Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) review



(8/10)

This addition into the Harry Potter canon is acted brilliantly throughout with a thorough sense of maturity and a great plot, but this film seems to leave a colder feeling than the rest have overall.

PLOT:Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) just barely returns to Hogwarts this year after nearly being expelled by the Ministry of Magic for using a Patronus charm to save his cousin. After Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) helps Harry fight through the system, Harry starts to learn of the theories that Dumbledore and he are in a conspiracy against the Ministry and have made the return of Voldemort up. Thinking this is preposterous, Harry tries to enjoy himself in Hogwarts again this year with Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson). However, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), has intent to take over the school and make it her way in every way she can, setting it up to the Ministry's code. Through all of this commotion, Harry learns of a secret order that was made during the last moment Voldemort was seeking power, the Order of the Phoenix. With the knowledge of this old order, Harry takes it into his hands to form a new army to take on Voldemort and rebel against the new school standards. It's a great plot executed very well.



ACTING:The performances in this film are excellent. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson play brilliant parts as the classic Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Imelda Staunton also plays a very convincing part as the villain of Hogwarts, Professor Umbridge. There really wasn't a bad performance in this film, but the best performances alongside these would have to be Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort, Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix, Gary Oldman as Sirius Black, Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy, Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood, Emma Thompson as Professor Trelawney, and Robert Hardy as Cornelius Fudge. I believe these few did the best job aside the main few performance-wise. I was convinced by them. The honorable mentions of this one would be Harry Melling as Dudley Dursley, Tom Felton as Draco, Alan Rickman as Snape, Matthew Lewis as Neville, Katie Leung as Cho, and Natalia Tena as Tonks.

SCORE:The score in this one was very intense overall and fit the mood very well, conducted by Nicholas Hooper. There were a few themes that really stood out in this one.

EFFECTS:The effects in this one were very detailed overall, from the centaurs to the spell effects and from the Grawp to Voldemort himself. The effects by this time have gradually built up to reach a high point, and it's more than likely going to stay there.



OTHER CONTENT:Though this Harry Potter film has a great story and excellent performances to suit, the overall feeling of the film isn't as bright near the end. In fact, there isn't really a true powerful emotion. I'd say this is the bleakest of the Potter films, for it leaves most audiences with a cold feeling, like more could have been added, or that not enough was done. This is an excellent and mature Potter film overall, but I believe it could have left a feeling better than bitter by the end.

OVERALL,a great Harry Potter film with a great plot, excellent performances, intense score, very detailed graphics, and maturity throughout, but this addition left me with a colder, bleak, and less-satisfied feeling than the others have.

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