There’s still a lot to love in this underrated entry

Back in 2007, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Was the first movie in the fantasy franchise that I got to see in theaters. I remember how nothing could beat my excitement to actually get to see the magic unfold on a big screen, how somehow everything felt fresh and new, even though I had already read the book and knew what was going to happen. Now, years later, I’ve seen The Order of the Phoenix Countless times, however It still casts a spell over me.

The fifth installment in the Harry Potter The franchise always seems to have a bad reputation among fans, and honestly, I’ve never really understood why. As with any adaptation, there are changes I don’t like, things I would have done differently, but director David Yates’ The Order of the Phoenix is a great example of some of the strongest elements of the seriesSuch as its cast, production design and visual effects. It’s also a necessary part of Harry’s journey, and one in which we can really see lead star Daniel Radcliffe begin to come into his own.

Harry’s Journey takes a dark turn in Order of the Phoenix

Daniel Radcliffe rises to the challenge

The Order of the Phoenix Picks up right before Harry’s fifth year at Hogwarts, with the young wizard still reeling from the tragic death of Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson) and the return of Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). If 2005s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Signaling a more mature turn for the franchise with its game-changing ending, this installment officially fades into darkness, as evidenced by Harry’s tumultuous emotional state. Not only does Harry witness a horrific murder, but he must also contend with powerful forces in the wizarding world seeking to undermine his experiences by denying Voldemort’s return.

In the book, a decent chunk of his dialogue is conveyed by all-caps shouting, and here, Harry shouts at Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), brushes off his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), and suffers from nightmares. . Where Voldemort encroaches ever further into his life. The Order of the Phoenix Smartly keeps Harry’s personal arc tied to the main plot. When he comes to terms with what he faced before and must face in the future, his decision to lead the underground student defense club Dumbledore’s Army makes perfect sense.

Through it all, Radcliffe nails Harry’s angst. The actor, now a newly minted Tony winner, will be the first to recount his performances in the Harry Potter Movies are not his best, and I do not deny that at times he seems uncomfortable in the role. However, the emotional hurdles that Harry faces The Order of the Phoenix Leave Radcliffe To expand his range And grow along with his character. Some of​​​​his best work comes in the scenes he shares with his most iconic co-stars, with Gary Oldman and the late, great Alan Rickman providing excellent performances for Radcliffe to build on.

Order of the Phoenix introduces us to new characters and places

And it is so successful

what The Order of the Phoenix Largely excels at introducing new elements to the franchise, be it characters or locations. The series’ production design has always been top notch, but Stuart Craig’s work really shines with the depiction of locations like the Ministry of Magic and the Room of Requirement. The former is especially a stunning place, from the black-tiled hallways of the lower levels to the cavernous atrium filled with offices overlooking an imposing fountain.

The Order of the Phoenix Marks the first appearance of some notable Harry Potter characters, and while a couple of arrivals unfortunately fall flat (Nymphadora Tonks is a much more vibrant character on the page), most are instant successes. At one end of the spectrum, we have Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch), the soft-spoken and eccentric Ravenclaw who becomes one of Harry’s closest friends. Lynch is perfect in the roleNailing Luna’s voice and the way her dreamy demeanor can give way to insightful observations.

And then we have one of Harry PotterThe most unfortunate villains: Dolores Umbridge, Hogwarts’ new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. As the pink-clad bigot, Imelda Staunton fully embodies someone we all hate from the first moment she walks.”hem.” In a franchise that includes spine-chilling antagonists like Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter, another example of The Order of the Phoenixs successful debuts), Umbridge has always stood as his very worst, and Staunton gives an impressively scary performance.

The climactic action of Phoenix is ​​the best of the franchise

Few Harry Potter duels are as thrilling as Dumbledore and Voldemort

For many the order of the phoenix, Umbridge is the primary villain as she gradually takes over Hogwarts and stamps out any agency the students might have, but the climax of the movie takes it all back to the overarching fight of good versus evil. Everything culminates in what I truly believe is the franchise’s best battle, the Atrium fight between Dumbledore and Voldemort. Before that, Harry and his friends are chased through the creepy Hall of Prophecies in a suspenseful sequence, and our hero suffers a heart-wrenching loss (one that still puts a lump in my throat).

Still, the Dumbledore vs. Voldemort duel is a breathtaking example of what magic is capable of. in others Harry Potter In movies, duels are mostly considered flashes of light shooting back and forth, but Yates smartly stages the fight for what it is: A clash between two of the wizarding world’s most formidable magic-users. Dumbledore traps Voldemort in a ball of water taken directly from the fountain. Voldemort smashes the windows of the Ministry offices and shows a giant dragon made of fire. The visual effects are flawless and prove why the franchise should have leaned more.

Once the dust quite literally settles, the conflict is brought back to where it began: Voldemort and Harry. The final scene of the movie, where Harry optimistically declares that he and his friends have something worth fighting for, may sound wrong considering how much strife he’s been through in the movie alone, but the moment when he wrestles back control of Voldemort in the Ministry and defiantly harming the Dark Lord is A strong reminder of what kind of character Harry isAnd serves as a great conclusion to their final meeting.

In case this long review has not made it abundantly clear, I have a lot of love in my heart for Harry Potter. That will probably always be true, even as the creator of the series continues to be a person I cannot support. Through his characters and yet painfully relevant themes, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Represents some of the best of what the franchise has to offer.

Some characters have admittedly gotten the short end of the stick, and some book subplots don’t translate as well to screen (we probably could have avoided Grawp, let’s be real), but This is a movie that lies in the fantastic To great effect and should be commended for what it accomplishes.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix The film is 138 minutes long and is rated PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence and gruesome images.