Harry Potter & The Order Of The Phoenix (2007)

Director: David Yates
Writer: Michael Goldenberg (based on the novel by J.K Rowling)

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), Ralph Fiennes (Voldemort), Michael Gambon (Dumbledore), Gary Oldman (Sirius Black), Imelda Staunton (Dolores Umbridge), Alan Rickman (Snape), Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom), Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood), Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), Katie Leung (Cho Chang), Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid), Maggie Smith (McGonogall), Emma Thompson (Trelawney), David Thewlis (Lupin), Brendan Gleeson (Mad Eye Moody), George Harris (Shacklebolt), Natalia Tena (Tonks), Julie Walters (Molly Weasley), Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley), Robert Hardy (Fudge), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), James Phelps (Fred Weasley), Oliver Phelps (George Weasley), Harry Melling (Dudley Dursley), Richard Griffiths (Vernon Dursley), Fiona Shaw (Petunia Dursley) & Timothy Bateson (Kreacher, voice)

Harry Potter finds himself shunned by his Hogwarts classmates, who don't believe Lord Voldemort has returned. Then, the Ministry Of Magic replace Dumbledore with authoritarian Dolores Umbridge...

By now, you're either invested in the Harry Potter phenomenon, or you're not. I myself haven't read a single one of the bestselling books, although I've enjoyed the film adaptations. Philosopher's Stone (2001) was old-school competence, Chamber Of Secrets (2002) was enjoyable, Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004) was wonderful, and Goblet Of Fire (2005) was great fun.

Harry Potter & The Order Of The Phoenix is the fifth film, and the book it's based on is generally considered the weakest in the Potter series. At a staggering 766 pages (870 for the US edition), it's also the longest book written by J.K Rowling. Consequently, the film adaptation cuts out massive chunks to reduce the plot into a workable screenplay, written by Michael Goldenberg -- who replaces Steve Kloves.

British director David Yates, best known for TV mini-series State Of Play (2003), is the unlikely choice behind the camera -- clearly chosen to put the emphasis on characterization and shepherd the plot. Consequently, Order Of The Phoenix is the least effects-driven Potter movie to date, with the exciting set-pieces ruthlessly cut short.

We find Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) facing teenage angst away from school, bullied by his foster brother Dudley (Harry Melling), who is later attacked by a phantom-like Dementor -- likely sent by evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). Unfortunately, despite Voldemort's resurrection at the climax of Goblet Of Fire, most people don't believe Harry's story about the Dark Lord's return...

After Harry's trial in the Ministry Of Magic (because he used magic in the "Muggles' world" to stop the Dementor attack), it becomes clear that the Ministry themselves are turning a blind eye to the likelihood that Voldemort is back from the dead...

Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) is one of the few adults who believes Harry -- but he's later replaced by neat, orderly, pink-obsessed Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), who neuters the teaching methods at Hogwarts and inspires Harry to create an underground "Dumbledore's Army" to prepare his fellow classmates for the looming war against Voldemort...

The problems with Order Of The Phoenix are legion. I know the story has been condensed from a sprawling literary prose, losing the film a lot of the books' texture and nuance, but you have to review the final product -- and I was sorely disappointed by Phoenix...

There are plenty of incidents in the film, but little sense of drive and purpose. After four movies, we're now fully accustomed to the Potter universe, so director David Yates can't rely on the premise, scenery, sets or special-effects to distract from any shortcomings. So it's the problems that really stick out.

Sadly, Daniel Radcliffe isn't the massive improvement here as I'd been led to believe, and most of the main characters barely get a look in. In particular, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) are pushed into the background, which is very odd because the previous films always focused on this trio of friends.

Of course, a theme throughout the film is the alienation of Harry, so having Harry practically go it alone was likely intentional, but it's still irritating because Radcliffe lacks the acting chops to carry the film's weight on his shoulders. Mind you, the theme about children realizing their parents might not be the heroic figures they consider them to be, works quite well. I particularly liked the revelation Harry's father used to bully Snape (Alan Rickman) when they were at school together...

But it's left to the guest stars to keep you invested, for the most part. Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake) is wonderful as Umbridge, trotting around Hogwarts in her Jackie Kennedy-style pink suit, like a malevolent Mary Poppins. She buoys an otherwise deflated Act II, until Phoenix manages to build an entertaining finale that's only let-down by a curiously unemotional death scene and a Dumbledore versus Voldemort battle that's great fun -- but over before it really gets going!

There are some pointless diversions with Centaurs in a forest, Hagrid's dopey half-brother (a bad CGI effect), Harry's first kiss with Chang (which is pretty much Katie Leung's only scene!), Helena Bonham-Carter is brilliant as cackling Bellatrix Lestrange (well, for her entire 5 minutes of screen-time!), and the tag-line promise that "the rebellion begins" rings very hollow...

After four movies, Phoenix just goes through the motions and lays the groundwork for the final two stories. It's now easy to second-guess Potter's plotting and Phoenix loses the sense of wonderment and magic that was inherent in the previous films.

Simply put: Phoenix isn't much fun, it's 30-minutes too long, it lacks the expected thrills, the returning actors are mostly wasted, Radcliffe struggles to hold everything together, and the film ends in a manner that inspires a shrug, not desperation to see The Half-Blood Prince.

On the positive side; Evanna Lynch is note-perfect as dreamy oddball Luna Lovegood, Imelda Staunton steals every scene she's in, and the visuals for the finale's wizarding duel are excellent. But everything else is either limp, confused, unfocused, distracting, or just plain dull...

I didn't hate The Order Of The Phoenix (because I'm invested in the Potter storyline after 6 years spent watching these films), but this was a big misstep for me. After The Goblet Of Fire's finale heralded a major shift in the dramatic, emotional stakes, Phoenix fails to capitalize and becomes a pale shadow of what should have been...

Much like the book, apparently...


Warner Brothers
Budget: £75 million
138 minutes