'Phoenix' Casts Its Spell

Rating: 10/10 (11 July 2007)

SYNOPSIS: Harry Potter and co. discover The Order of the Phoenix, a secret society bent on stopping the Dark Lord's reign of terror. Meanwhile, the students of Hogwarts grapple with an oppressive new female teacher, Dolores Umbridge. PROS: This is quite simply the film of the summer. Director David Yates fits this series like a glove. He pulls no punches when delivering the darker aspects of the story, but makes sure to add plenty of humor and heart as well. The cast is uniformly excellent as usual. Old hands like Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson are note-perfect in their roles, while newcomers like Evanna Lynch and Helena Bonham Carter deliver memorable performances as well. Deserving special mention is Imelda Staunton, who plays Dolores Umbridge, a perky professor with dark political motivations. In a film with a cast for the ages, she steals the show. The behind the scenes crew isn't slacking off either-cinematography, music, and special effects are all leaps and bounds ahead of the previous Potter films. And screenwriter Michael Goldenberg trims the fat of the 870-page book, leaving us with a lean, mean, emotional roller-coaster of a film. CONS: No huge qualms. Sure, some fan favorites (Dobby) are dropped, but when you have a book this big, who cares. My only really (very small) problem with the film is that the Mr. Weasley subplot could have used a bit more time. Overall, the best of all five Potter flicks, and a fantasy film on par with The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. David Yates is the best thing ever to happen to the HP series. Bravo.