Best Potter flick yet - an improvement on the novel!

Rating: 9/10 (12 July 2007)

It takes something special to condense an excellent 800+ page novel into an even better, sub-three hour movie - and Order of the Phoenix is something very special indeed. The best Potter film so far, this has class acting (as many have already noted, the fresh casting of Staunton, Bonham Carter and Lynch is spot-on), plenty of action and top-drawer special effects, all carrying a complex and thoughtful story. As much about teen angst and coming-of-age as a critique of the education system, it has both intellectual depth alongside its exciting, fast-paced plot. As a long time fan of all things Potter - see you at the midnight launch of Deathly Hallows, too, folks! - I'm delighted to say that this movie has topped them all. Some of the characters, like Kreacher and Bellatrix, seem to have only the bare minimum of screen time - but you have to put this into the context of an entire series of films. You can't expect everything to tie up and make sense by the time the credits roll on this one!
If there are any flaws, the film might have benefited from a little more characterisation - something feels unfinished between Harry and Cho, considering the length of time spent on "that" kiss - but in a 2hr 30min time-frame, you can't spend too much time on reflection and lingering close-ups illustrating the characters' emotions (this isn't a Peter Jackson film, after all...)
Some critics have slated the new team of director, composer and screenwriter. Potter fans, worry ye not: the writing is faithful to the book (almost all of the dialogue is lifted from Rowling's original), the score is very different, but just as brilliant as Williams' and Doyle's interpretations, and Yates directs the action with a deft and stylish hand.
Let's hope "Phoenix" gets some of the Oscar attention it surely deserves. My tips: Staunton for Supporting Actress, and something for special effects or adaptation would be fitting, too.
Roll on "Half Blood Prince"!