Today’s post begins with a fractal called Renaissance Magic 7. The “7” is irrelevant (other than denoting the fact that this image is part of a larger series) but the “Magic” in the title seemed appropriate for a review of the latest “Harry Potter” movie and red and gold are the colors of House Gryffindor.
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Each “Harry Potter” book grows longer and more complicated as new characters are added while established characters get more fleshed out, more of Harry’s history is revealed and we more detail about the Wizarding world. So too the movie--but in this latter case it isn’t always successful.
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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix manages to succeed in a lot of ways: the movie has lots of “wow” moments and there are several scenes that show just how much “fun” magic can be. Weirdly enough, I didn’t have nearly the problem with the actors growing up as I did in the last movie (although I wanted to slap Harry Potter for his sullen attitude throughout most of the movie). We don’t get to see a “Quidditch” game but it wouldn’t be a Harry Potter movie without a “flying broom” sequence: this one takes several people through London at night. There is enough magical battles to satisfy any fan of big-budget effects and they are expertly and seamlessly done.
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Still, the movie is not without problems. Even though this latest installment clocks in at over two hours, the move still feels rushed and overstuffed. Many plot points are glossed over and quite a few critical details are left out entirely; in my opinion the work suffers from that. (True, the source book is a massive 870 pages so I realize some cuts must be made but frankly I think the writer made some bad choices.) Many familiar faces from the series don’t get much time on screen (Professor Macgonigal, Snape, Hagrid and even Professor Dumbledore barely register in the movie.) Some new characters (Bellatrix Lestrange, Luna Lovegood, Nymphadora Tonks and Kreechur the House Elf) are introduced but their back story is curiously missing--lessening their impact. (In fact, the entire “Order of the Phoenix” gets short shrift in the script.)
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New character Dolores Jane Umbrage (LOVE that name) gets somewhat better treatment: she is played to smarmy pink perfection by British Actress Imelda Staunton. She terrorizes Hogwarts with her own brand of sickly-sweet prissiness that is the worst kind of self-righteous evil. (Even so, her character is missing a critical bit of information that would have taken her nastiness to the next level.) Her outlandish pink and purple outfits (kudos to the Costume Designer for the work) are the only bright colors in a dark film.
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True to the darker tone of the book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is shot with mostly in muted tones-- gray. brown and blue--with a lot of back mixed in to heighten the drama. Even the scenes shot outside in full daylight have a dreary, washed-out quality--but it works for the film. The Set Design, Direction and Cinematography serve the movie well and all the actors do well with what they are given--be it small or large. I can’t fault anyone for what the movie is lacking. It ran long anyway but I really wish the people in charge had included a bit more here and there--but if they included everything I feel the film needed it probably would have clocked in at three hours or longer: that's much too long for a family film. Fans of the movie series will surely enjoy this latest offering but fans of the book might not enjoy it so much. Those who aren’t fans probably shouldn’t see the move because there are too many character, too much information to digest and too many bits that are just confusing so they’ll end up confused.
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FINAL GRADE: B-
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Each “Harry Potter” book grows longer and more complicated as new characters are added while established characters get more fleshed out, more of Harry’s history is revealed and we more detail about the Wizarding world. So too the movie--but in this latter case it isn’t always successful.
-
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix manages to succeed in a lot of ways: the movie has lots of “wow” moments and there are several scenes that show just how much “fun” magic can be. Weirdly enough, I didn’t have nearly the problem with the actors growing up as I did in the last movie (although I wanted to slap Harry Potter for his sullen attitude throughout most of the movie). We don’t get to see a “Quidditch” game but it wouldn’t be a Harry Potter movie without a “flying broom” sequence: this one takes several people through London at night. There is enough magical battles to satisfy any fan of big-budget effects and they are expertly and seamlessly done.
-
Still, the movie is not without problems. Even though this latest installment clocks in at over two hours, the move still feels rushed and overstuffed. Many plot points are glossed over and quite a few critical details are left out entirely; in my opinion the work suffers from that. (True, the source book is a massive 870 pages so I realize some cuts must be made but frankly I think the writer made some bad choices.) Many familiar faces from the series don’t get much time on screen (Professor Macgonigal, Snape, Hagrid and even Professor Dumbledore barely register in the movie.) Some new characters (Bellatrix Lestrange, Luna Lovegood, Nymphadora Tonks and Kreechur the House Elf) are introduced but their back story is curiously missing--lessening their impact. (In fact, the entire “Order of the Phoenix” gets short shrift in the script.)
-
New character Dolores Jane Umbrage (LOVE that name) gets somewhat better treatment: she is played to smarmy pink perfection by British Actress Imelda Staunton. She terrorizes Hogwarts with her own brand of sickly-sweet prissiness that is the worst kind of self-righteous evil. (Even so, her character is missing a critical bit of information that would have taken her nastiness to the next level.) Her outlandish pink and purple outfits (kudos to the Costume Designer for the work) are the only bright colors in a dark film.
-
True to the darker tone of the book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is shot with mostly in muted tones-- gray. brown and blue--with a lot of back mixed in to heighten the drama. Even the scenes shot outside in full daylight have a dreary, washed-out quality--but it works for the film. The Set Design, Direction and Cinematography serve the movie well and all the actors do well with what they are given--be it small or large. I can’t fault anyone for what the movie is lacking. It ran long anyway but I really wish the people in charge had included a bit more here and there--but if they included everything I feel the film needed it probably would have clocked in at three hours or longer: that's much too long for a family film. Fans of the movie series will surely enjoy this latest offering but fans of the book might not enjoy it so much. Those who aren’t fans probably shouldn’t see the move because there are too many character, too much information to digest and too many bits that are just confusing so they’ll end up confused.
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FINAL GRADE: B-
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