Review: Harry Potter and the Order Of the Phoenix
I was thoroughly disappointed with the latest Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie. I urge you, if you haven't read the book, read it first before you go see the movie. I even consider this to be worse than the original DUNE movie that was so hard for everyone to understand if they were not familiar with that book series.
David Yates was determined to make it the shortest movie in the series, when the book was the longest of the series. I truly feel sorry for anyone who hasn't read the books. So much was left out of the movie that I can't possibly see how there will be any continuity with the next two movies. It felt as if the director skipped every two chapters and decided to film a scene. I can only hope that an extended DVD release will contain all the cutting room floor material which may improve the outcome.
One scene I found distracting is David's use of an extreme camera angle to accentuate the size difference between Hagrid and Professor Umbridge as well as what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to make Hagrid look bigger in relation to the props. Another scene used a cheap fire overlay on Sirius when he was talking to Harry in the fireplace as opposed to the previous movie where the embers themselves were used to form Sirius's face. The movie actually departed from the book story line by having Cho Chang being the betrayer of Dumbledore's Army in the movie whereas in the book it was Cho Chang's friend Marietta Edgecombe, never mind that the coins weren't used in the movie. I had to go back and re-read the book just to set things right in my mental picture of the storyline.
Please dump David Yates NOW! Sheesh, maybe it's just me being a Yank, but I honestly don't think I've ever seen any of his other movies. Please bring back Mike Newall for the final movie, at least he has a better track record.
Interesting ... I actually found Order of the Phoenix to be the worst book in the series, and the best of the movies so far.\n\nJust goes to show we all have different tastes.
Actually, I don't really like that book either, Harry was a bit too whiney for my taste. I just feel that the movie left quite a bit out and can cause continuity problems for the future movies. \n\nTake the crystal ball prophecy. The movie doesn't even touch on the fact that it was Professor Trelawney (unless you were able to identify the speaker through voice or the very small image in the ball) who made the prophecy or that it was Dumbledore who witnessed it. That alone shows why Trelawney teaches at Hogwarts, even though she's been typically portrayed as a fool.\n\nLet's assume that you never read the book. Do you honestly think you could tell from the movie that Fred or George went into business for themselves with the money that Harry gave them from his Tri-Wizard winnings, or would you assume that they just left the school and their only legacy was that short fireworks display. The book goes into considerable detail as to the effects of what Fred and George left behind. Dang I would have loved to see a bit of the swamp.\n\nThe O.W.L scene with only Umbridge being the teacher administering the test did nothing to show how the D.A. overcame the limitations imposed upon them by the Ministry and Umbridge. \n\nI think they actually filmed a bit about St. Mungo's, but that was completely cut out. It would have been great for the movie to re-inforce the character of Neville Longbottom and his tortured parents.\n\nKreature wasn't even supposed to be part of the movie until J.K. Rowling forced them to put him in. Good thing too since he's instrumental in the final book. If they don't re-inforce Kreature's character, it's going to be hard to easily explain why/how the "locket" was saved, or even that it was originally thrown away as rubbish.\n\nLet's just hope the directors of the final two movies don't have to resort to deus ex machina outside of the original storyline.
