Yates' brilliance in finest ever Potter

Rating: 9/10 (24 March 2009)

Harry Potter (Radcliffe) returns to Hogwarts to find the Ministry of Magic and their new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher (Staunton) are interfering with their education.
After a long two year absence since Harry Potter's last outing in Goblet of Fire, fan hype was higher than ever. As this film was released, the last ever Harry Potter novel By J.K Rowling hit shelves and shops all around the world, smashing records as we discovered what was to happen, which made this film a more appetizing feast, and we were treated to the most scrumptious Potter to date.
Radcliffe, Oldman, Gambon, Smith, Fiennes and Coltrane, all the established franchise makers returned along with a collection of new characters including an exceptionally brilliant Imelda Staunton as Professor Umbridge and Helena Bonham Carter as the wicked Bellatrix Lestrange. All stunning, all perfect in their approach to their protagonists but significantly the new face was David Yates replacing Mike Newell in the director's very much debated chair and Yates with his delicate and sophisticated approach helps makes this 2007 release the best in the series.
David Yates had only worked in occasional TV series which included a stint in the Bill and became a big surprise to the series, and what a surprise. His appreciation of the book helps him achieve the necessities of what happens on screen. We see delicate montages, a wicked series of fantasies and some simple but effect emotion reflexes from the Merseyside director. The newspaper scenes are very impressive reflections on the times at Hogwarts. Yates blends the trend of drama, fantasy and some exquisite comedy into the mix to make for a high standard of family entertainment. This is also the funniest Harry Potter out of the five.
The adaptation of Rowling's fifth book is in many ways a more riveting instalment to the story of the young wizard than the book. Rowling's work, though excellent standard, seemed to lapse in places as it became politically driven without a key idea and mystery to get going but this is irrelevant in this picture. Always interesting and consistent in its adaptation Order of the Phoenix is riveting viewing, maintaining a fine balance of magic whilst giving fans that sense of what happens behind the enchantments.
Whereas there isn't that sense of mystery that was present in the first two releases and the fact Potter is slightly more annoying as he goes through the typical teenage phase of life, this is still riveting and entertaining and thanks to David Yates, the best Potter to date and fans will sit up and wait for his adaptation of the sixth part.