‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ review: a dark and gloomy entry

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A dark and gloomy installment to the franchise, David Yates´ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix contains fits and spurts of the magic of the previous films but generally underwhelms.

The longest book in the series has become the shortest film (so far), and in many instances it shows; it´s plot-heavy and rushed, and the only film that can´t stand on its own – there are so many characters and references to past events that anyone who hasn´t seen the previous films or read the novels will be lost.

The tone of the film also detracts; there´s a point where the darkness is appropriate to this Harry Potter film, but there´s also the inescapable fact that this is still a Harry Potter film.

The gee-whiz attitude and awe-inspiring moments from the earlier films are completely missing, and the darkness seems forced; for a good while, the film feels oppressively gloomy without just cause.

Though justification for the gloom comes at the end, with the death of a major character and Ralph Fiennes making for an effectively scary Voldemort, couldn´t we have had some fun in the two hours leading up to it?

Attacked by Dementors, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is forced to use magic in the presence of Muggles, and the Ministry of Magic threatens to expel him from Hogwarts for this infraction.

Though Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) and a convenient witness bail him out, a member of the Ministry (Dolores Umbridge, played broad but effective by Imelda Staunton) is appointed Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor, and immediately causes a rift by not teaching the students their magic.

This makes for the bulk of the film: an internal power struggle at Hogwarts, and the politics between the Ministry of Magic and the school, with Harry sulking his way through with a nobody-believes-me mentality. It all resembles the recent Star Wars flicks: too much politics, not enough focus on individual characters, with Radcliffe´s Potter equaling Hayden Christensen´s Anakin Skywalker in attitude.

There´s even some dark-side luring by Voldemort thrown in for good measure. And all of those characters that we´ve grown to know and love are lost in the background here; even Hermoine (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) are given next to nothing to do despite ample screen time.

The talented cast of British actors and actresses keeps growing, and here many of them are wasted: Brendan Gleeson, David Thewlis, Maggie Smith, Emma Thompson, and even Alan Rickman are all sorely underused.

Production is top-notch, as to be expected, though there´s far less eye candy this time around.

Effectively, though perhaps misguidedly, directed by Yates; easily the least of the series. Hard-core fans are likely to be disappointed, though casual fans should enjoy. Non-fans beware.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

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Jason Pirodsky

Jason Pirodsky has been writing about the Prague film scene and reviewing films in print and online media since 2005. A member of the Online Film Critics Society, you can also catch his musings on life in Prague at expats.cz and tips on mindfulness sourced from ancient principles at MaArtial.com.

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