The first Harry Potter movie to stand on its own

Rating: 9/10 (11 July 2007)

I've always loved the Harry Potter books, but I'd never found the movies more that adequate. I liked them because I wanted so badly to like them. Indeed, with the exception of the Prisoner of Azkaban, I'd say all the movies have so far been rather disappointing (if I'm being perfectly honest with myself).
As far as Order of the Phoenix goes, I must say I didn't know what to expect. I found the book a little long and too dark, and after the rather decidedly disappointing fourth film (the book was just sooooo much better), I was understandably weary. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, however, blew me away.
It's the first Potter movie I liked simply because it was a great film. Had I never read the books, I still would have loved the film. The action was unapologetically awesome and the film remarkably grown up. It wasn't the kid in me that liked the film, it was both the kid and the adult.
From the very first scene you find yourself pulled into an intense and action packed epic tale full of love, betrayal, fear, war, and all that other epic sounding stuff. The battle in the Ministry of Magic is one of the great film battles of all time. Dumbledore's Army provides some of the most humorous and touching moments of the film. Luna Lovegood is almost exactly as I imagined her int he books. And Harry Potter's emotional roller coaster is perhaps the first truly believable emotion I've seen in a Potter film.
Sure there were a few rough points--bits of cheesy dialog and moments of rather overblown intensity where there ought not to be--and book lovers will surely point out plenty of scenes that were changed or left out completely. I, however, have read the book several times myself and I couldn't think of anything that was really missing.
The bottom line--I enjoyed this film far more than I expected to. Indeed, I haven't seen such an enjoyable film in quite a while (and that's saying something as I've just discovered bit torrents and have been on a downloading binge). More importantly, however, I'm looking forward to seeing this film again . . . and again . . . and again. And that's something I've never said about a Potter film before.