Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) - 7/10

First Viewed: 3/27/08
Directed by David Yates
Cinematography by Slawomir Idziak
Starring Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, Emma Watson as Hermione, Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, Michael Gambon as Dumbledore, Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort, Gary Oldman as Sirius Black, and Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange

Movie adaptations of books are often disappointing because they are hindered by obligatory ties to the source material. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix suffers from this problem, which makes some of the situations feel episodic and poorly fleshed out. Yet the film fares far better than most of the previous Harry Potter films.

I think this is because David Yates manages to simultaneously focus on the central narrative of Harry while conveying a sense of wonder with the magic world to the audience. Cinematographer Slawomir Idziak (Black Hawk Down), whose use of compositions and lighting is often striking, and the wonderful production design by Stuart Craig help to sell Yates' more focused, darker vision of the series. The films' special effects have gradually improved over the years and they look very impressive here, as only a few shots involving characters riding on brooms or creatures in mid-air seem fake. The acting is another aspect of the film that is strong.

I strongly disliked Michael Gambon's performance in the previous films, but I think that his more aggressive Dumbledore fits in well in this film. Imelda Staunton's gives an excellent performance as administrator Dolores Umbridge, creating a sinister character with more depth than J.K. Rowling, who used the description "toad-like" to tiresome effect, ever provided in the novel. All of the adult actors give excellent performances, but Daniel Radcliffe - who has been improving over the span of the series - and Emma Watson - who has not - are still weak actors and seem particularly bad in comparison to the other performances.

The various weaknesses that are associated with book adaptations will always hinder the Harry Potter series. But I still enjoyed this movie and appreciated the effortless pacing and entertainment that Yates provided, a welcome change from the plodding first two films by Chris Columbus.