Must look "squeezed" to those who love the books, and probably even to others...

Rating: 7/10 (10 July 2019)

(Even) people who are basically supportive of the whole Potter concept who return to this film 12 years down the line may perhaps feel a little justified in asking quite what all the fuss was about! And a reasonable answer would probably be that the films garnered the praise - and earned the huge sums - they did back then, because they followed hot on the heels of the books, of which each successive film version had inevitably to be more and more of a fragmentary representation of what the author wrote (which also in fact began to be inspired by the on-screen characters in some amazing synergy).
This two-hour movie really offers just a flavour of what is in the brick of a book whose title it shares, and quite a bit of the fun goes out in that way (notably much of the aspect dealing with day-to-day schooling in Hogwarts). Admittedly, this is now a changed school for young wizards, and class-act Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge does her stuff pretty well.
In contrast, the non-actor status of many portraying students is (now at least) all too clear, though we are inclined to forgive them this, I feel. People who CAN act like Maggie Smith, Robert Hardy and (an almost-overacting) Alan Rickman get remarkably little screentime, while Gary Oldman (in his last appearance as Sirius Black) does himself no particular favours. Ditto Michael Gambon.
Robbie Coltrane is pretty invisible this time, as the butchered-story film offers Hagrid little to do; though a few people on screen for just a few minutes do make their mark, notably Jason Isaacs as Malfoy senior (Junior appears for just a few seconds) and Helena Bonham-Carter as Bellatrix, as well as (on the good side) Evanna Lynch as a superb Luna Lovegood and Natalia Tena as Tonks.
The cinematic presentation of Hogwarts does not have much new to offer in "Phoenix" (indeed it all seems far more impressionistic than in previous instalments); but it has to be admitted that there remains a massive gulp of pride for Brits as we are reminded in 2 awe-insipring London skyline flying scenes that Hogwarts is in our country. The juxtaposition of Muggle and wizarding worlds was always a joy of Rowling's presentation (as of course were the starts of each volume with the Dursleys so sadly butchered in most of the films, though here extended a little thanks to the need to present the reasonably impressive dementor attack on the odious - but here slightly more sympathetic - Dudley, played by Harry Melling).
The presentation of the Ministry of Magic is also quite awesome, most especially when it reappears in the final battle scenes that at last seem to leave the more-pedestrian behind and give us some genuine excitement and wonder.
Fred and George's bye-bye to Hogwarts - accompanied by a brief burst of amazingly motivating music from Nicholas Hooper - is the true joyous highlight of the film, though even that seems like it might have been just a bit squeezed, "in order to fit it in".
As a standalone movie, David Yates's "Order of the Phoenix" movie cannot be said to deserve too many laurels. As part of the series it of course has its place, and as visual tribute to one instalment of a genuinely world-beating and unique series of novels for kids of all ages it does better. But, money-spinners as they may be, these movies must with the benefit of hindsight be deemed to play second fiddle to the immaculately-plotted and wittily-authored Rowling books. Those who have still not read the latter are definitely advised to reserve a couple of months and indulge...