(L-r) BONNIE WRIGHT as Ginny Weasley, EVANNA LYNCH as Luna Lovegood, EMMA WATSON as Hermione Granger, MATTHEW LEWIS as Neville Longbottom and DANIEL RADCLIFFE as Harry Potter in Warner Bros. Pictures’ fantasy “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.”
Warner Bros. Pictures © 2007
The fifth Harry Potter film is the darkest and most exciting of all. The shining performances of the film’s stars illuminate the cruel and emotional storyline.
We first see Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) defending his obese cousin Dudley (Harry Melling) in the muggle (non-magic) world from a soul-sucking creature known as a dementor. As a result of the encounter, Harry must face a trail before the Ministry of Magic after using his powers illegally.
But instead of risking possible expulsion from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry gets a helping hand from the Order of the Phoenix, a rebellion that once included his late parents, and sneaks off to London.
Once there, Harry and his godfather Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) catch up after a long period of separation. Harry claims the dark lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), the Order’s enemy, has returned to the wizarding (magic) world. But the skeptical ministry head Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy) denies the possibility.
When Harry and his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) return to Hogwarts, they learn that their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Dolores Umbridge (Imedla Staunton) is from the Ministry. The course no longer teaches students how to defend themselves, which worries Harry about Voldemort’s potential attack.
Like the books, the film series continues to get more dark, violent and emotional. Thanks to author J.K. Rowling, the quality of the story is sound, and performances in the film are also of very high quality.
Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge, dressed in bright pink, portrays the innocent yet unbelievably nasty new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Unlike with other Harry Potter villains, the hatred evolves as she posts new rules, tortures her students and still manages to keep a smiling face. One hates her more than Voldemort, the ultimate enemy, in some instances.
Daniel Radcliffe and his young co-stars have become much stronger actors since the previous film. At this point, the characters are truly beginning to fear for their lives and they no longer feel safe within their school, especially when their government interferes. There’s an eerie connection between the world of Harry Potter and post-9/11 America.
Evanna Lynch plays Luna Lovegood, the cheerfully emotionless girl who becomes friends with Harry. She prances around talking about things that would normally depress others in an optimistic tone.
New director David Yates has excellent staging and control over his scenes, which were written by Michael Goldenberg. Goldenberg, unlike the previous screenwriter, includes all of the scenes that we were really hoping to see from the book. One of the most fantastic scenes has Dumbledore’s army, comprised of Harry and his friends, attempting to produce a patronus charm. Shapes of animals rush out of their wands prancing across the walls of the room. The special effects and music bring back the magical memories of exploration and wonder from the first film.
What lies ahead for Harry Potter has yet to be revealed. I’m just as excited as you are.
Rated PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images.
Running time: 138 minutes.