New 'Order' is darker but still dazzling, enjoyable.

Rating: 8/10 (2 January 2009)

My Take: Darker than its predecessors and rather ordinary and rushed in quality, but it's still a magical and imaginative adventure.
"Difficult times lie ahead, Harry", says the wise Professor Dumbledore at the end of HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE, and in his 5th year at Hogwarts, our young Mr. Potter is about to discover what he meant. HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, the adaptation of J.K. Rowling's much-anticipated 5th novel in the successful bestselling series is a surprisingly shorter movie. For a movie that prepares a no-longer-too-young Harry (Daniel Radcliffe, also not too young anymore) to confront the inevitable Dark Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), this movie is a must-see, but falls short of the mark.
In his 5th year, Harry recollects with his friends, including the ever loyal Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), to create a certain "Dumbledore's Army" to fight against the evil Voldemort's forces, including a sinister maniac called Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter), much to the disapproval of the domineering new Dark Arts teacher Proffesor Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton, who can make a dark lord cower any day).
The film is fairly shorter than its predecessors, with so much to do with the new director David Yates, who cuts what might be the longest book in the series into the shortest in the film adaptations. Events move too fast that the movie feels like a rush job. Don't mind me, but I preferred Colombus' and original screenwriter Steve Kloves safe cover-to-cover faithfulness than the otherwise rushed narrative of Yates and new screenwriter Michael Goldenberg. I haven't read the ORDER OF THE PHOENIX novel, but I don't need to to figure out that there's something lost in translation. Even the new score by Yates veteran composer Nicolas Hooper was underwhelming; John Williams' whimsical score for the earlier films have been replaced by cues that any composer could make.
But, shorter or darker than its predecessors, There's still enough magic left in ORDER OF THE PHOENIX to make it an enjoyable and highly imaginative adventure. With great characters (with the addition of the intriguing Luna Lovegood, played by newcomer Evanna Lynch), a few compelling plot twists (a revelation of Snape's depressing past is a revelation), imaginative special effects and maybe even a few startling creatures, I enjoyed HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX even if I was a little letdown by my memories of its highly superior predecessors.
Rating: **** out of 5.