HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX: DOESN’T DISAPPOINT WITH DARKER TONE
Harry is growing up. As he gets older, life just keeps getting harder. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series (for those of you who have been living under a rock), has created a fantasy world with twists of realism. With this latest film, Harry starts to have feelings of isolation. He encounters censorship with his teachers at Hogwarts. More fantastic creatures and new places are discovered. The newest director to the films, David Yates, has brought justice to The Order of the Phoenix.
Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is being called a liar. He has seen Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and claims Cedric Diggory was killed by him. The Ministry of Magic doesn’t want to believe that he who must not be named has returned. This makes life for Harry incredibly difficult. They try to expel him for using magic outside of school, even though he was trying to defend himself. When they don’t succeed, they place Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), secretary for the Ministry of Magic, in the unoccupied position of Defense against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. She wields her power over the students in a Nazi like way. Meanwhile, Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) has reassembled The Order of the Phoenix and they are underground. The Order was set in place when Voldemort first appeared 14 years ago. Harry’s parents and his godfather Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) were in it. They prepare for the eventual battle with Lord Voldemort. Harry tries to deal with feelings of seclusion, his crush on Cho (Katie Leung), and fighting off anger that he doesn’t understand.
Michael Goldenberg has done a fine job of adapting J.K. Rowling’s fifth novel. The core of the story is brought to life, leaving out parts of the novel that aren’t essential. Take away the wizardry and evil monster of a being that is Lord Voldemort. You are left with a teenage boy dealing with the hardest part of growing up. Realizing life isn’t fair. Looking ahead to his future. That good doesn’t always triumph over evil. Also realizing that he is loved and has support around him. Makes story relatable while giving us a fantastical world to feast our eyes on. Hogwarts looks as magical as ever. We get a look at the Ministry of Magic. The house that Sirius grew up in. The subway that the Muggles (AKA regular people) and the ones the wizards and witches use. We have seen these subways before but even more bits and pieces are shown to point out their differences. Art direction has not been lacking since the beginning. I have read all the books and the films have exceeded my imagination. Dolores Umbridge’s outfits prove that pink isn’t always so sweet. The dishes with her collection of kittens in her Hogwarts’ office are priceless. You don’t get one unbelievable character in this film. The Harry Potter series has managed to wrangle up almost every respectable actor in the U.K. The three young main stars (Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson) have transitioned well from film to film. Who will they manage to include in the next film??
It is hard to pick apart a film that is just as good as the book it is based on. How many films can say that?
This film makes it easy to be eager for the next one. It is a simple story in a fantastical world. You go through and feel what Harry goes through. It doesn’t matter if you are 10 or 60 years old.
Report Card:
Story-A
Acting-A
Visuals-A
Originality/Innovation-A
Enjoyability Grade–A
Overall Grade-A
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