Best so far

Rating: 9/10 (31 July 2007)

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is the best one so far. David Yates, the fourth director to take on the franchise, has upped the stakes considerably introducing a grander scale, epic feel and (even for Harry Potter) a considerably top-heavy cast.
Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) faces opposition for his fifth year at Hogwart's. Not only is Lord Voldemort, his parent's killer and dark wizard, returned from the dead, no-one except Dumbledore (Micheal Gambon) believes him. The Ministry of Magic, who do not believe Harry, appoint Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) to oversee the school's Defence Against the Dark Arts. But she's really there to make sure Harry keeps quiet about Voldemort. After she tortures him for opening his mouth, the boy wizard mounts a rebellion...
Harry grows up a lot in this one, and seriously takes matters into his own hands here, mounting an army and taking on Voldemort with the aid of his friends. Great scenes include Harry's mock trial near the beginning of the movie, Dumbledore's (Michael Gambon) escape from the Ministry (this scene features the film's best one-liner) and the final battle with the fiendish Voldemort (a snarling Ralph Fiennes).
Gary Oldman is brilliant as Sirius Black, being more than just a head in a fireplace this time and providing some poignant moments in the movie. An under-used Helena Bonham-Carter appears as Black's loopy sister Bellatrix Lestrange. Radcliffe is as good as ever, as the earnest boy wizard, and Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are on fine form as Ron and Hermione. The scene where they discuss Harry's first kiss is a comic highlight.
The cast is top-heavy right down to the minor roles. "Balamory" star Miles Jupp has a blink-and-you'll-miss-him role as a TV weatherman while prominent theatre actress Kathryn Hunter appears as Harry's neighbour Mrs Figg. Incidentally Hunter was on double-duty shooting this picture, as she was playing the role of "Yerma" at London's Arcola Theatre at the same time. The production took a week out of performances so she could go and film her scenes for the movie.
The final scene falls just short of being mawkish but holds back enough to leave you begging for next year's episode "The Half-Blood Prince".