00s Movie Review - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Director: David Yates
Genre: Adventure/ Family/ Fantasy/ Drama
Runtime: 138 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Helene Bonham-Carter, Brendan Gleeson, Imelda Staunton, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Tom Felton, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Emma Thompson, David Thewlis, Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, Warwick Davis, Bonnie Wright, Julie Walters, Mark Williams, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Chris Rankin, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch

Description: With their warning about Lord Voldemort's return scoffed at, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) are targeted by the Wizard authorities as an authoritarian bureaucrat slowly seizes power at Hogwarts.

Review: The fifth movie in the series is a bit more grim then the previous films. The innocent face of the then 12 year old Daniel Radcliffe is now a full grown teenager.
In the opening scene we see Harry sitting on a swing. After his cousin Dudley is teasing him again, Harry breaks. He gets his wand out and threatens Dudley. It shows that Harry isn’t someone to mess with anymore. Voldemort is after Harry and sends dementors his way. When a dementor wants to attack Dudley, Harry uses a Patronus spell on him. This gets him in trouble.
Harry is traumatized since he saw Cedric die in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”. For the first time we feel Harry’s burden. Although Hermione and Ron support him, Harry feels alone. But he has no choice, he has to get ready to face Voldemort.
There are some new characters introduced. Evanna Lynch plays Luna Lovegood. A quirky witch who makes sure there are also some lighter moments in the film. She teaches Harry to cope with the trauma. Then there is Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge, who is probably the most annoying character in the entire franchise. She steals the show.
What I liked most about “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” is how the students are forming their own alliance and try to get ready for the big battle, without any help of the teachers. Characters like Neville Longbottom and Ginny Weasly get a more important role in the story.
It wasn’t one of my favorite books, because it was so long. But director David Yates has done a fantastic job in turning it into a movie. It is one of my favorite Harry Potter movies.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

50 Books Challenge 2011 - # 40: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Title: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Author: J.K. Rowling
Story: As his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry approaches, 15-year-old Harry Potter is in full-blown adolescence, complete with regular outbursts of rage, a nearly debilitating crush, and the blooming of a powerful sense of rebellion. It's been yet another infuriating and boring summer with the despicable Dursleys, this time with minimal contact from our hero's non-Muggle friends from school. Harry is feeling especially edgy at the lack of news from the magic world, wondering when the freshly revived evil Lord Voldemort will strike. Returning to Hogwarts will be a relief... or will it?
Start: july 20th 2011
End: july 28th 2011
Comment: When we meet Harry Potter again in this fifth book, we see a lot of change. He's off course older, but he's rougher and more full of anger. Harry feels he's being ignored by his friends Ron and Hermione, his mentor Dumbledore and godfather Sirius. When he returns to Hogwarts he has to face yet another challenge. People don't believe him anymore and the arrival of Dolores Umbridge only makes things worse. Umbridge is probably the most dreadfull teacher Hogwarts ever had. What I loved most about this book is that Harry and his friends formed Dumbledore's army. A group of young wizards and witches who want to learn how to fight back, when it's really necessary. And people who are against Umbridge and her teaching methods and strange rules. I also loved Neville's role in this. He's always been one of my favorite characters and he actually made a difference in this book. A lot of great new character were introduced. Off course Umbridge, who will always be my most hated character. We also met Luna Lovegood, Nymphadora Tops and Bellatrix Lestrange. We got to see a different side of Snape and we learned more about Harry's past. A lot of new developements were in this book, which makes this fifth novel a great addition to the series.
Rating: 5/ 5