|
Movie Review - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
|
|
|
|
|
(What this rating means)
|
|
| |
|
| Director: |
David Yates |
| Starring: |
Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Gary Oldman, Imelda Staunton, and Helena Bonham Carter |
| Rated: |
PG-13 (for sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images) |
| Length: |
138 minutes |
| Genre: |
Fantasy/Adventure |
| Tagline: |
The Rebellion Begins! |
| Studio: |
Warner Bros. |
| Website: |
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix |
| Release: |
July 11, 2007 |
|
PLOT
|
It has been a long, lonely summer for poor Harry Potter as he awaits his fifth year of study at Hogwarts. He's all sad and alone because he hasn't
received a single note from his classmates and closest friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. And there has not been any word from anyone in the
aftermath of his confrontation with the evil Lord Voldemort. To make matters worse, by the time Harry does receive a letter, it's one that informs
him he is about to be expelled from Hogwarts for illegally using magic outside of school and in the presence of a Muggle.
To no one's surprise, Harry is not expelled, but his integrity is now in question. Feeling ostracized and alone, Harry is beset by nightmares that
seem to foretell sinister events. Worse, the one person whose counsel he needs most, Professor Dumbledore, is suddenly acting strangely distant from
the confused and hurt young douchebag, I mean wizard, making Harry whine even more.
In an effort to keep an eye on Dumbledore and keep the Hogwarts students in line, Cornelius Fudge has appointed a new Defense Against the Dark Arts
teacher, the agonizingly annoying Professor Dolores Umbridge. But Professor Umbridge believes in teaching theory rather than practicality, so
the young wizards are left woefully unprepared to defend themselves against the Dark Forces threatening them. At the prompting of Hermione and Ron,
Harry is convinced to take matters into his own hands. Meeting secretly with a small group of students who name themselves "Dumbledore's Army,"
Harry teaches them how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts, preparing the courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle that he knows
lies ahead. Yet another Harry Potter movie ensues.
|
|
JOHNNY'S TAKE
|
Look, if you have been reading my site for any period of time then you know exactly where I stand regarding the Harry Potter series and how deep
my indifference runs. Please read my scintillating review of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for my
unparalleled commentary on Daniel Radcliffe and his hummingbird musculature. It's brilliant, and there is no reason for me to repeat myself.
That being said, I will admit that I feel Order of the Phoenix is the best in the series. It's at least the best of the three I have
seen. It's darker, the story is more self-contained than the previous entries, and the battle at the end actually delivers. This is also the
first in the series that kept me awake for the entire runtime so I declare it's making progress.
But, despite the more-than-competent special effects, I have yet to be fully drawn in to this world of magic. I feel no real sense of awe,
no genuine excitement. I suppose it's hard to get excited when you're sitting through 45 minutes (maybe a slight exaggeration) of wizards
training to fight the bad guys. And by "training" I mean "waving their wands around and shouting spells." The film would have greatly
benefited from trimming this into a 30-second clip montage. The big payoff? They wave their wands around, shout some spells, and
repel the bad guys. Where are the epic Narnia-esque battles between good and evil?
I could have also done without the "Harry Potter eats lightning and craps thunder" speeches because the only wonder this stirred within me
was of how anybody could possibly be intimidated by the Rachel Dratch look-alike Radcliffe. I will give Daniel a little credit - he has
grown from the lack of any emotion at all to whining about how he's all alone and nobody wants to help him. I'm not sure which
I like the least.
My inability to feel a connection to the good guys causes the biggest sense of detachment. I'd much rather be a villain in this universe.
They actually have a little thing called personality. Unfortunately, they are given much less screentime. The only villain who is given a
chance to really develop is Professor Umbridge and the only thing she develops is an ability to annoy the viewer in new and exciting ways.
Whereas, Helena Bonham Carter arrives on scene, provides actual fun and menace, and is rushed away, leaving us to hope she'll have a bigger
role in the next film.
But who cares about my "Harry Potter is too much of a dork" mantra? Nobody. Fans will love it, it'll make close to a billion dollars
worldwide, and J.K. Rowlings will proceed to laugh all the way to the bank, which is likely located on the first floor of her mansion. I'm
just annoyed that despite my indifference to the series, I now feel obligated to continue watching to see how it will all end. I fear my
response will simply be, "Oh, that's how." But, as I mentioned earlier, the series is improving, so perhaps there is hope.
|
|
ODDS & ENDS
|
- Johnny was shocked to find out Dumbledore was not Ian McKellen
- The Phoenix ordered a Whopper with cheese. Oh shut up, you're just mad you didn't come up with it.
- Helen McCrory was originally cast as Bellatrix Lestrange, but due to pregnancy she had to be replaced by Helena Bonham Carter.
- The radish earrings worn by Luna Lovegood were actually made by Evanna Lynch, the actress portraying her. No word on whether or not
she later enjoyed them in a salad.
- Daniel Radcliffe was in The Tailor of Panama with Geoffrey Rush who was in Mystery Men with Ben Stiller who was in Flirting
with Disaster with Josh Brolin who was in Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon.
|
|
MAMA'S APPROVAL
|
It's a little darker than the other films and contains some scenes and images that might be scary for those younger than around seven.
|
|
TRAILER COMPARISON
|
What you see is what you get.
|
|
THE GIST
|
I was moderately entertained and enjoyed it more than the previous entries. Fans will likely love it and require a big screen viewing.
|
|
