Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 

Harry Potter, the boy who lived, has lit up the screen once more. Let’s recap on the previous movies: The Sorcerer’s Stone was the first movie and it enchanted audiences with three small children going to a magical school where they would learn to be witches and wizards.

The second was The Chamber of Secrets and followed the trio into grave peril where once again good vanquished evil. The third movie was The Prisoner of Azkaban and we found out more about Harry’s family as he learns who his godfather is. In the fourth movie, The Goblet of Fire, we watch as Harry becomes a tri-wizard contender and eventually battles the Dark Lord. Now the fifth movie, Order of the Phoenix, begins with a rebellion on the rise and many recognizable cast members back to defend the “wizarding” community.

Harry comes back from the fourth movie barely surviving an attack from Lord Voldemort and only his closest friends and the members of the resistance called The Order of the Phoenix will believe him. The Minister of Magic dismisses their story as a lie and a ploy to take over his job.

Harry seems to be taking everything very hard, including the fact that Dumbledore ignores him and his nightmares become unbearable. He feels left out, very isolated and angry for a good portion of the film. However, Hermione and Ron stand by his side through everything and show that true friendship is hard to find but something worth fighting for.

The graphic effects just keep getting better and better, and the trio of Harry, Ron and Hermione have portrayed their parts wonderfully in this movie.  Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliff have learned a lot over the last four movies and finally look comfortable acting their individual roles. Evanna Lynch was a perfect casting choice for Luna Lovegood, as was Imelda Staunton as Professor Umbridge.

Overall, this movie will make different impressions on everyone, I personally enjoyed this version of Harry Potter very much. If you compare it to the first three movies you might be disappointed in the lack of magical charm and their subtle lighter side, as the movies get darker and darker.

If you really enjoyed the fourth movie for its sense of adventure and fast pace, I predict you will enjoy this one as well. If you liked the fifth book, you will ultimately find yourself upset and wishing they would not have cut half of the content out, as well as changed the way some events happen, much like when the fourth movie came out and we lost the house-elves altogether. But, in the end, adaptations (films based off of books) are still films and must compress their content in a different way.

I will say that the director of the fifth movie has cut out content more gracefully than the fourth movie and you aren’t left feeling like it was only a flash of greatest hits from the book. The story line is still entertaining in a way that only J.K. Rowling can produce and I will be going to this movie again when I get the chance. 

© Cinematalk.com 2007 © Angela Ingram, Harvey County Independent