This one's for fans of the books only

Rating: 6/10 (16 July 2007)

I attended a screening last night with my Wife who is an avid fan and has read all the books several times. I must admit that I have not, but I have seen all the other films in the series and for the most part really enjoyed them all.
However, I found The order of the Phoenix to be very slow moving at times and also a little boring. There was very little of the fast paced action that made The Goblet of Fire so enjoyable for me. Looking around the cinema, there were a lot of children in there who were getting restless and some were even falling asleep.
OK, that's my take on it. However, my wife thought it was brilliant and really atmospheric and although a lot of the book had been cut out in order to stop the running time from being about 4 hours, she thought it was an accurate portrayal.
In summary then, I have to admit that the production values and effects were certainly of the high standard expected from a Harry Potter film but I think the enjoyment of it really depends on how much a fan you are of the books. For the casual patron like myself who has seen the films but not bothered with the books, then you may find it a bit of a hard slog, but for the Harry Potter fans I think there is a lot to get excited about. And at the end of the day, surely these are the people this film should be aimed at.