“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”
Director David Yates
Warner Bros. Pictures
It is usually the case that everyone inside a movie theater is watching the same movie.
But “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” like its four film predecessors, is two different films.
The special effects may look the same to everyone, but those who have read the books are watching something completely different than those seeing the story for the first time.
For the audience members who can count more details about Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) than the number of nanoseconds in which he appears in the film, the movie is a visible manifestation of their imagined wizard world.
Otherwise, the movie is a tale of a 15-year-old wizard who is sneered at by the public and alienated by his friends during a time of great danger.
The film hardly has a chance of measuring up to the adored novels, but through gorgeous set designs and nearly perfect casting, this fifth film stands on its own.
The glowing rows of prophecies at the Department of Mysteries look both ancient and futuristic, adding to the eeriness of the room. The Ministry of Magic, too is stunning, and the climactic battle there, with clashing wands and streaks of light, is totally awesome.
Professor Umbridge (Imelda Stauton) brings her signature form of evil to the film, and the hatred she stirs in the audience is a more tangible feeling than previously provoked in Potter films. Her snide smile and pink outfits are creepier than Voldemort’s disfigured face.
“Order of the Phoenix,” though, is afflicted with the same main problem as its predecessors: plot simplification.
At 138 minutes, this is the shortest Potter movie yet, condensed from the longest Potter book in the series, which has 870 pages.
To achieve the brisk pace, a lot of the subplots and the humorous details are taken out, leaving a bare bones, good versus evil story. The fast-paced excitement is nice, but most readers will tell you that is that it is the jokes, the banter, and the quirky wizarding gadgets ““ not the plot ““ that make the books enchanting.
Though the story in this fifth segment is more complicated than previous films. Now a 15-year-old, Harry is emotional; and, bottled up or spewed out, his feelings have a major role.
This makes the acting more challenging for Daniel Radcliffe. But Radcliffe proves again to be a very good Harry Potter, though his performance is helped by the fact that audiences are familiar with him as Harry.
Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, as Ron and Hermione, seem at ease on screen in their supporting roles. Ron and Hermione’s unacknowledged flirting is the biggest giggle-getter of the movies so far.
Hermione keeps calling him “Ronald” in a bossy, prissy tone and Ron continues searching for little ways to pick on her. Their interaction on camera gives hope for the level of humor in the sixth film, when the hormones really hit the fan.
But in the end, the film is guaranteed to skip over beloved scenes from the book, including Quidditch (no “Weasley is our King”) and Snape’s occlumency flashback, which is now five blurry seconds.
So while those comparing the film to the novel may find it lacking, those experiencing the story for the first time are in for a treat.