From a Middle-Aged Fan... Fun Movie!

Rating: 8/10 (16 July 2007)

I was late to the franchise, not starting the books until just before Order of the Phoenix was released. But I've read them all more than once and am a huge fan of the books despite some old-fashioned ideas about what makes "great literature." I set those aside because Rowling has created a wonderfully heroic world that has, let's face it... magic.
So I saw the first two films without ever having cracked the cover on one of the books. Then I devoured them. Perhaps I'm old and jaded enough to know that movies aren't books, nor are books movies. They are completely different media. Perhaps the best type of story to convert to film is the short story... not an epic multi-volume set such as the Harry Potter series. That said, I would rank my enjoyment of the books differently from how I would rank the movies. All of the books were better. I don't let that stand in my way of a good time.
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is a good time. My wife has never read any of the books but has enjoyed the movies, and despite so many others saying you had to read the books to understand what was going on in this movie, she had no problem following the story as it was presented.
The three primaries are getting better at acting. For film, subtlety plays better than large, gestural melodrama. Radcliffe is more in control of his Potter character than ever before and (giving a nod to his performance in the first film) is more Harry than Daniel now. Sure, his hair was too short, but the movies are NOT "canon" as the die-hard fans are wont to say on the Potter sites. How many of you have actually ever *read* "The Wizard of Oz"? No contest -- the book is better. But a lot of you love the movie, right? That's because it's a good movie.
So is "Order of the Phoenix." It did help to see it through my wife's eyes, because she "gets it" without all the lush background of the book. As a fan, I would love to have seen more of Tonks, a much more protracted version of the Weasley twins' subversion of Umbridge's reign, a visit to St. Mungo's hospital, Kreacher's treachery and many other scenes that were deleted, but I understand that screenwriters and directors have to develop a much more concise plot, stick to it and make it move along.
"Order" does all that, and as a movie, it is highly entertaining. I would hope that fans can keep the books and movies separate because they are different things. Sure, they are basically the same subject matter, but books will always deliver more and richer content than films.
I highly recommend this film. It's a fun ride.