Sidewalks On The Corner

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is the fifth installment in the Harry Potter Series. The film, based on the book by JK Rowling, dishes up another magical adventure for Harry and best friends Ron and Hermione.

Follow up:

In their fifth year at Hogwarts School, Harry and his classmates are growing up and facing challenges and decisions of young adult-hood and the consequences that come with them. In this story, Harry is dealing with the return of Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and the death of his friend Cedric Diggery. He has been forced to grow up more quickly than the others and is compelled to take on responsibilities he never could have expected.

The film was directed by British Television producer, David Yates. David says, “It is about rebellion and about understanding the limits of adulthood; it’s about discovering how difficult the world can become and how sometimes you have to make your own way in that world.”

I saw this screening with a couple of die hard fans of the book - namely my cousin Debbie and my sister Angie. I brought them along because I was not as familiar with the books as they and thought their input would be a good counterpoint to mine. This is their take on the film…

Debbie, an English Teacher had this to say, “As a Harry Potter fan, I have read the Order of the Phoenix (as well as the rest of the series) and feel like I have a real connection with the characters and their history. I went into the movie with very high expectations that were met at times and not at others. It was unrealistic to think that such a lengthy novel could be compressed into such a short film. Unfortunately, there only seemed to be enough time to hit the high points and provide a brief lead in them. I was disappointed to miss all of the good stuff in between, including the development of all the new and returning characters. Then again, I had read the book. That being said, I have also been a big fan of the Harry Potter movies. I will probably see Order of the Phoenix again and I know I will buy the DVD. My excitement to see Harry, Ron and Hermione on the big screen was exciting enough to get over the missing parts. Also, to see the most exciting parts played out in all the magic of big screen special effects was pretty awesome! I’d say if you are a fan, you have to see it (in fact, you probably already have) and if you are not, bring a translator!”

Angie, a customer service agent said, “I found the theme of this film to be much darker and more adult than previous films. What stood out to me was just how much I have enjoyed watching these characters grow up through the series of films literally before our eyes. I also really liked the special effects - they were fantastic. To be honest though, I was a little disappointed with this film in comparison to the previous film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I felt the previous film took you on an exciting roller coaster journey with lots of highs and lows. This film did not pack quite the same punch for me. It felt a bit like it was half of a movie since many details from the book were omitted in the film. All in all though, I enjoyed myself and was entertained.”

My take on this film was pretty straightforward since I was not familiar with any of the book details. I enjoyed it! The themes were darker which made you feel like Harry and the kids were in perpetual eminent danger. Daniel Radcliffe was his usual stellar self in portraying Harry Potter. He made you feel sorry for him that he was caught up in situations that were not of his making. You could empathize with his struggles as a teenager which included problems with his family, friends and love life. Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger were the steadfast sidekicks with solid performances from both. I was really looking forward to seeing Helena Bonham Carter play her character of Bellatrix Lestrange. She was very good, which is why I was surprised at how little she was incorporated into the overall storyline. I would suspect that could be a symptom of the book details not translating to film as well as it could.

If you are a fan at all of the "Harry Potter" franchise and can accept that some story details will be a little light, this is worth seeing on the big screen. You can’t go wrong with the all-star cast and exciting special effects.