It's action-packed, darker, more epic and thankfully schmaltz-free. And it's the best Harry Potter film yet.
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
The storytelling seems occasionally disjointed, but...for all the special-effects wizardry, that touch of film magic never surfaces. There's fireworks and action and much swooshing about, but this interim installment seems stuck in one nightmarish gear.
Did I mention that, for all its portentousness, this is the best Harry Potter picture yet? In some ways, it improves on J. K. Rowling’s novel, which is punishingly protracted and builds to a climactic wand-off better seen than read.
Although marred by some inept editing by Mark Day, The Order of the Phoenix is the first of the series to resound as a multifaceted narrative that understands its own intentions. It is intelligent.
Potter 5 [is] not just a ripping yarn but a powerful, poignant coming-of-age story.
Order of the Phoenix, the best of the series so far, has the laughs, the jitters and the juice to make even nonbelievers wild about Harry.
Dark, malevolent, and serious, this Harry Potter was created by its new director, scripter and composer as a waking nightmare.
Good, but not great. Fans expecting more than simply 'good' would be disappointed . . .
There is the fact that this [movie] is a watershed of backstory, revelations and plot clarifications before heading into the two remaining chapters. So while Phoenix is a necessary film, it's quite possibly the least enjoyable of the lot so far.
The metaphors are all implicit and have a lot to do with just growing up and facing unpleasant realities, but they increasingly contribute to the feeling of nervousness and unease creeping into the series.
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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