The Rebellion Begins

Rating: 9/10 (14 July 2007)

As another year begins for Harry, at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry so does the never-ending articles stating that he and Dumbledore are insane. As the ministry starts to invent new and malicious lies about Harry's account on Voldemort's return, Hogwarts begins to change for the worse as the ministry sends in their cure for all the insanity, Professor Dolores Jane Umbridge. As she begins to inflict her rules and regulations on the students at Hogwarts they begin to find that with her as their teacher, they'll never be ready for the outside world.
So Harry along with his friends decides to take things into their own hands and begin to learn magic the real way. As Harry starts having visions of terrible events happening with the Ministries very walls he decides to take action, leading himself and his friends into battle, ultimately teaching them what friendship, loyalty and sacrifice really means.
You know how crazy the trailer and TV spots are, showing all the good parts in the film? Yeah, that got me very excited for the film. I set a very high expectation for this film. Maybe a little bit too high. With each film getting better and better by each entry, this one is the worse, by far, although it is still a great film.
Maybe the mistake is a new writer (Michael Goldenberg)? Or maybe the film is too short? Ironically, this is the longest book in the series but the shortest running time. I felt that the movie was rushed, trying to fit everything in the short 2 hour and 10 minutes it has. The editing is very noticeable.
With that being said, this movie goes straight to the point, like Fantastic Four 2, which is encouraging for people who haven't read the films and discouraging for fans of Harry Potter. Yeah, it talks more of the plot but most of the fun in the previous four films are taken out and more depressing things are added in.
Why can't they have made it a three hour movie? I'm sure people don't mind it. For a person who have read the books, they have cut out many important elements. Another bad thing from the running time is the short appearances made by brilliant cast members. For example, blink and Sybil Trelawney (wonderfully played by Emma Thompson) might be gone. Same goes for Alan Rickman's performance on Snape.
No doubt this film might be liked by some and disliked by others and that the film is the darkest and most visaulistic yet. The visual effects are even better and seamless. The action sequences, less in this film, are good but not better than the last film. The music, although different, isn't up to par with the previous films.
I like the new look of the film. Obviously, each director has their own perspective on the world of Harry Potter and I would love to see another director making another new look for this series. It's refreshing and not repetitive.
The main three cast members have grown mature over their roles, most notably Daniel Radcliffe, who gives a great performance. Another person who gives a brilliant performance is Imelda Staunton. She is the perfect role for Dolores Umbridge! And how about the kissing scene? Well, just watch the movie for yourself.
Although not the best movie in the series, it is certainly a worthy sequel. The film is magical. The look of it is great. If you're a fan, you might be disappointed or you might like it. For an average movie goer, you'll notice nothing and that's probably the reason you'll love it.