In eight days time we will finally discover if the little sod kicks the bucket in the concluding episode of the Harry Potter saga, but first we have the fifth big screen adaptation - The Order of the Phoenix - to deal with.
As usual, it's been a long, lonely summer for Harry, not least because much of the wizarding community has been led to believe that his recent encounter with Voldemort is an outright lie, putting our four eyed friend's integrity in question.
Meanwhile, a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, the duplicitous Professor Dolores Umbridge (Staunton), has been appointed, leaving Hogwart's young wizards woefully unprepared to defend themselves against the evil forces threatening them.
Convinced to take matters into his own hands by sidekicks Ron (Grint) and Hermione (Watson), Harry assembles Dumbledore's Army (a bunch of students, one of whom he manages to cop off with) in preparation for extraordinary battle that he knows lies ahead.
They say:
Variety: "Considerably grimmer and grittier, it has a flattened out feel compared to the wondrous eventfulness of Mike Newell's Goblet of Fire."
The Times: "There are moments when this otherwise enjoyable film, though nicely made and through no fault of its own, feels like a chore to be got through before the main course."
Empire: "It won't win new fans, but as Potter movies go, this is the most filmic of the lot, suspenseful and action packed."
We say:
According to fans of the books, number five was the weakest in the series and at nearly 900 pages long the over stuffed narrative was something of a chore to plod through.
As such, screenwriter Michael Goldenberg (it is the first time Steve Kloves has not written the screenplay, although he will be back for episodes six and seven) deserves a good deal of credit for chopping the plot down to a manageable 138 minutes running time - the shortest of all the films in the series so far.
Unfortunately, however, out of this huge source material Goldenberg has been unable to find any truly memorable moments, with a worrying lack of thrills or spectacle until the final Potter / Voldemort showdown which may be the best in the franchise to date.
Congratulations for this must go to director David Yates, best known for drama series such as "State of Play" and "Sex Traffic", who has done a respectable rather than inspirational job that warrants Warner Bros' decision to also place episode six (a much richer story) in his hands next year.
Lacking the quirky, family fun of the first two films, or the clever plotting of the most recent offerings, TOOTP feels like a stepping stone to a much grander conclusion, offering crucial exposition for later events.
Much of what takes place here is familiar fare, themes of isolation, loyalty and friendship have all been explored in earlier episodes and even the introduction of some new fantasy creatures (Centaurs, Thestrals, Giants) seem rather tame in comparison to what's gone before.
It is, however, always nice to be transported back into Potter's world and Hogwarts, thanks to director of photography Slawomir Idziak, looks as wonderful as usual. It's also great to see the magnificent, all star, Brit cast back together again with Helena Bonham Carter and Imelda Staunton welcome additions to the clan.
After his West End appearance in Equus (and his turn in Extras) Radcliffe appears to be finally coming of age as an actor, just as Harry is as an adult and may yet prove to be an excellent casting choice when the saga finally meets its apocalyptic conclusion.
Mind you, you'd be well advised to avert your eyes when he has his first on screen kiss with Cho Chang (Leung), as it may have you reaching for your sick bag.
Agreeable but familiar, enjoyable but uninspired, TOOTP paves the way for bigger and better things ahead.
Extras:
The Making Of, interactive games and additional scenes look interesting enough, but kids need only apply.
RELEASED
Nov 12
CAST
Daniel Radcliffe
Rupert Grint
Emma Watson
Imelda Staunton
Robbie Coltrane
Ralph Fiennes
Gary Oldman
Alan Rickman
Emma Thompson
David Thewlis
Julie Walters
Maggie Smith
Michael Gambon
Brendan Gleeson
Jason Isaacs
Helena Bonham Carter
Evanna Lynch
Katie Leung
DIRECTOR
David Yates
TIME
138 mins
POSTED...
Tue 10 Jul 2007 at 8:20pm
