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Perhaps
it's because the series never really struck me as "Must See" movies. Or
perhaps because I missed the first flick, I just assumed there was no
point seeing the rest.
Whatever the reason, I was out of the loop -
and thankfully I finally made the effort to catch up on Potter 1 to 4
before seeing Order of
the Phoenix....because I would have been as confused as a
straight man at a Chippendales male strip venue.
Harry
Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
follows Harry (the ever ageing Daniel Radcliffe) for his fifth year of
study at Hogwarts. It turns out that Harry high-pants has discovered
that much of the wizard community has been denied the truth about the
teenager's recent encounter with the evil Lord Voldemort (who looks
more and more like Michael Jackson in each movie).
Fearing that
Hogwarts' headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is lying about Voldemort's
return in order to take his job, The Minister for Magic appoints a new
Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to keep watch over Dumbledore
and Hogwarts students.
However, Professor Delores
Umbridge's "Ministry-approved" course of defensive magic leaves the
young wizards woefully unprepared to defend themselves against the dark
forces threatening them and the entire wizard community. So, at the
prompting of his friends Hermione and Ron, Harry takes matters into his
own hands.
Arguably the most detail intensive of the
book series
(and the longest), the latest film is surprisingly short in running
time in comparison to it's predecessors. However, much like the other
films, every minute of Order
is thouroughly captivating - and there is rarely a moment you regret
being part of the adventure (as opposed to The Lord of the Rings,
which for mine, really started to drag on by hour 54).
The real strengh is that it isn't
simply Harry
Potter 5: Mission To Miami. It's just part of
the ongoing story arc - which is why, in my opinion, the
series continues to hold up so well.
While the die hard book fans will be
screaming from the highest hills that the latest Harry Potter
flick doesn't follow the book word for word (and let's face it - most
of those people are 45 year old virgins who live with their mothers, so
their opinion mean little), I simply couldn't ignore the sheer joy that
was showing on the faces of literally everyone in the TV room during
the
screening. They were beaming!
And while many will love the distraction of
the magic and wizardry, for mine the real strengths of Order (and
the rest of the series)
are the human aspects and the underlying - if not
completley
unsubtle - themes and social commentary running through it.
The past stories have addressed
intolerance etc, however Order
lays on the life lessons and political commentry rather thick. And it
works a treat.
From
a distraught Harry confused about what he's going through (is he simply
growing up, or distraught from being tormented by a noseless murderer)
claiming he's "Just so angry all the time", to his trusted new God
Father Sirius Black explaining "No matter how badly you've been treated
in the past, it doesn't make you
a bad person". It's such a sincere way of getting through to it's young
readers and viewers without ever speaking down to them, giving them the
advice and
support they might not recieve at home. It's perfectly
executed.
And
there's stuff in there for the adults to think about too, with the
"Ministry" storyline a thinly veiled stab at our current political
climate.
But it's not all "Thinking stuff". There are
some
fantastically funny and touching moments. There's the infamous 'First
Potter Pash', to the discussing of said pash, as well as a fantastic
final battle which displays glimpses of the classic Darth Vader Vs. Obi
Wan duel in Star Wars.
All in all, despite it's constant intensity
and overall bleakness, Order
of the Phoenix is yet another superb edition to the
franchise which will delight parents and kids alike, casting a spell
over it's audience.
From the stunning visuals, to the unique Wizard of Oz
magestic
qualities, to the fantastically layered analogies, subplots and
underlying themes - there is very little not to like about the world
J.K Rowling has created.
I'm just upset it took me so long to enter it!
EXTRAS
As always theres some very cool DVD menus on
offer on the latest Potter
offering. I'm a nerd when it comes to effort put into DVD menus - and
I've yet to encounter a bad one yet.
Inluded
are an array of deleted scenes, featurettes and behind the scenes
footage. However, we are all here for one reason and one reason
only...the interactive games (which there are plenty).
Pretty much flawless.
Conclusion:
Movie 80% Extras: 75%
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