Before beginning this review, I should probably tell you that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is tied for first place as my favorite book in the series. Yes, I am aware that most people feel that this particular book is their least favorite, but I don't care what they say. They want more plot while I prefer more character development. Anyway, my opinions on this movie are skewed by and based on my love of the book.
In this book, Harry and most of his friends have reached their fifth year where everything is about studying for their OWLs so they may know which classes they will / can take for years six and seven as well as plan out their future careers. Harry, however, is not your typical, every day, run of the mill student. After telling people that Cedric was killed because Lord Voldemort had been resurrected, Harry,and Dumbledore who believes Harry, are under persecution by the Ministry of Magic, The Daily Prophet, and many wizards / witches who cannot accept that Voldemort has returned. To keep a close eye on Harry and Dumbledore, the Ministry managed to put one of their own in Hogwarts to teach a "Ministry approved" Defense Against the Dark Arts class that requires no spells at all, relying instead on reading and memorizing the text book. The students at Hogwarts takes offense to this class and form a group dedicated to learning these spells and preparing to fight back against the newly-risen Dark Lord, though Harry and five of his friends must fight back sooner than they had originally expected. But, as Harry states at the end of the movie, Voldemort will lose because he doesn't have "something to fight for," thus giving power and strength to Harry and the other members of Dumbledore's Army.
As with Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix features another change in directors. This time, David Yates steps up to plate. In fact, he directs movies five through eight, an essential, critically important decision. Because Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows are extremely intertwined and feed so much into each other, a single directorial vision was necessary, otherwise, the whole series' conclusion falls completely apart. Yates, however, was well up to the challenge (excluding Half-Blood Prince, but more on that later) and guided the films to their natural ending, leaving the audience with smiles on their faces because he achieves in creating the perfect conclusion -- one any Harry Potter fan would love.
Another change in this film is a change in screen-play writer. Steve Kloves had written every screen play up to Order of the Phoenix (as well as the last three films in the series). This time, however, Michael Goldenberg (Peter Pan and Green Lantern) was given the chance to write for the Harry Potter series. Obviously, however, Goldenberg's attempt at writing a compelling screen play worthy of Ms. Rowling's highly praised book series did not go well seeing as he was immediately replaced by Kloves to finish the series out. Honestly, however, I can see their point. Order doesn't comes close measuring up to the other films, but that's okay. All was rectified with the return of Kloves.
Of course, with the Order of the Phoenix, we are introduced to several members of the Order. The only characters of consequence, as far as the movie is concerned, are Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt seeing as they are the ones given a name.
Natalia Tena (About a Boy, Game of Thrones) brings one of the favorite Order members to life: Tonks, the clumsy, spunky metamorphmagus with a taste for punk clothes. She's a fun free-spirit (for now anyhow) and the current youngest Auror in employment by the Ministry of Magic. This is shown most clearly at the dinner table in Grimmauld Place where Tonks changes the lower half of her face to feature a pig's snout and a duck bill. It is very important for the audience to see her this way so they can tell that something has changed between Order and Prince to cause her to tone down both her hair and her wardrobe without having to go into the details.
George Harris (Black Hawk Down, Raiders of the Lost Ark) plays Kingsley. While this role is smaller, Harris is able to give Kingsley the strong, screen presence that is necessary for his character because he guards the Muggle Minster and he will become the Minister of Magic. Thus, Kinglsey needs to appear strong, regal, and very capable. Harris is very successful in doing this.
Out of all the characters being introduced in Order of the Phoenix, I was most excited about seeing Luna Lovegood, played by Evanna Lynch, on the big screen. Not only does Lynch look the part, but she performs well. Personally, I think she is so successful because she is Luna -- she shares every quality with Luna making it easier to act. There is no better Luna because Lynch is Luna in every single way. In fact, it's almost as if Rowling imagined Evanna when creating Luna. She's perfect.
While she plays an important role in the books as a foil against Hermione, she has another important role in the movie for Harry. Luna believes in everything, especially the stuff no one else, *cough* Hermione *cough,* does. That's what Harry needs at this point in his life: someone, besides Hermione and Ron, to believe in him. Luna also teaches Harry to believe in things usually unseen / different (like the Thestrals) as well as to believe in himself.
Helena Bonham Carter also joins the cast as the certifiably insane Bellatrix Lestrange. She's dangerous; she's completely unhinged; she has an unnatural loyalty to Voldemort, obviously based on sadistic love despite being married; and she looks like she could snap and kill any and every body at any given minute. Helena can definitely both play and look the part. She's fantastic and I love every scene she is in; it's miraculous how well Carter can transform into Bellatrix. So great.
The best part of this movie is the appearance of Dolores Umbridge. This is not negate the awesomeness of Luna, Tonks, and other member of the Order, but Imelda Staunton (Freedom Writers) is far more amazing because she successfully makes every viewer hate her guts. This is not an easy task, especially when you consider how awful Umbridge is in the books, but Staunton rises to the occasion and puts on a performance that captures every bit of Umbridge's personality. Props must also go to the people who designed her wardrobe and office. They did wonderfully.
The only problem I have with this installment in the series (other than the script) is Harry's anger . . . or lack thereof. All through the book, Harry is ticked off at everyone and everything. He yells; he screams; he argues heavily with Professor Umbridge when he hadn't had many problems with any other teacher (excluding Snape); he gets kicked off the Quidditch team due to his anger. In the movie, however, his anger with Umbridge shines through, but minus yelling at Hermione and Ron once or twice and yelling at Seamus once, he remains pretty chill, especially after talking with Luna in the Forbidden Forest where the thestrals are. This negates Harry's growth through the rest of series as his anger turns into the understanding and strength he needs to kill Voldemort at the end of the film.
There are still special effects and additions to the film that don't include acting.
The soundtrack is powerful and wonderful and I love it. I guess they did too because some of the same songs reappear in Half-Blood Prince.
I also love the design of the Room of Requirement as well as the Black Family Tree Mural in Grimmauld Place. It was intricate and beautiful and much better than how I imagined it.
I even love the newspaper effect. It was brilliant, especially since a lot of this film depends on what events the Daily Prophet chooses to report or not report as well as the lies it publishes about Dumbledore and Harry. Characters read these articles and suddenly they no longer trust Harry or Dumbledore nor do they feel Hogwarts is a safe place anymore.
My favorite, however, are the apparitions. The swirling, funnel like smoke looks amazing on screen. I especially love that they made the Order members have white clouds as opposed to the black ones of the death eaters. Furthermore, I love how apparition looks when characters are apparating with the stretching and swirling of the faces. (I know this doesn't happen until Half-Blood Prince, but I'm already talking about it, so I might as well finish it, you know?)
As with Goblet of Fire, a character makes a foreshadowing statement of things to come. Hagrid looks out the window all solemn-like and says, "It's changing out there. Just like last time. There's a storm coming Harry. We'd all best be ready when she does." Given Hermione's statement at the end of Goblet, this shouldn't be any surprise, but it still helps to remember that things are going to change as Voldemort gets more powerful.
LONG LIVE DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY!!!!!!!!!!!
* kind of funny side note. In the part towards the end where Harry's friends are captured by the death eaters, Carter punctured Matthew Lewis' ear drum with her wand in trying to be silly and give him a wand-wet-willie. It's not funny for Lewis, but I think it's kind of funny.
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