Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
posted on 20 April 2008
There’s panic in the halls of Hogwarts, as everyone’s favorite scar-flaunting teenage wizarding wunderkind tries to fend off fear-mongering bureaucrats and other looming villains in the fifth film, 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.'
When Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) returns to the academy, he finds himself gawked at, pegged by the increasingly paranoid powers-that-be as pariah du jour. Tired of authoritative interference – particularly with the wickedly prim Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) joining the Hogwarts staff – he finds himself joining the titular rebellion and prompted to lead his peers in a stand against the many oppressive forces at work.
Fortunately, the reins of the series have been handed over to a pair of newcomers, director David Yates and writer Michael Goldenberg, who have teamed up to whittle down J.K. Rowling’s bloated tome of the same name to simply the essentials, transforming a genuine chore of exposition and exasperation into a relatively brisk and satisfying effort for the screen, and curbing Harry’s angst before it grows as grating as it did on the page. Of course, it certainly doesn’t hurt the ensemble of notable thespians gathered for these films are as impressive as ever, from Alan Rickman’s ever-gloomy Professor Snape to Michael Gambon as the increasingly weary Dumbledore to Gary Oldman as Harry’s only remaining relative, Sirius Black.
Staunton’s passive-aggressive pink meanie is certainly the showiest role of the bunch, and she serves her smiling sociopath quite well, while Helena Bonham Carter does her demented best as an infamous witch who, among others, escapes from Azkaban to join Voldemort’s side. Speaking of the big V, Ralph Fiennes’ climactic appearance as the infamous Lord Voldemort carries more menace than he ever has to date. To be fair, the principal protagonists still hold their own as well as anyone and everyone. Radcliffe’s Harry, Rupert Grint’s Ron, and Emma Watson’s Hermione are all maturing – in every sense – at a fitting rate, digits be damned, and carry more consistency from film to film than even the lavish production design can claim to.
Together, Yates and Goldenberg establish an admirable set of priorities, as the fate of a realm takes center stage and Quidditch matches fall rightfully by the wayside. By this point in the series, the audience should be every bit as accustomed to the day-to-day use of magic, so it’s upon that foundation that they orchestrate the unexpectedly engaging politics at play within the world of wizards and witches. The focus similarly shifts from the magic our upstanding students are mastering, but the maturity they’re displaying. When used, the effects work well (with one giant exception), but the characters work better, maybe never better save for Alfonso Cuaron’s …Prisoner of Azkaban. While it may seem like the more universal notions of power and responsibility subdue the flashier fantasy elements, they are – if anything – enhanced by them.
There is inevitably plenty of practice and plotting and politics underway before the anticipated showdown delivers, and with the next volume, there is yet more of the same to follow, but if this trend continues, with the exposition as streamlined as it is here, the filmmakers have created more momentum for the last movie than Rowling has achieved for the final novel. In what was once a world of whimsy, the fact that there are now some serious stakes may prove to be the most compelling spell yet.