Well, I got to see The Order of the Phoenix with I don't know how many hundred other people at London's Odeon Cinema in Leicester Square. It is a beautiful theatre and the environment was great! Now, I'm not a trained film critic, so I won't try to pretend to be one. This is just a brief synopsis of my opinion.
David Yates is new to the Harry Potter world and makes a good impression with his take on the 5th installment of the series. The movie opens with some really nice cinematography. There are just some very nice shots, that might not be expected for a film of this nature. I'm going to avoid discussing matters of plot for those who have not seen it. The story progresses rather quickly. This script is more faithful to the book than any Harry Potter film since Chamber of Secrets. However, this book is also the longest Harry Potter book. The producers kept the film under 2 1/2 hours so that it would remain approachable to younger audiences, resulting in at times a very hurried feel. It is an understandable call, but there are some nice moments of dialogue where you long to slow down and enjoy the moment, instead of the quick flash to another scene.
The acting is great! Now, I'm not saying there are any Oscar bids here, but the young actors have really come into their own. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry) especially gives an outstanding performance. As most of the story centers around his emotional struggles, he has many challenges that come of quite nicely. The new additions to the cast, Imelda Staunton (Professor Umbridge) and Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood), are a delight! Rupert Grint (Ron Weasely) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) also show growth with great performances, but are deprived of screen time to give way to Harry's development.
The visual effects are fantastic! Not wanting to give anything away, but there is a wizard battle that looks like nothing I've seen on screen before. One criticism might be the cg on the giant Grawp. He looked pretty unbelievable. He needed some very human characteristics, and I don't know if cg has gotten to that point yet.
My only major gripe is one scene that I had eagerly anticipated. There is a particular conversation at the end of the story that is one of the most beautiful moments of the series. I couldn't wait to see it on screen, and it was reduced to a few seconds of flashback. I can only hope that an extended dvd will give me the conversation in its entirety.
Overall, this is the best Harry Potter to date, and it promises big things for future films (David Yates will direct the 6th installment) and the rest of this young cast's careers. It's a great deal of fun, so I hope you enjoy it.
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