(2007, 138 min) There’s no doubt about it – Harry Potter has grown up. The only question is how much has he matured? That’s at the heart of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth, entertaining entry in the vastly popular series based on the J.K. Rowling novels. In the hands of yet another director, this time British helmer David Yates, whose last film for HBO, The Girl in the Café received good notices (and whose critically acclaimed mini-series Sex Traffic has yet to play in the U.S.), the film is a lot more talk than action. But the characters have matured so well over the years, and Yates gives such attention to the big and small things, you can’t help but enjoy sitting through what is basically a build-up for the final confrontation between Harry and the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) in the next two chapters.
It’s like waiting to see Anakin Skywalker turn to the Dark Side in Revenge of the Sith – you know it’s coming. You know it’s inevitable. It’s the how that you want to see. Only this is more satisfying.
Ready to begin his fifth year at Hogwarts, Harry has just been expelled for using magic in front of a muggle. From the start, it appears that the suspension, spearheaded by the Minister of Magic, is acting upon his own agenda. And the court is clearly divided between those who believe Harry’s story that Voldemort has returned, and those who don’t and who are quite ready to silence the young wizard any way they can. This sorcerous congress could very well be taking sides on the Iraq war or whether there were weapons of mass destruction. Torture of suspected plotters, violations of long-standing civil rights (or in this case wizardry rights) – there are many shadings of George W.'s administration in this Ministry.
And their Cheney is marvelously played by Imelda Staunton, who gives what may be the best performance in any of the Harry Potter films to date. Her Dolores Umbridge is a classic creation of contradictions: a superficial mouthpiece who speaks in homespun certainties but whose smiling façade masks sinister intent. And when Dolores comes to Hogwarts to take over the department of Defense Against the Dark Arts, the smell of napalm is in the air as she gets ready to battle both Harry and Hogwarts Headmaster Dumbledore (Michael Gambon).
She is only one foe that Harry must face. For Lord Voldemort is an ever-present danger, and Harry is plagued by dreams of the dark wizard that are threatening his own sanity. How he handles these and other obstacles clears the path for the showdown to come, and comments on how far Harry has come over the last five years. This includes the student becoming the teacher, as Harry commands a covert team of witches and wizards called “Dumbledore’s Army” in preparation for Voldemort. And, yes, Harry also receives his first kiss, though it's a minor affair.
A great majority of the characters from the last four films are here, as are the quirky and charming magical antics that have long characterized Hogwarts and the series. Director Yates brings back a lot of the humor that the first two films featured, while not ignoring the darker, more fearful story aspects that made the third and fourth films stand out. For the first time, a regular character will die, and the safety of others will be in great doubt.
Being a smattering of all the films, Order of the Phoenix doesn’t quite have the identity and velocity of the two best films, Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire. But between the laughs and the thrills, the plot developments and the wicked scene-stealing of Staunton, this lively fifth entry goes to some lengths to ensure that Harry Potter is, and remains, one of the best film series of all time.
Has Harry matured? You bet he has. Just as Daniel Radcliffe now wears his role with a regal authority and seemingly unflappable verve. Just as Hermione and Ron and their counterparts Emma Watson and Rupert Grint are integral parts to the whole, and act every bit the troubleshooter and best friend. And now the promise of adulthood and the next chapter – bring on the next course.
© TLA Entertainment Group
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