Review of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) by Joshua B — 15 Jul 2013

Potter's fifth cinematic outing doesn't manage to top the superior Goblet of Fire, but it does manage, surprisingly, to trim the fat from a 800+ page novel and turn it into a briskly paced and entertaining film.

A sizeable chunk of Rowling's story has been omitted, but first-time series writer, David Goldenberg, manages to make a competent film while also remaining faithful to the source material. Order sees the return of many beloved characters -- though many appear only briefly -- and introduces some new ones, most notably Imelda Staunton, who is brilliant as the totalitarian headmistress, Dolores Umbridge.

Order of the Phoenix boasts the strongest acting of any of the films so far; Radcliffe has gone from awkward to a bona-fide star. The supporting players -- Jason Isaacs, Michael Gambon, Ralph Feinnes, Gary Oldman, Helena Bonham-Carter, Maggie Smith, and the like -- all give the film a distinguished air.

New director David Yates (who would go on to helm the series' final three films after this) has a talent for getting to the real human tragedy and emotion of the story; this is clear very early on, when the first scene shows orphan Harry by himself in a park while parents around him play with their children.

Yates manages both to respect his characters by sticking to the story's core themes -- Harry's loneliness, his alienation, and his angst at sharing qualities with Voldemort -- and also showcase dazzling displays of action-adventure -- especially during the Ministry of Magic final showdown during the film's climax.

At 2 1/4 hours, Order of the Phoenix is the shortest of the films made from the longest book, and I really enjoyed this film version of what is my least favorite novel in the series.