A sombre and at times curiously sober movie, handsomely designed as always, atmospherically lit and confidently performed.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
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Reviews Counted:230
Fresh:177
Rotten:53
Average Rating:6.8/10
Consensus: It's not easy to take the longest Harry Potter book and streamline it into the shortest HP movie, but director David Yates does a bang up job of it, creating an Order of the Phoenix that's entertaining and action-packed.
Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] for sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images.
Runtime: 2 hrs 19 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Theatrical Release:12-07-2007
Synopsis: In the silver-screen adaptation of J.K. Rowling's HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, the fifth chapter in the beloved book series, everyone's favorite wizard-in-training (Daniel Radcliffe)... In the silver-screen adaptation of J.K. Rowling's HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, the fifth chapter in the beloved book series, everyone's favorite wizard-in-training (Daniel Radcliffe) finds himself in increasingly perilous situations. Not only is Harry in trouble with the Ministry of Magic for using his abilities outside of school, his trusted mentor, Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), has grown distant, and an icy new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), has arrived to bring a frightening level of discipline to Hogwarts. And waiting in the shadows is the demonic Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), an ominous figure whose very existence is questioned by the powerful Ministry, leaving Harry and his friends--most notably Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson)--to form a rebel group, Dumbledore's Army. Helmed by little-known British director David Yates and written by Michael Goldenberg (the first scribe to fill the boots of Steve Kloves), THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX continues the darker tone of the two preceding POTTER installments and deftly follows Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they face new foes and impending adulthood. While Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson all continue to imbue their characters with vitality and complexity, Staunton steals the show as the strict, merciless Umbridge, though the story, which lacks some of the special-effects-heavy set pieces of past chapters, happily leaves room for other actors to shine, most notably Alan Rickman (as the ever-enigmatic Severus Snape), Gary Oldman (Sirius Black), David Thewlis (Remus Lupin), and Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange). Another fine offering of POTTER movie magic, PHOENIX may not astound quite the way that THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN did, but it easily stands as one of the best films in the series. [More]
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Richard Griffiths, Brendan Gleeson, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Imelda Staunton, Helena Bonham-Carter, Robert Pattinson
Director: David Yates
Director: David Yates
Screenwriter: Michael Goldenberg
Producer: David Barron, David Heyman
Composer: Nicholas Hooper
Studio: Warner Bros.
Reviews for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
. A series that was in danger of becoming an adventure playground for digital trickery – “not another miraculous monster or flying thingummybob”, we protest – exhibits, for once, a strong plot with a satirical edge.
This is a movie that's bound to satisfy most of those who have read the book, and a good many who haven't, too.
If Yates and Goldenberg haven't given the story shape, they have given it pace – something missing from the bloated and (to my disenchanted eyes) dreary book: even if the moments don't always connect, few of them are dull.
Saved by a wonderful performance from Imelda Staunton as sadistic teacher Dolores Umbridge, this pink-loving disciplinarian provides the best laughs, such as the plates on her wall adorned with moving cute kittens.
Spicy new additions Imelda Staunton and Helena Bonham Carter stop the familiar flavours from growing stale, while Daniel Radcliffe finally gets his act(ing) together.
And so the Harry Potter saga continues. It's essentially deeply conservative, with battles, and crashes, and giants and explosions and is shaping up to be an extraordinary real-time experiment for Daniel Radcliffe.
The Order Of The Phoenix is formulaic and lacking in depth, and does not make the most of the intensity in the fifth instalment of JK Rowling's epic story.
Order of the Phoenix is entertaining enough, but it feels like a stopgap, a stepping stone to later, greater thrills.
Worth seeing for Imelda Staunton and the impressive effects' work but it frequently feels rushed and lacks the drama and excitement of the previous two films.
The story is told with bracing efficiency and clever humour, and features solid acting from the expanding cast.
Characters are given less room than usual to grow and shine, and despite its relatively short running time, the film occasionally goes through the motions of telling a story rather than actually doing so.
It won’t win new fans, but as Potter movies go, this is the most filmic of the lot, suspenseful and action-packed.
To dwell on a few weaknesses would be to neglect the obvious point - that Harry Potter is older, bigger and darker than ever. And no one would want to miss his journey.
Yates ramps up the adrenalin and menace while adding new layers of emotional anguish befitting the adolescent years now reached by the teenage protagonists.
A deliciously dark affair, brimming with impressively gritty performances but still managing to balance magical wonder with breathless excitement.
There are moments when this otherwise enjoyable film, though nicely made and through no fault of its own, feels like a chore to be got through before the main course.
Latest News for Harry Potter and the Order of the...
July 15, 2009:
RT Interview: David Yates on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
When David Yates was hired to direct Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, fans took one look at his TV-heavy resume and panicked that he wouldn't be able to bring the same... More...
July 15, 2009:
RT Interview: Daniel Radcliffe on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
19 year-old Daniel Radcliffe wants the world to know he's a grown-up now. It's tough to walk past a magazine stand on the eve of the release of the sixth Harry Potter film... More...
July 14, 2009:
RT Visits the Set of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
As RT is brought into Leavesden Studios, past a pair of workmen poring over blueprints for a large, conical tower with a tall spire roof, the sense that we're entering a... More...
December 15, 2008:
Exclusive: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - RT's Set Visit Preview
RT visited the set of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince recently to tour the studio and speak to the stars, and we thought we'd share a small teaser of our time at Hogwarts. More...
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