The Official Thread For: Harry Potter & The Order Of The Phoenix

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I'll have my review (like anyone wants/needs it) up in a little while... :)
 
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a solid and exciting chapter in the film series that touches upon greatness quite frequently in the midst of it's sharp two hour and fifteen minute running time. From the get-go, the film feels different from those that preceded it. There's a quick segment of the film that had the look, feel, and everything else that I wanted to see featured all throughout the film... it was when Harry and Dudley are running across the field from the unseen force that is causing cold darkness to penetrate their London suburb. It was gritty and earthy in a really cool balanced way. The somewhat shaky handheld style the director of photography employs as the camera tracks the two boys just shook off all feelings of it being a fantasy. It felt, for the first time in all of the films, like it was real.

The film, however, didn't stick with that new look. Hell, they hardly even manage to get back to that sense of exhilaration and danger until [maybe] the finale in the Department of Mysteries (3D helped out there A LOT). It was also the most disjointed of the films, there was a lot there to enjoy, but even both of Columbus' films stayed consistent in the look and theme throughout. This one seemed to teeter back and forth between the dark visceral film (the one that I really wanted it to fully embrace) and a similar film as the ones before, with the moments of majestic wonder and innocence. There was nothing amateurish about these shifts in tone; it just became apparent that the director (British filmmaker, David Yates) really wanted to line the film with as many familiar elements as he has new, bold flourishes. To Yates' credit, though, there is a strange feeling of dread and darkness that lingers throughout the length of the film.

The scenes with Grawp, Hagrid's GIANT younger half-brother, seem like they could've been pulled straight out of one of the first two films. However, the scenes have a different feeling underneath the surface, because there's a dangerous reality that's set in by that time. Pretty interesting...

The performances in the film were, for the most part, solid and enjoyable. The child actors are admirably growing into their roles with each film and this one is no different. In fact, the only difference is that this film gives the young students a chance to shine under the tutelage of star Daniel Radcliffe's Harry Potter. Radcliffe does well in the role and really has a knack for giving this tortured soul of a teenager a heart and warmth. Lesser actors would've probably played to the extremes more, but young Mr. Radcliffe shows that his range isn't made up of extremes.

The standouts of the fifth installment are the always great Gary Oldman, Ralph Fiennes, and Alan Rickman (who in particular is going to OWN the next two films). Oldman's Sirius Black is one of the best characters in the books and his performance feels lifted right out of the text with a soulful pulse magically bestowed into his body. Fiennes returns to the role of Lord Voldemort with exceptional skill in playing the dark lord whose malevolent forces are at work to destroy and seduce the young titular wizard. The best newcomer was, of course, Imelda Staunton, who displays in every frame why she deserved her Oscar. She is easily one of the most fun, terrifying, and layered characters to be included in the series.

The score, provided by Nicholas Hooper, was a big problem for me. I love film music and have had a blast hearing some incredible scoring work featured in the previous two movies. However, this one didn't really live up to its brothers. It had a very grand and intense debut, with the John William's theme song, followed by a pulse pounding chase cue, and then a powerful composition playing while a task force sent by The Order of the Phoenix escorts Harry, via the thrilling transportation of magical flying broomsticks, through London to the Order's headquarters. After that initial fifteen to twenty minutes of memorable scoring, it drops out of memory. There is a gaping hole left in the wake of the melodious broomstick tour through London, the score looses it's steam and fails to contribute to the grandiosity of the film from there on out. Quite a pity, considering John William's and Patrick Doyle provided terrific and memorable scores for the films they scored. Nothing matches the music John Williams set to when Harry first rides Buckbeak, first encounters Sirius Black, fights off Dementors, or helps a family friend find freedom (yeah, lot's of F's in that one). There's nothing that rivals Patrick Doyle's melodies for the Quidditch World Cup, the arrival of the different schools, each of the triwizard tasks, the love ballads that play when Harry is down on his crush for Cho, or the haunting and empowering suite that plays for Voldemort's return. Nothing. In the midst of a film series that WAS known for memorable tunes, this episode didn't really bring anything new to the table.

To wrap things up, it may seem like this was a bit of a disappointment, but that's not entirely the case. There is a lot to enjoy and even love in this film, it just doesn't keep it up all the way through. My biggest fear was that I'd see the film and Yates' directing wouldn't be up to snuff, therefore bringing down any anticipation for THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE with it... This is not the case. The film really mirrors the book and does it's best with a standard script (delivered by first time Potter-adapter, Michael Goldenberg) and a newbie to not only the Fantasy Epic scene, but also the Hollywood scene in general. Hopefully his experience on HP5 will give him the confidence to get more ambitious and make serious changes to the next film, which is going to revert to the supreme adapting skills of Steve Kloves! More than anything else, this flick makes me excited for the rest and fearful of the series' impending resolution.
 
I gave the film a 7. I was decent enough, but for the vast majority of the film it lacked that wow factor, and there were some key scenes that I really wanted to see but didn't make it into the movie. I came away disappointed more than anything else. Maybe my expectations were too high.
 
I've just seen it. In short:

Screenplay
- Nice character development
- Flaws and some plot holes
- No explanation of some details
- Some mised points from the book, whoich would improve the movie
- Suspense

Cast
- Radcliffe still looked awful, every his line sucked
- Carter, Fiennes, Oldman and Rickman kicked ass

Visual Effects & CGI
- Amazing visual style
- Nice backgrounds
- Action scenes looked very effective
- SPI still don't know how to make CGI scenes and this can be also seen in almost every shot of Spidey 3 CGI scene
- Psychological fights and flashbacks were impressive

Direction
- Didn't expect from Yates so good summer blockbuster
- Loved cinematography

Overall, The Order of Phoenix wasn't either better or worse than two previos movies.

Rate - 8 out of 10, very good film.
 
Here's My Review. It's taken from my blog so ignore the plot summarizing and so forth.

WELCOME BACK POTTER

I have never read a Harry Potter novel. Not a single one. I've never even flipped through one in a bookstore or library. This fact has drawn gasps from a legion of Potter-philes (or whatever they call themselves), and yet I don't see this reality changing. With that said, however, I've greatly enjoyed each instalment in the film franchise and found myself eagerly skipping into the theatre to see this latest adventure The Order Of The Phoenix.

Now, before I dive in, my earlier declaration is both a warning and a promise regarding the content of this review. Most of the critiques I've read spend most of the time detailing how well the film echoes the book. I will not be going into this. I'll be focussing on how the film works, and how it fits with its predecessors. So, no, I won't be complaining about the excising of any Pockolumps or Hing-dinglers or whatever from the original text. This review is for those who have simply seen the movies (Once or twice as opposed to exhaustively) and wanna know if this one is any good.

H'Okay, moving on. Potter 5 opens with young Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) saving himself and his piggish cousin from a pair of Dementors in his hometown in England. This is a no-no, and soon he is up on charges of unlawful use of magic from the Ministry of Magic, who refute the young wizard's insistence that Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) has returned. This development brings his uncle Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) into the picture, in the process revealing the titular order, a small army united to battle Voldemort. Discovering that friends Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ronald Weasley (Rupert Grint) are also included leads Harry to feel seriously alone. When he goes before the Ministry he is saved by mentor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) at the last minute, although the Ministry quickly installs their own Dolores Jane Umbridge (Imelda Staunton as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hoggwarts. Umbridge quickly takes over the school, revealing her own inner-fascist in the process, and is soon tormenting the students and teachers alike while suppressing the use of magic within the school. In the meantime, Harry, suffering nightmarish visions brought on by Voldemort, secretly bands together a collective group of students together to form an army to battle the dark lord. The film climaxes with the collective storming the Ministry of Magic's headquarters in search of an invaluable prophecy, and Voldemort making another important appearance.

Yeesh. Attempting to paraphrase the plot of this film in a paragraph is rough, and I'm sure any Potter die hard who's gotten this far is shaking with anger over my slipshod summarizing. Let's just say that a lot happens in The Order Of The Phoenix, and my little recount is mere lip service to the greater themes of the actual film.

Okay, now that the messiness is behind us, how is the actual movie? Well, it's absolutely delightful... Until the third act. New director David Yates, while not the auteur that Alfonso Cuaron (Prisoner Of Azkaban) or Mike Newell (Goblet Of Fire) are, is extremely good in handling the material surrounding the day-to-day adventures at Hoggwarts. These passages can often drag a film down, as with Goblet Of Fire and Philosopher's Stone, which both felt over-stuffed and meandering. Yates and new writer Michael Goldenberg gives these scenes a light touch that makes them extremely entertaining and endlessly absorbing. In particular, Miss Umbridge's hostile takeover of Hoggwarts is perhaps the juiciest, and most fun, middle section of perhaps any of the films.

If the film had ended with this section I would have been applauding and announcing it as the greatest Potter film yet. Unfortunately, however, the third act of the film is a fairly uninteresting lump of nonsense. The battle within the Ministry of Magic, where Harry and Co. battle an army of armoured dudes led by the evil Lucius Malfroy (Jason Isaacs) is visually unspectacular and choppy. The bad guys have no real identity and so the battle has little dramatic weight. We never really feel any of the children is truly in danger. I also have to say that, for me, a little wand-fighting goes a loooooong way. The climax features far too many scenes of people knocking each other off their feet with blasts of light, only to have them get up with little or no injury. I've always been a tad confused by these scenes through all the films, as the wands seem to do little more that knock people over or stun them. When one key character is apparently killed during the battle, we don't really understand why, as there is no build-up and little pay-off.

Similarly, Voldemort's big final appearance is as dull as his reveal in Goblet Of Fire. He hisses a lot and makes a lot of vague threats/taunts about coming to the dark side, Harry being too weak, killing all his loved ones, etc. It's like a lesser version of the Darth Vader/Luke battle in The Empire Strikes Back. Frankly, Voldemort is far more interesting when he is silent. There is a scene that is repeated throughout the film of him standing at a train station in a black suit that is mesmerizingly spooky. Ralph Fiennes gives him a sinister physicality and the briefness of the scene makes it far more frightening. Once he shows up delivering platitudes and threats he becomes a second-tier monster. I'm crossing my fingers that he sticks to the sidelines in the next film.

One other area that the film stumbles is in the effects department. I've always found the films somewhat hit-and-miss in their CG and Order Of The Phoenix is no exception. The smaller stuff all looks great, Hoggwarts continues to amaze and the world itself is flawless. But whenever there is a big effects moment the results are often hokey. There is an ogre/giant character that looks about as realistic as Shrek. By having him stand next to human characters, his lacklustre rendering is only further emphasized. This is also the case in an important moment featuring centaurs. The final battle scenes are equally iffy, with a whole lot of blurring. I also feel I should mention that almost every scene featuring characters flying on brooms fails to even meet the realism of the speeder bike chase from Return Of The Jedi (Made 24 years ago!!!). To be fair however, the dragon-horse things look pretty nifty.

The actors continue to do wonderful jobs, never faltering, and always fully inhabiting their characters. Sadly, Watson and Grint are sidelined as Harry takes centre stage, although both actors continue to charm. Daniel Radcliffe definitely seems to be growing as an actor, and meets every challenge here admirably. The real joy for me, though, is the Hoggwarts teachers. As in each instalment, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, etc. continue to endlessly entertain and inject a mature (yet playful) energy that really elevates this franchise to something brilliant. Most of all however, hat off to Imelda Staunton who creates the most boo-able villain of the summer. Her Miss Umbridge, like the demonic bastard sister of Kathy Bates Annie in Misery, is so cheerfully hateful that she blows the generic Voldemort clear off the screen. She steals every scene she's in and, if the Academy were more open-minded, would be a shoe-in for an Oscar nod. I didn't think anyone could top Kenneth Branaugh's Professor Lockhart in Chamber Of Secrets, but Staunton does. Gary Oldman, as Sirius Black is also a joy to watch. Oldman, often prone to playing unapproachable nut jobs projects a real sense of warmth here that is more than welcome. I also have to give special notice to Helena Bonham Carter. Her Bellatrix Lestrange, who is given a crackerjack introduction, is somewhat underdeveloped here but Bonham Carter (Channelling the bride of Frankenstein???) never fails to go gleefully over the top. Also, young Evanna Lynch, as Harry's odd classmate Luna Lovegood gives a truly winning performance and manages to find some real moments of truth that are the most moving moments in the film.

So, I suppose the inevitable question is where does The Order Of The Phoenix place amongst the other films? Unfortunately I have to place it at the bottom of list due to the wildly unsuccessful third act. Like Spider-Man 3, there is a lot of great stuff that gets hampered down by a number of weaknesses. It is important to mention, however, that like the James Bond films, even a lesser Potter film is still far more entertaining than the average blockbuster. These films have a consistency that is refreshing given the fallibility of film franchises these days, and for maybe the first time ever I walked out of a Potter movie eager for the next one. In a summer that has been dominated by impersonal mediocrity, this trip to Hoggwarts feels like a breath of fresh air. Let's just hope that next time the results are a little better.

3.5 out of 5
 
Cool to see a review from someone who hasn't read the book as I've always wondered how someone who hasn't read the book would think about the movies. However, I will say if you like the movies, you'll love the books as they fill in all blanks of the movies.
 
Cool to see a review from someone who hasn't read the book as I've always wondered how someone who hasn't read the book would think about the movies. However, I will say if you like the movies, you'll love the books as they fill in all blanks of the movies.

I've never have read any of the POtter books but i do love the movies.
Granted i've begun to understand some things better because i've reading some stuff on WIKI such as the whole deal with the Patronus Charm in Azkaban and why there's this giant glowing deer that suddenly chasing away all the dementors.
 
Personally, I find HP to be as well-conceived as LOTR. The world, the rules of the magic, it's limitations and so forth, are very-well fleshed out. I think, as far as consistency goes, it is better than Star Wars and Star Trek. All this is coming from a guy who hasn't read the books, but I really love the movies.
 
From IMDb:-

The United States publisher of J.K. Rowling's latest book Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows is suing two companies who broke a sales embargo on the novel. Scholastic has filed suit in Illinois against DeepDiscount.com and book distributor Levy Entertainment for allowing customers to purchase the book before its official publication date of July 21. Scholastic are seeking unspecified damages from the two firms for "complete and flagrant violation of the agreements that they knew were part of the carefully constructed release of this eagerly awaited book." A statement from DeepDiscount.com's parent company Infinity Resources reads, "We take the situation very seriously and are conducting an internal investigation."
 
My copy of Deathly Harrows just came in mail this morning and I'm already hooked.
 
Its different though eh? then earlier installments i mean. Much darker, frantic, sad, and more mature, and obviously many things in it are not gona bode well with children.

But obviously im not gona mention plot details so early after release.
 
I'm on chapter 11.

Reading 11 chaps a day so I'll be finish on Monday
 
Just got back from seeing the film. Definitely have to agree with the reviewers who said this film felt rather fillery. While I did enjoy it overall, the whole thing felt like it was just sailing along with little to no waves in the story (not to mention little to no action until the climax).

A solid Potter outing, but nothing spectacular or overly memorable.

7/10
 
:wow: Go Harry! lol

Domestic: $207,541,000 37.1%
+ Foreign: $351,300,000 62.9%
= Worldwide: $558,841,000
 
The film was overall good, but the franchise has just lost it's "magic."
The franchise started off well, peaked at The Prisoner of Azkaban, and is currently spinning in a downward spiral.

Rating:

7/10
 
After reading Book 7,
they will regret A LOT for not include the scene of Lily in Snape's remember.
 
well... it was approved by Rowling.. so obviously she didn't think that was important...
 
no but like...she does think its really important because that scene is almost pivotal to most the revelations at the end of deathly hallows..they probably trimmed it without her permission as it was a longer scene in the script i believe.
 
The film was overall good, but the franchise has just lost it's "magic."
The franchise started off well, peaked at The Prisoner of Azkaban, and is currently spinning in a downward spiral.

Rating:

7/10

IN your opinion of course.
I don't agree that Potter lost it's magic. Azkaban still remains my fav. Potter movie but OOTP is close 2nd followed by GOF.
 
IN your opinion of course.
I don't agree that Potter lost it's magic. Azkaban still remains my fav. Potter movie but OOTP is close 2nd followed by GOF.

That's right.
It is my opinion. That's why I posted it...

:dry:
 
no but like...she does think its really important because that scene is almost pivotal to most the revelations at the end of deathly hallows..they probably trimmed it without her permission as it was a longer scene in the script i believe.

Exactly. They messed things up. In a extended cut they could fix it though.
 
no but like...she does think its really important because that scene is almost pivotal to most the revelations at the end of deathly hallows..they probably trimmed it without her permission as it was a longer scene in the script i believe.

umm they dont do anything without her permission from what i understand
 
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