"I Have to Admit It's Getting Better..."

Rating: 8/10 (16 July 2007)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is my favorite one yet. It's surprising that the longest book in the series gets the shortest screen time, but it's even more surprising to see that it works. Splendidly, in fact. I feel that a lot of details in OotP are superfluous anyway, and that leaving them out of the big screen makes the movie feel more like a movie and less like a tedious adaptation (and I'm a huge fan of the books BTW). Regardless, there are some disappointments that prevent the movie from becoming perfect:
* We do not see Neville's parents at St. Mungo's. * Harry's angst and anger is toned down, especially during his final confrontation with Dumbledore. In particular -- we do not see Dumbledore cry. I feel that this is one of the most important and touching parts of OotP and it is watered down in the movie. * The final battles are not as climatic as they should've been. When Voldemort possesses Harry, I feel no tension or suspense whatsoever. I wish this part could've been more exciting (maybe it's because I've read the book already and know what is going to happen, but something felt lacking). * Is it just me or does this outing go by a bit too fast? I mean, I love the pacing (quick and smooth in transition, moreso than the others) but it could've used some of that suspense I mentioned earlier. And some parts of the story lacked closure or emphasis (like Harry's relationship with Cho; Sirius giving Harry those mysterious mirrors), but I'm not really griping.
There are more negatives that I cannot think of at this moment, but I would really like to focus on the things that make Order of the Phoenix shine -- particularly, the performances. Daniel Radcliffe has truly matured as an actor. The demanding role of Harry Potter in the fifth book as darker with more inner turmoil must've been hard. For the most part, Radcliffe succeeds in making this realistic. Once again, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have shown a certain comfort in their roles as Ron and Hermione (let's hope they'll be able to move out of that comfort zone for more complicated roles in the final two books). Everybody else excels -- and the person who plays Umbridge (Staunton-something, I can't recall -- sorry) is perfect for the role. I mean, I am annoyed by her throughout the movie but that's the way it is supposed to be. I feel that she truly captures the malice of that twisted b***h, so bravo! And the person who played Luna Lovegood is absolutely amazing too. She has a certain natural dreariness that makes her the ideal choice for that character.
So the actors are guaranteed to deliver in this outing, the plot is done right (smooth as silk with nothing much lost in translation), the emotion is preserved but watered down, and finally -- the special effects and action sequences are awesome! Amazing, superb... maybe not a technical feast but certainly eye-catching all the same. David Yates has a talent for directing that gets the darker vision of the fifth book down right. It's just as I imagined.
With that, I'll give Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix the eight stars it deserves. I can't wait to see the series progress!