A bit rushed in the third act but still great entertainment

Rating: 7/10 (20 July 2007)

The Harry Potter series has always excelled at compiling the most exquisite array of high-profile English actors any other film has since Robert Altman's Gosford Park. Indeed many of them appear for so little, the full effect of it all can be felt only when viewing the closing credits. Seeing all those names one after the other made me grin. Indeed the actors that get the biggest chance to shine are Gary Oldman, whose character finally comes in full-fledged force and reaches his dramatic and development peak in this installment. Other actors that get similar opportunities but to a lesser extent are Alan Rickman, who has been in the series since the beginning; and newcomer Imelda Staunton. This role is such a polar opposite to the pure good that was her Oscar-nominated turn in Vera Drake; it certainly shows what superb range the woman has. It must also be said that the three stars, in particular Daniel Radcliffe, have grown and evolved immensely as actors: both in Goblet of Fire and now in Order of the Phoenix the three actors show a wonderful emotional range and knack for drama; they have done what most actors aim to do and that is completely embody their characters. Other very talented cast members that appeared so briefly it was quite a pity were Brendan Gleeson, Emma Thompson, and newcomer Helena Bonham Carter  fans of Marla don't fret; she has a substantially larger role in the 6th installment (unless it is cut in the adaptation, which I certainly hope not). But the biggest misfire is definitely Ralph Fiennes. His appearance in Goblet of Fire was nothing short of a novelty; I was blown away by how he (and the director) managed to take a rather poorly crafted character on Rowling's part and make him into something far more frightening than the embodiment of all evil: They made him human. Fiennes absolutely glowed in Goblet of Fire, but his appearance in this installment was so brief he never quite got his chance to shine and equal his dominance in the fourth film. Hopefully much more will be waiting for him in the seventh book/movie, we'll have to wait until then to see.
Which brings me to the film's single, major flaw, the flaw that makes it ever so slightly lesser than the previous two installments. I felt that the ending was unnecessarily and confusingly rushed. I usually hate making book-to-film comparisons as I like to view both as strictly separate entities, but when the film is outbalanced as much as it was in this, I must make the connection. In the book, the sequence in the Department of Mysteries is substantially longer, and rightfully so. As the movie's dramatic peak, one would expect it not to feel so rushed and for the film to take its time, building the tension, so that when the final showdown does arrive, it's impact is far more felt. In the film, it seemed like Dumbledore was duking it out with Voldemort so suddenly, the only thing more sudden was how abruptly it was all over. Looking at the runtime of the film (2 hours and 20 minutes), I really don't see why the filmmakers couldn't have taken the liberty of drawing out the final sequence by about 20 more minutes, to increase the suspense and the drama, and to not have it feel so rushed and just plain under whelming.
But there are so many other fields in which to praise the film, one is almost willing to forgive its pacing problems in the third act. If anything can be said about these fantasy franchises it's that they are a designer's dream, and indeed, both the costume and especially the production design in this film have reached a new peak: the production and set design in particular are outstanding and definitely the best in the series, with such absolutely brilliant and gorgeous sets such as the Department of Mysteries or the Ministry of Magic atrium. Like in Goblet of Fire, he special effects and CGI imagery blend seamlessly into the action and drama in the foreground, and creations that would have been considered novelties when the first films came out (such as the cave troll in the first film or Dobby the house elf in the second) are interweaved and integrated wonderfully without ever serving as a distraction and always remaining convincing. Another creator who deserves much praise is composer Nicholas Hooper. While it was sad to see John Williams leave the franchise, it is refreshing to see a composer bring something new to the table: aside from the theme that appears in the beginning and end of the film, the score is an entirely new entity and sound quite unlike anything that has been heard before in the series  this is in total contrast to Patrick Doyle who, in Goblet of Fire, seemingly attempted (and quite feebly so) to imitate John Williams' original score.
This is in all a solid film and an excellent entertainment. The Harry Potter series has already elevated itself above the level of simple novelty and entered the territory of full-fledged and strongly rooted mythology, that lets the characters and the actors roam free in its realm. Yates does a solid job directing and everything  from the acting to the score to the production design to the visual effects and CGI  all fits together quite nicely, although the film does acquire somewhat of a hasty limp in its third act, nothing that can't be ironed over in Yates' second jab at the series directing The Half-Blood Prince, slated for release November of next year. Still good, but not quite as good as Prisoner of Azkaban or Goblet of Fire.