Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

by Aaron Helfferich · Published July 11, 2007

Distinctly intelligent Hollywood movies don’t come around too often. Rarely do they ever appear as a sequel. Even more so, they rarely appear in a series of movies that are based on a series of popular young adult books. The Harry Potter film series has seen its fair share of bad days. Still, the playing field has expanded along with the growing talents of each individual involved in the storytelling of the film. In it’s fifth and latest film, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” the Harry Potter film franchise is finally starting to grow into its own and deliver quality entertainment with intricate and intelligent filmmaking.

While breaking all of the common assumptions the franchise has had, “Order of the Phoenix” has caused a major stir in the world of Harry Potter. Immediately at the start of the picture we notice many things. I am speaking not of the ridiculous height gain of the characters, especially Dudley, but more about the overall tone. “Order of the Phoenix” is much more serious, much more intelligent, and much darker than any of its predecessors. The film opens to a scene involving the appearance of demonic forces more appropriately known to Potter fans as Dementors. Harry is forced to use his wizardry to thwart the attack, but does so in the presence of a human (again, “muggle” in Potter terms). In doing so he causes an uproar among the wizard authorities causing them to seize control of Hogwarts and prevent further mishaps. What elevates this film to a more epic storytelling status is the fact that they are doing all of this because of the rumored return of the evil wizard Lord Voldermort (Ralph Fiennes), whom Harry has a monumental connection to.

What stands out most in this film is where the focus lies. Instead of treading among the use of special effects and more elaborate imagery that the books allow for, “Order of the Phoenix” takes its time in developing a story that is driven by the characters of the story. Surprisingly, Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry, has developed his acting skills to finally be able to convince audiences. As the weight of the film’s significance rests almost entirely upon his shoulders, we are given much to explore among the inner emotions of Potter so beautifully represented by Radcliffe. His two friends Ron and Hermione, thankfully, do not get the same amount of screen time as the previous films. Even more excitwith the always entertaining .

Even with other great performances by Alan Rickman as Professor Snape, and a love to hate performance by Imelda Staunton Delores Umbridge, the use of special effects elegantly finds its proper place within the story. Here, the filmmakers brilliantly allowed the story to call for the effects rather than use them as much as possible to sell the movie. When it really gets down to business, the final battle sequence utilizes an anticipation that is just as perfect as its payoff. Nearly all of the images we witness are just as profound as the next, given the immense build up of the Dark Lord Voldermort.

“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” is a grand spectacle of filmmaking on the highest levels of entertainment. Fans of the series may still find minor intricacies left out of the film while younger children will surely find themselves lost at times. Still, with its immensely captivating integrity, “Order of the Phoenix” is absolutely one of the most entertaining blockbusters of the year, and the best Harry Potter film yet.