Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Here we are with another excellent addition to the franchise. This one is most memorable for its great villain, Dolores Umbridge, played by Imelda Staunton. She did such a fantastic job. You just end up hating her so much, which just goes to show you how good an actress she is! I mean, Voldemort is a great bad guy, but he is a fantasy. He is evil for evil’s sake, and on the surface, there’s very little depth to him. But Umbridge is a more realistic, more familiar evil. She is just a cruel woman who justifies her despicable behavior behind a mask of self-righteous civility and extreme conservative beliefs. But of course, Helena Bonham Carter was great as Bellatrix Lestrange. She was so delightfully crazy!
So here in this fifth film in the franchise, the three leads have already proven themselves to be great actors. They seem to be inhabiting their characters, a skill that comes with experience. And I have to give special props to Radcliff, in particular. He was wonderful. He just keeps getting better and better in each film of the franchise. He was perfect in the more intimate moments with his Godfather. The great conversation in Serius’ home about whether Harry is a good person or not was beautifully acted.
And I liked the film is noticeably darker than the first four films, which is as it should be. The story itself is getting darker. I’d say that at this point, the franchise is no longer geared to a younger audience. Especially after the graphic blood magic and killing curses used in the climactic scene of the previous movie, the target audience is decidedly more mature, a demographic that can handle the emotional depth of the story. It still has its whimsy, but things are getting incredibly serious, and I love it!
So let’s talk about Umbridge in a little more detail. One of the best little scenes in the movie is the horrific scene where Harry is in her office, writing lines with her special quill. Imelda Staunton was truly terrifying as she says, “… you know, deep down, you deserve to be punished.” Oh my God! As if to say, “You should be thanking me for torturing you like this, because you know that is the right thing to do. After what you did, you should want this self-mutilation.” Holy moly, that’s sick! And we’ve all had that teacher that takes just a little too much pleasure in punishing children.
And I have to comment on the exciting scene where the death eaters and the The Order of the Phoenix are dueling! It was fast-paced, chaotic, and frightening, like a thrill ride at an amusement park! But then, in the next scene, when Dumbledore and Voldemort are fighting, it was a true wizard’s duel done right. There were magical spells, fancy flourishes, attacks, defenses, and amazing visuals! It is what combat between two powerful magical duelists should look like.
OK, here’s the bad stuff, rapid-fire style. In the beginning, If Harry brought home Dudley in a near catatonic state, why would Vernon ask him, “Who did this to you, boy?” And why would they have a squib, Mrs. Fig, watch over Harry if she can’t do anything to defend him from magical threats. Why does Dumbledore try to protect Harry by keeping him ignorant? Keeping someone in the dark is never a good way to keep them safe. When Snape is instructed to teach Harry occlumency, he never gives Harry a single word of instruction on HOW to keep Voldemort out of his mind. The CGI on Grawp was terrible. Why would Umbridge follow Harry and his friends into the forest ALONE? And if the Death Eaters are all evil, why aren’t they using the killing curse a lot more?
All in all, it was another great adaptation, another impressive installment of the franchise. The movies just keep getting better and better. It’s why I can keep watching them over and over again without losing interest. And that is the mark of good filmmaking.
Top 10 Favorite Parts
- The Order of the Phoenix meeting in Serius’s kitchen, and Serius winking at Harry.
- Umbridge’s opening address to the Hogwarts students.
- Harry’s detention in Umbridge’s office. Staunton was SO good in that scene!!
- The initial meeting of Dumbledore’s Army.
- The montage where Harry is teaching his fellow students.
- Harry seeing into Snape’s past, and finding that his father was a bully.
- Dumbledore’s exit from the school with his phoenix.
- The Weasley twins’ exit from the school and their fireworks.
- The battle in the Department of Mysteries
- The wizard’s duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort.