Harry Potter Still Strong With "Phoenix"

What an anticipated summer of blockbusters it was in 2007 (especially three-quels)! We had Transformers, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Spiderman 3, Shrek 3, Rush Hour 3, Die Hard 4 and Harry Potter 5. *Whew* It took awhile, but I finally saw all of them that I wanted to see ending with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

I've never read the books but I've been entertained by the films from the beginning. One aspect of these films continues to pay in spades - the casting. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have turned out to be excellent casts for their respective roles as the franchise progresses. In this latest installment Radcliffe put on a show demonstrating that he could pull off teenage angst in a manner that wasn't simply a cliched bratish and whiny fashion. As a wizard with his back increasingly up against the wall during the ever awkward time of his teen-aged years, Harry Potter holds his own and so does Radcliffe.

For nearly everyone who has read these books, it is seemingly unnecessary to lay out the plot. So let me instead focus on why this installment was entertaining. For me personally, the themes are becoming more interesting. Phoenix was markedly darker overall and I appreciated that and that is credit due for Rowling's writing. The story is now past Malfoy being a bully or the Dursleys being cruel to Harry during summer break and we are headlong into real serious conflict that carries with it real serious consequences. The stakes are raised and that's when I really take interest.

Something is rotten in Denmark, or in this case Hogwarts, and with Delores Umbridge's arrival the school has become a virtual prison. Who doesn't like rebellion in these kinds of circumstances? So when the students we've come to know through four films start to take a stand on a serious issue, its a great story made all the better through superb performances all around, especially Imelda Staunton as Umbridge who I wanted to reach out and sucker punch. She played the role of evil, self-righteous bitch to a T!

The cast is also starting to gain mass as more and more bit players from previous films are starting to take on bigger roles. I know readers complain that not enough time is spent on some character development and I understand their feelings, but for a film of over two hours, I felt it did ok. Cho Chang really didn't get much screen time, nor did Luna Lovegood, but in the case of Chang she really was this film's Lando Calrissian, right? Besides, by this point we all know that Harry will end up with...... anyway. Find out here

Another strong point for this film for me was the higher caliber fighting, especially at the end. The spells were interesting, the action intense and overall engaging. The films (and I'm assuming here the books as well) steadily build up in this regard which is to be expected.

So was it the best yet? I can't say for sure not having gone back and re-watched the others in a long while, but I venture to say it is in my top two. I really did appreciate the more mature feel and darker tone and the acting was top notch. Oh and did I mention that Gary Oldman as Sirius Black is awesome? He's awesome! But that's just who Gary Oldman is and is a topic that deserves its own entry.

This judge finds in favor of Potter. 9/10