I was wrong about movies that cut down on lighting department costs

Rating: 7/10 (30 July 2007)

Well, Order of the Phoenix - the first complete Harry Potter movie I watched and I am left with the conclusion what the heck had I been doing all these years. In fact, I had watched bits and pieces of Prisoner of Azkaban but I wouldn't say I enjoyed the movie because I was horribly lost and didn't understand the basics of who is who just for a simple fact that I hate dimly lit sets and dark night shots. I hated LOTR for that reason, I disliked the Pirates and I was simply uninterested in the Harry Potter movies. Unfortunately, now I realised how wrong I'd been about movies that cut down on lighting department's costs. The meaning of the movie lies deep within it's soul and not how brightly are the sets lit. Dimly lit sets are vital to films with dark themes and HP is one of them.
With mind in muddle and having no tickets for The Simpsons Movie, I reluctantly entered the theatre showing HP5. Then the very next day, being so impressed with the fifth movie, I immediately hired the DVD of Goblet of Fire, and um, loved that one too. The Order of Phoenix begins with kind of amazing but I must tell I never knew they ever came out of the Hogwarts. Then as the film paced I felt a strange type of propulsion in the subject content and the artists' performances. Daniel Radcliffe has evolved as a fine young man ( I won't lie but I did watch snapshots from Sorcerer's Stone and Azkaban.) He has a great future ahead once he's off the HP franchise. I can't say a lot about Ron Weasley character because I feel it's unjustified and has more of a comic punch than the required gravity it ought to have. The special effects are great and I simple loved Gary Oldman's presence in the film. The convertible house (Sirius's home) has some spectacular special effects involved and kudos to the technology involved.
But more than that I must say I loved the presence of pretty young women. Both Hermionie Granger and Luna Lovegood are magnificent character created by Rowling and both Emma Watson (pretty as always) and Evana Lynch do full justice to their performances. I must particularly talk about Emma Watson because her evolution as a fine lady has definitely added a new dimension to the HP movie, I was more of looking forward to a warm relationship of her with Potter. Unless I was told she finds Ron at last (I hope that isn't a spoiler - I read it in the Deathly Hallows,) I would have expected something between Potter and Granger. However, there had been Rachel Weisz, Kate Winslet, Keira Knightley, and now it's Emma Watson's turn, go dear just go ahead, Hollywood awaits you.
However, the fondest character of HP5 to me happens to be Dolores Umbridge. That character is so real and doesn't for a moment make me feel like it's a magical character from a fantasy novel. However, Imelda Staunton adds the real essence to the character and no one else would have suited it so much that it in fact, she reminds me of my very principal in school. She is just so real and cruel and I must applaud the essence she has added to the HP5 movie. And Lord Voldemort's character is so scary and the depth is simply frightening. I learned about him later when I watched the preceding movie.
Finally, my aggregate review for the Order of the Phoenix would be that it's a nice movie with all the essentials included and it's a value for money. Everything is big and thankfully this time there are shots of the contemporary would that I had been badly missing. The tube station and flying over river Thames gave me ways so that I could relate to the film. The shots over London city were simply exhilarating and my favourite scene in the entire movie. The second one that closely follows is where the Phoenix army is flying into the horizon over the Hogwarts on Thresals.
However, the most important thing that this film makes me do is 1. watch the remaining three movies and 2. read the novels. Now I am curious and want to dive deep into the world of Harry Potter. I had carried my reservations with this franchise but now I feel I was wrong, indeed, Harry Potter movies are worth cherishing. Can't wait to see the other movies.