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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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- Peter Griffin said...
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Posted on Aug 02 2007 08:15
This is actually one of the worst films ive ever seen. It was so rushed that anyone who hasnt read the book doesent actually know or understand what is going on. The scenes are chopped together with newspaper cut outs and it just isnt a true representation of the book.
Considering how well Lord of the Rings represents its books, why does the harry potter book series not have a great film to follow up with. This is why it will never be better than any Lord of the Rings films, Unless a real director grabs this film by the reins and guides it towards greatness. - Report as inappropriate
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- liz said...
- Posted on Aug 01 2007 21:08 As a grandmother i make it my duty to keep up with all the Harry Potter books and films, well thats my excuse and im sticking to it!!! when really i love them and think every one should see and read them cant wait for the next film.
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- GRACIE said...
- Posted on Aug 01 2007 18:37 HARRY POTTER IS GONNA BE AWESOME IM RE-READIN DA BK SO I NO XACTLY WAT HAPPENS I MEAN I DONT WANNA MISS ANYTHIN LOL
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- Rachel said...
- Posted on Aug 01 2007 17:45 Love it! Imaginative, gripping, cleverly mixes all the elements: adventure, comedy, romance and science-fiction. "Something for everyone" as they say. Looking forward to more...
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- Charley said...
- Posted on Jul 31 2007 16:59 I liked the other Harry Potter films yet this film was the worst yet. It's extremely repetative and some parts seem rushed. The fight scenes and that are brilliant and the cast do a fantastic job but it's not that good a film. Everyone else seemed to like it except me lol
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- Christine Thompson said...
- Posted on Jul 29 2007 16:26 I reckon its the best film I have seen yet. I was on eht edge of my seat. It was absolutely awesome. May see it again and again to recall the magical scenes when Harry makes it through for the good has to win over bad.
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- Phil said...
- Posted on Jul 29 2007 16:20 BORING, so Harry has a teenie tantrum whoopie doo - drawn out drivel - a bit of a fight at the very end, and it's all over, your left wondering where the excitement had gone.
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- Marc said...
- Posted on Jul 29 2007 14:11 Yeah I know. That was sarcasm, aimed at a careless reviewer. :)
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- Jus me said...
- Posted on Jul 29 2007 13:55 Marc yh she is da 1 frm Goblet of fire but we c her more in dis 1
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- Karen said...
- Posted on Jul 29 2007 00:26 OK so the books get longer what I cant understand is why if it was possible to do Lord of the Rings justice cant they do the same for the Harry Potter films. Cutting this latest film to fit in with a reasonable length of time has ruined it, it comes across as a series of clips and not very smoothly put together. Yes it basically tells the story but oh what a shame when so much more could have been represented in an extended edition lasting nearly 4 hours like the final instalment of LOTR Return of the King. I sincerely hope they don't butcher the last two books when they translate them onto film. J K Rowling doesnt deserve that. Fantastic works lets do them justice on screen please.
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- Marc said...
- Posted on Jul 28 2007 11:47 "New girl" Cho? Who was that girl that he failed to take to the dance in "Goblet of Fire", then?
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- David said...
- Posted on Jul 27 2007 23:22 Maggie Smith is my faviorate actor in the cast, i've always loved her. Shame they cut the best scene from this book. Book seven should be her best...I CAN'T WAIT!
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- lyndsay jobburn said...
- Posted on Jul 27 2007 15:13 not as good as the others im afraid (sorry)
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- Jus me said...
- Posted on Jul 27 2007 15:12 I ave been a Harry Potter fan since it started but dis film iz da worst harry potter ever, wot da hell wer dey thinking, hopefully da next 1 will hundred times better.
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- Piph Stanhope said...
- Posted on Jul 27 2007 14:18 It made my eyes cry when the magic boy made things all glitterful on the Thames-way. Vert terrific. If you have not seen a film before then this is a good one to start with. Or Tron.
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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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