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Bookmark this pageHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Director: David Yates
Synopsis
Harry returns for a fifth year at Hogwarts School and discovers that most of the wizard community is in denial about his recent encounter with Lord Voldemort. Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, appoints a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher to watch over the students, as he fears that the Hogwarts headmaster is lying about Voldemort’s return. Unfortunately, the newly appointed teacher’s ministry-approved course leaves the students unprepared and unable to defend themselves, so Harry decides to take matters into his own hands.
Movie review
From Time Out London
A midsummer release seems inappropriate for ‘Harry 5’, with its intriguing aura of new-term blues, as a hormonally distracted Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), having escaped expulsion by the intervention of dear head Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), trudges back for a fifth year at Hogwarts carrying a burdensome weight on his more muscularly defined shoulders. But just because he’s paranoid, it doesn’t mean that they’re not out to get ’im. Irritable but resolute Harry knows by physical injury that evil Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) is gathering a new army, but his every step to recruit a rival one is dogged by the morons at the Ministry and their appointee as new headmistress, Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), a smiling villain in pink-knit twinset who nails up more interdicts than a riled Robespierre.
There’s a new director on board, and if Chris Columbus was enjoyable, Alfonso Cuarón dark, and Mike Newell aware that for all school sagas, familiarity breeds content, new helmsman David Yates is serious, almost grave. He swathes swiftly through JK Rowling’s doorstopper text with martial efficacy, clocking a crisp 138 minutes, the shortest of the series. He certainly keeps the scenes and action moving, but his no-nonsense approach leaves no time for games – please sir, can’t we play just a little Quidditch? – and the excision of scenes of lolling chat in study rooms will disappoint fans of Bunter and Tom Brown worldwide.
On the plus side, Harry gets his first, sweet screen kiss – to the warrior the spoils – from one of the increased quota of ethnic faces, cherubic new girl Cho (Katie Leung). Also, Evanna Lynch brings new, if blenched, blood with her endearing loony, Luna Lovegood; the production design is again an eclectic wonder, from the adumbrated Georgian mustiness of the secret Order of the Phoenix house to the Bazalgette-burnished tiles of the Victorian Ministry ‘Headquarters’ where stacked rows of jurors deliberate like Doges for Harry’s inquisition; and there are some spectacular CGI effects. Performances are more mature, the soundtrack (by Nicholas Hooper) less grandiose, and Yates executes some thrilling set-pieces – but, please, Mr Yates, don’t let these winds of modernity sweep too many beloved cobwebs away! Let’s hope he casts some more old-fashioned spells in part six, ‘The Half-Blood Prince’.
Author: Wally Hammond
Time Out London Issue 1925: July 11-17 2007
User reviews of this film
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- harry potter said...
- Posted on Aug 30 2007 11:02 gr8 film luved it!!!!!!!!! if it was any shorter it wuld miss like half the book out. hermione is wel fit thou... :P
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- Erasmus said...
- Posted on Aug 29 2007 16:59 I agree that the production design maintained excellent standards and enjoyed most of the film. But, it is too long and credibility creaks a little now that they all look too old for the parts that they are playing.
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- cameron said...
- Posted on Aug 29 2007 15:02 it was fab off to see it for my 5th time now se ya
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- Jojo said...
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Posted on Aug 29 2007 10:13
Very good fun, but way too long, got a numb bum.
Effects and story great. - Report as inappropriate
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- Laura Jane said...
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Posted on Aug 25 2007 15:46
This Harry Potter film was one of the best ones at present.
It was dead good... and can't wait for the next one to be released.
:) Well worth the money, saw it on the day it came out. Want to see it again, but am skint. - Report as inappropriate
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- Sam said...
- Posted on Aug 25 2007 08:36 The best one yet, although the kids all look much older than 14 which I think is how old they're supposed to be! Loved it anyway, going again today!
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- sami said...
- Posted on Aug 24 2007 12:51 GGGggrrrr...in reply t all u harry potter haters!! Harry potter is the BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! n magic IS real :) silly!
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- Jo Copeland said...
- Posted on Aug 22 2007 22:35 have just got back from seeing the film really great, but there did see to be alot of CGI and less of a plot this time.
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- fanny fartknocker said...
- Posted on Aug 22 2007 21:57 The best Harry Potter film so far.Too good for kids in fact as very dark and sinister. My two loved it though! A super film!
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- Han + bethan said...
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Posted on Aug 21 2007 14:46
wkd film. u gotta b mmad 2 fink it rubbush!!!
ron vc sxy :P - Report as inappropriate
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- Taylor said...
- Posted on Aug 21 2007 08:46 harry potter was really really really really really really really really good i watched it last week at the cinema's.
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- taylor said...
- Posted on Aug 21 2007 08:43 harry potter was really really really really good i watched it lastweek and got 2 free ticket's and today me and my mum and going to watch the bratz movie.
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- Sue said...
- Posted on Aug 17 2007 11:45 Again fantastic, loved the others and loved this one, even though it took us 6 attempts to actually see the film!!
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- apollo said...
- Posted on Aug 16 2007 21:42 i really have to admit,this film was absouluty disgraceful magic is not even true.so what is the whole point of making harry potter films?magic is for little kids anyway.only little kids belive in magic.only 1,2,and 3 year olds should watch it.shame on the director.
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- appolo said...
- Posted on Aug 16 2007 21:34 i really have to admit,it is absoutely disgraceful.magic is not true.what is the whole point of making harry potter films?only little kids belive in magic.so all you peole in smackdown,raw,ecw and tna and all you randon people,never ever whatch this film.it is shit.
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Cast & crew
Director: David Yates
Producer: David Heyman, David Barron
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Gary Oldman, Imelda Staunton, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson, Richard Griffiths, Jason Isaacs, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, David Thewlis, Julie Walters, Robert Hardy, David Bradley, Mark Williams, Tom Felton, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch, Katie Leung, Harry Melling full cast
Genre(s): Action/Adventure, Children's, Fantasy
Rated: 12A
Duration: 138 mins
UK Release: Jun 13 2007
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