darkhorse: Sirus and Remus.
- Fridge Brilliance: Why is Snape almost psychotic with rage over Sirius' escape at the end? Because, as far as he knows, Sirius is the one who betrayed the Potters and thus got Lily killed - rather less petty than the childhood grudge everyone assumes (although Snape's holding onto that, too).
- Fridge Horror: Harry's essay poking lighthearted fun at witch burnings. Sure, it was no more than a mild inconvenience for the wizard (one witch liked it so much that she kept allowing herself to be captured), but what about those poor Muggles misidentified as witches, who really are being burned at the stake?
- Also, how is Goyle's father going to react when he learns that Pettigrew, as Scabbers, ended up biting Goyle on the knuckle during the Weasley's first year?
- Funny Aneurysm Moment: At one point in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Scabbers bit Goyle on the knuckle (which was even referenced by Fred and George Weasley in Azkaban). Come Azkaban, and the revelation that Scabbers was actually Peter Pettigrew, who was the true person responsible for leaking Lily and James Potter's location to Lord Voldemort and thus their deaths, not to mention the revelation in Goblet of Fire that Goyle's father was most likely one of Pettigrew's comrades among the Death Eaters. it becomes somewhat disturbing.
- Growing the Beard: Many fans believe that this is the turning point for the series as a whole, citing the encounter at the Shrieking Shack as evidence.
- Hilarious in Hindsight: "Can I have a look at Uranus too, Lavender?" You'll get your chance, Ron, when you start dating her in Book 6.
- Ho Yay: Sirius and Lupin. Even more so in the movie.
- Older Than They Think: Many people assume that Rowling invented Hippogriffs for this book. She didn't.
- Shipping Goggles: The series has enough of this to fill a page, but this entry probably has the best example, what has been dubbed "The Symbolic Flight". This theory states that because Harry and Hermione flew together on Buckbeak together and without Ron, that they are destined to be together - ignoring the fact that Ron was only not present because he broke his leg earlier.
- Straw Man Has a Point: Lucuis Malfoy is a pretty awful person, who attempted to assault Harry at the end of last book for freeing Dobby, but is it really difficult to see Hagrid as a Designated Hero for trying to keep Buckbeak at school? In the "Fantastic Beasts and where to find them" book it list Hippogriffs as one of the most dangerous beasts known to wizard kind and Hagrid thought it was appropriate to have thirteen year-olds approach them and train them? Granted Draco screwed up practically on purpose, but what if it was another student being attacked by accident?
- What Do You Mean It's Not Political?: Along with Umbridge, Aunt Marge's character was intended as a caricature of Margaret Thatcher, whom Rowling dislikes immensely.
YMMV tropes present in the film
- And the Fandom Rejoiced: Many Gary Oldman fans love him as Sirius, because he's still Crazy Awesome.
- David Thewlis as Remus Lupin, who arguably emerges as Harry's most genuinely lovable teacher (and among the more lovable adults) in the whole series.
- Non Sequitur Scene: After everyone arrives at Hogwarts to start the new year, the Fat Lady won't let them into Gryffindor Tower because she's too busy trying to shatter a glass with her voice. That scene has never made any sense. And they left so many important bits out...
- The talking shrunken head on the Knight Bus.
- The School Choir replacing the Sorting Hat, although that did allow for the Crowning Music of Awesome "Double Double."
- A long shot of a blue bird flying through the castle and getting killed by the Whomping Willow.
- The long shots of the Whomping Willow were often used to show the changing of the seasons, but the one with the bird could be Foreshadowing the importance the Willow has later in the book.
- A shot of the ghost of a knight crashing through the window and running through the Great Hall being chased by another ghost which the characters completely ignore.
- For the random knight-through-the-window and the blue bird, see Rule of Cool and Rule of Funny, respectively.
- Broken Base: Half the fanbase considers this one of the best (if not the best) Harry Potter film in the franchise, or at least when the Harry Potter films started getting good. The other half considers this movie to be one of the worst (if not the worst) Harry Potter film in the franchise. The film was mostly better received by critics than the first two, although it was the first HP film not to get four stars from Roger Ebert. Also, this is J.K. Rowling's favorite film.
- Growing the Beard: According to most professional critics, along with about half of the fans. At the very least, people agreed that the younger actors and actresses were finally fitting snugly into their roles (aside from the Narm mentioned below).
- Internet Backdraft: Best movie in the series? Worst movie in the series? Middlingest movie in the series? Whatever your opinion, a huge chunk of the Fan Dumb will loathe you for it.
- Memetic Mutation: SIRIUS DID HIS WAITING! TWELVE YEARS OF IT! IN AZKABAN!!!
- HE WAS THEIR FRIEND!
- Narm: The movie is full of it, most notably Harry's crying scene in Hogsmeade (blame Daniel Radcliffe), Draco getting attacked by Buckbeak (blame Tom Felton), and the punching scene (blame Emma Watson, Tom Felton, and Steve Kloves).
- Malfoy being attacked by Buckbeak, which was deliberately Narm-y; in the book, it was stated that he over-played how bad the injury really was. Why? Because he's Draco Malfoy and he's a whiny brat. And because he wanted to get Hagrid fired.
- Straw Man Has a Point: See above
- They Changed It, Now It Sucks: Alfonso's complete redesigning of Hogwarts geography, coupled with the overall more comedic tone the film has compared to the previous two.
- Not to mention the forced comedy of the shrunken heads added to the Knight Bus
- Trailers Always Spoil: The trailer with Harry shouting "expecto patronum" very loudly likely makes obvious what is going to happen for those far enough into the movie to have already heard Harry's quieter "expecto patronum" shouts.