The Best Harry Potter to Date

Rating: 10/10 (11 July 2007)

With the fifth Harry Potter film finally arriving, there were huge expectations that many were upholding. Would new director David Yates ruin the series or would he effectively translate the magnificent J. K. Rowling book to the screen? Who would play the loopy Luna Lovegood? Would the fifth film be sufficient in establishing a mature and dark mood? All these questions and more were answered, all with incredibly positive effects in the best film out of the whole series. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix translates perfectly on screen in the most flawless installment yet. Starring in the film are regulars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, and this time around they are joined by newcomer Evanna Lynch, and a supporting cast that can only be described as "amazing".
This time around (for anyone who hasn't read the books) Harry gets expelled from Hogwarts for using magic outside of school, and he is taken to the House of Black where he awaits trial for his mistaken crime. He discovers that Dumbledore, Sirius, and others have formed a meeting group called 'The Order of the Phoenix' that has been around since his father and mother were still alive. Throughout the school year, Harry and friends must face many hardships, including the evil Professor Umbridge, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher that may be much more than she appears.
The directing from David Yates is undoubtedly the best in the entire series. He uses the stylistics and darkness of Alfonso Cuaron coupled with the love for the material that Christopher Columbus so openly displayed. The picture seems more based around Harry this time around, which is fitting considering how dark and revolved around Harry that the book was. David Yates does an astounding job playing on each actor's strengths and weaknesses.
Which brings us to another point: the acting was, for the first time, completely powerful and great in every category. No longer do we have that strange inexperienced boy that Daniel Radcliffe once was; he is now a grown boy with amazing flexibility and skill as an actor. He plays Harry so well that sometimes you forget he is an actor. He does so well with Harry's transformation from innocent boy to testosterone-fueled teen who is desperate for answers. His performance was genius, and for once it was without a single flaw. While Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have far less screen time than they did in the previous film, they do wonders with their characters. It is so obvious that each of these actors has grown so perfectly into their roles that they can just act so flawlessly. The three newcomers are simply extraordinary. Evanna Lynch couldn't have been better as the insanely sweet and wickedly weird Luna Lovegood, and she does so well with her first big role. She wasn't exactly how I originally pictured Luna, but now I can't imagine her any differently. Imelda Staunton was simply outstanding as the vile Professor Umbridge; she is one of the most memorable villains in all of literature, and her hatred transports to the screen in all of its perfection and effectiveness. Although Helena Bonham Carter had very few scenes, she always manages to catch attention being the scene-stealer that she is. She plays the part of Bellatrix amazingly well, and her interactions with the other characters seem almost unreal. Gary Oldman was also great as Sirius, and his few scenes with Harry were magnificent. Matthew Lewis is emerging majorly in his breakout performance as Neville Longbottom, and this time is no exception. The supporting cast was all just so brilliant, and they really made the movie all the better.
As for how close this managed to be to the book I was actually surprised. Unlike with Goblet of Fire, they didn't completely slaughter it this time around. I mean sure, there were some really amazing things that were left out such as the whole 'Weasley is Our King' thing and many interactions that Harry has with Draco Malfoy, but for the most part, they mostly stick with the book and churn out an enchanting tale. Harry Potter is just as good as ever, only this time it's better. They did cut lots and lots out, but at the end of the day, what film based on a book DOESN'T cut things out? Sometime sacrifices must be made, and I think that the final product they ended up with was sufficient enough for me. Hopefully with David Yates returning to direct the sixth film it will end up half as good as this one.
As a huge fan of the books, I was highly anticipating this film, and it did not disappoint me in any way. David Yates' direction is new, fresh, and surprisingly dark, and the action sequences and special effects are mind-blowing. This may just top Transformers as one of the best films of the summer, and possibly one of the best movies of all time. It was certainly by far the best Harry Potter film, that's for sure. A+