Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

Director: David Yates

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, Harry Melling as Dudley Dursley, Jason Boyd as Piers, Richard Macklin as Malcolm, Kathryn Hunter as Mrs. Arabella Figg, Miles Jupp as TV Weatherman, Fiona Shaw as Aunt Petunia Dursley, Richard Griffiths as Uncle Vernon Dursley, Jessica Hynes as Mafalda Hopkirk (voice) (as Jessica Stevenson), Adrian Rawlins as James Potter, Geraldine Somerville as Lily Potter, Robert Pattinson as Cedric Diggory, Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort, Natalia Tena as Nymphadora Tonks, Brendan Gleeson as Alastor 'Mad-­Eye' Moody

For the avid Harry Potter reader the whole suspense leading up to HP
Order of the Phoenix can be summed up in the word "how". How are they
going to translate a nearly 900 page book to the screen, how are they
going to tie together a storyline that in the 5th book breaks into
dozens of streams like a mighty river coming to its delta.

This seemingly impossible task is well accomplished by astute summation
of plot and concentration of action. Also, the heart and soul of the
book, i.e. the thematic spirit of the story and Rowling's shining gift
for characterization are given the fullest support in this film more so
than in any previous HP movie.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix basically involves Harry
being persecuted by the government for telling a truth they refuse to
believe all while dealing with the same feelings of teen angst and
emerging love that any ordinary teen finds stressful and consuming.
Only through the love and dedication of family and especially friends
does Harry come across the means to fight back against the government,
elude his enemies and make some sense of his emotional turmoil.

Most reader's will come out of the theater saying "I wish they had
shown this or that." However, all will leave satisfied that they have
been treated to a faithful rendering brilliantly acted and directed.
All the HP movies are a "good watch" but in this one we get a great
movie.

We have the advantage of going to our HP movies with a non-reader and
she was, to say the least, blown away and pronounced it a near classic.
My daughter and myself have read and reread the books many times over
and came out limp from exhilaration, our keen anticipation very much
fulfilled.

A few highlights: The acting is best ever. The three principles push
themselves to a new level. My favorite new characters were Imelda
Staunton as Delores Umbridge, excellent (you'll love to hate her) and
Natalia Tena as Tonks. Natalia is sheer delight. She is the penultimate
punk rock witch girl(think Dead Milkmen here). And Helena Bonham Carter
is in her medium (she played the witch Morganna in the movie Merlin) as
the dangerous and demented Bellatrix LeStrange.

Battle scenes: breathtaking. Commraderie: The only HP that actually
caused me to get teary so heartfelt are the portrayals of friendship
and family.

See the film knowing that unless you want a 10hour movie some things
are going to have to go. Leave having enjoyed a film that takes the
beans and water and instead of a nice large coffee treats one to a
perfectly concentrated, most artfully brewed and extremely tasty
espresso. It has been said before but truth is truth: BEST YET!