Director: David Yates
Format: Theater
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Imelda Staunton, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson
Trailer
I have to admit it; I was late jumping on the Harry Potter bandwagon. I only just began reading the novels in June, but I’m halfway through The Prisoner of Azkaban already. I’m addicted. I even bought a bag of Bertie Bott’s Every-flavor beans. So far, my only disappointment is that the film adaptations to that point are so close to the novels. So, having seen a majority of the Potter movies, there haven’t been any surprises in the books. That’s quite a turn from my usual book-to-movie experience. Having not caught up to the most recent movie: Order of the Phoenix, I don’t know if the adaptation of that particular novel is up to par. However, I have heard rumor that the thicker the books get, the looser the adaptations.
Once again, Harry’s mortal enemy, Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), seems to be on the rise to power. Cornelius Fudge and The Ministry of Magic are in a state of paranoid denial and launch a smear campaign in The Daily Prophet aimed at Harry and Hogwarts. The only people who seem to realize the truth about the Dark Lord’s return are a group of faithful witches and wizards called The Order of the Phoenix. Fearing that The Order is creating rumors in order to overthrow the Ministry, Fudge removes Dumbledore and Hagrid from the school and appoints the new teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts, Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) as headmaster. Her enthusiastic attitude and cheerful tone of voice do little to veil the sinister creature beneath. Umbridge is obviously a fan of the “old school” methods of punishment. The students at Hogwarts are trying to do their best to cope with the stringent new rules, while Harry struggles with his own inner demons (and pubescent angst).
Daniel Radcliffe has played the character of Harry Potter throughout the entire series. In fact, one aspect I love about the films is that all of the original actors have stuck with their roles. But, contrary to some other reviews I’ve read, I don’t think that Radcliffe has developed much as an actor. Sure, he’s obviously grown quite a bit at a physical level, but Radcliffe seems to have relied on the same five facial expressions all along. I was a little more forgiving when he was still a kid. On the contrary, Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley and Emma Watson, who plays Hermione Granger have both grown nicely into their characters. Grint plays Ron exactly as I would have imagined him from the novels and he and Watson have only gotten more convincing.
The obviously more seasoned actors are a bit more consistent with their performances. My favorite characters in the series have always been Professor Snape (Alan Rickman) and Sirius Black (Gary Oldman). I love the way Rickman portrays the villain who is always really on the good side. He conveys his distain for Potter and his crew with just the perfect roll of the eyes and heavy sarcasm. I have to whine a bit that Black’s character isn’t around much in Order. There’s a new character in this movie; Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch) and I was hoping that she would be a new love interest for Harry. I love the innocently creepy addition to the cast. However, Harry sticks with Cho Chang (Katie Leung). I hope to see Luna developed more in the next stage of the story. Nymphadora Tonks (Natalia Tena) is in the movie briefly as well. But, there are so many characters in The Order of the Phoenix, that many of the seemingly more interesting ones are only barely touched upon. I would have liked to have seen more character development with Helena Bonham Carter’s character, Bellatrix Lestrange.
Of course, The Order is filled with dazzling special effects, from ghostly dementors to a fierce lightning battle. But, this installment is a bit darker and more sinister than the others. It’s unsettling to see Hogwarts such a gloomy place. Most of the scenes are heavy with dark blue, black and steely hues that add a cold unpleasantness to the entire film. Of course, that must have been the idea. Despite the title of the film, the storyline doesn't do much more than touch on what the Order is about and how it was founded.
If you haven’t seen the other Potter movies, or read the books, you will be completely lost with Order. So, I definitely do not recommend this movie for anyone who isn’t already invested in the series. But for those of us who’ve been following the story, Order of the Phoenix is a very dark and menacing installment comparatively. It also seems as if it’s straining to fit too much into too short a timeline. I’d only recommend it as a reference to the next movie. I think most Potter fans will see it anyway, but it’s not one of my favorite Potter films.
Overall Rating: 3
Hottie Rating: 2 (is it okay to think Potter's hot now?)
Alternate viewing: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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