“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” (Warner Brothers)
The Trouble With “Harry”
The trouble with the “Harry Potter” movies is if you have not read the books you are hopelessly lost. And never has this been more true than with “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” the latest in the “Harry Potter” series of movies. If you haven’t read the book series or if you have not seen and memorized plot points from the previous movies, you aren’t going to have a clue as to what is happening on screen. This is not a stand alone movie.
When the film opens Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is back home where his aunt and uncle live. He is being harassed by his dumpy cousin when all sorts of flying things attack. In order to protect himself and his cousin, Harry uses magic. This results in his being expelled from Hogwarts, the school where he is being taught wizardry.
Later Harry gets reinstated and he, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) are reunited. But Harry isn’t happy. He is still upset about the death of his friend Cedric (which happened in the previous movie). He wants to get his revenge on Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), the man behind most of the evil acts that have surrounded Harry.
Complications arise at school when a new headmistress appears on the scene. Her name is Delores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) and she imposes new rules as to how magic can be taught and/or used. Harry has to organize a secret “class” where he teaches a select group of students how to defend themselves.
Numerous characters come in and out of the film. Some stay a while and others are just fleeting glimpses. Emma Thompson and Maggie White are two of the most fleeting, while Alan Rickman gets a tad more time on screen.
The three leads are growing up and acquiring more acting talent. Still it is Radcliffe who is the star of this show and Grint and Watson just say and do things to support his “Harry” role. It might have been a bit more enjoyable to see the other two play a more important role in the story.
The film is rated PG-13 for mild profanity and violence.
The “Harry Potter” mania seems to get stronger and stronger. The books top the best seller lists while the movies dominate the box office. It is a phenomenon that can’t be stopped. Still for the one in a million person who wanders into a theater without having read the books or seen the previous movies, this is a world that is impossible to understand. In this fifth incarnation no clues are given as to what went before. There is only the present and the future. So if you are this novice viewer, good luck.
I scored “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” a rising 6 out of 10.
