Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Review
by Clare Bath
By far the darkest of the five Potter pictures so far, 'Order of the Phoenix'
sees Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) once again up against the dark magic of
Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) – but this time the bespectacled wizard
and his ally Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) have to fight with
their hands tied in red tape, courtesy of ministry leader Dolores
Umbridge (Imelda Staunton). Our hero is also battling with
young adulthood, young love, and Jungian dream sequences. Suffice to
say, things get a little hairy for Potter.
Those tuning in to
the series without the benefit of reading the books might find
themselves lost in a lavish digital landscape with a cast of millions,
for the movie doesn’t burden itself with more than stringing together
the highlights of the saga so far. That said, this story is
the least kinetic of Harry’s adventures. Perhaps that is why the
longest book translated into the shortest of the ''Potter'' movies. But
don’t worry, it still feels pretty long.
Drama here borders on Star Wars: Episode I
- style exposition and the humour of the first three films remains,
though it’s much more sardonic. Laughs are centred around the
power-hungry Professor Umbridge, who looks and acts disturbingly like
Geroge W Bush (and has his wife’s sense of style).
The meat of the movie actually lies in its political sub-plot – that’s what keeps you watching.
This is director David Yates’ first crack at the Potter
franchise. Though the visual pallet remains stunning, Yates plays a
conservative hand, keeping the monsters not too scary, the romance not
too sexy, and the build-up not too thrilling. Kudos to Gambon, Gary
Oldman, Imelda Staunton and the ever devil-iscious Alan Rickman for
keeping some dra-magic in the wand.
This is another fun ride for fans of the Potter series – but if you don’t already have an appetite for a pot full of Harry, I suggest you don’t order the Phoenix. 3 out
of 5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Australian
release: 11th July,
2007
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Ralph Fiennes
Director: David Yates
Website: Click
here.
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