Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a movie that is critic-free, but that does not mean it is perfect. Anyone could prove that the newest installment in the movie franchise automatically sets a person on fire when he/she walks into the theater, and I can bet that you would still find some curious, yet madly obsessed Potter fans still waiting to get in.
People certainly have legitimate reasons to be interested in these movies because they are very well done. However, Phoenix leaves a little something to be desired.
The mood is dark in Harry's world throughout the entire film. David Yates and Company wastes no time getting into the action, and it never seems to let up. There is a continuous, uneasy sense of impending doom in this movie and it works to an extent, even if you know the real battle does not happen here.
Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) has come back and he is doing so with a vengeance that is beginning to exceed in brutality compared to his last attempt at destroying good wizardry. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe - the object of many young girls' attention nowadays), along with his friends Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), have started to band together in an effort to fight back against You Know Who.
Gone are the days when Harry took every insult hurled at him, especially from that malicious Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton, although he was hardly in the film). He has grown tough and assertive, acting as the leader among his growing group of comrades at Hogwart's. The acting has matured as these young actors and actresses have gotten older, making for much stronger performances.
The film spends much of the time building up to what is ultimately an anticlimactic ending, though. For those people who read the books, the ending is no surprise. However, for people who have not gotten a chance to read Order of the Phoenix (and I am one of them), the film ends poorly.
Because the book is so long, there was no way the film could follow the story exactly. This must happen when any book is adapted for the big screen, but the plot ends up feeling choppy and rushed with this one. Plenty of important plot points were merely glazed over and a strong emphasis was placed on the visual aspects of the film (no surprise there). This Cliff's Notes version may not sit well with some fans who want to at least a little Quidditch.
What surprised me most was when they made a mention of the “prophecy” late in the film and I found myself saying: what the heck is the “prophecy?” Apparently, that was not as important as laying the groundwork for the next two films, which will undoubtedly be the most important, anticipated, and popular ones of all.
Order of the Phoenix can certainly afford to rush through plot points and give the audience a brief overview of what is important (although the movie still runs well over two hours). While many of the events in this particular story are vital to the Harry Potter experience, it does not necessarily translate better into film. The next two films alone will make this one merely a footnote.
This is by no means a terrible movie; it is just frustrating having to wade through this one to get caught up on what is going on with Harry Potter. As a fan, you should definitely see Phoenix, because it is a serviceable movie and nothing I say would stop you anyway. Just don't expect to see many familiar faces (other than the trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione) for an extended amount of time.
