Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I've been having very sophisticated conversations with very young people about movie making. Children who have read the Harry Potter books, at least the children I know, possess an encyclopedic and completely geeky knowledge of every detail and nuance in every book. They are wedded to their vision of the story. So interestingly, while they eagerly await the premiere of each new HP movie and enjoy themselves while watching, they leave pulling it apart, complaining of all that was left out, glossed over or otherwise abandoned.

I have been trying to explain to these little aficionados that it is simply not possible to render a book, especially one that is 800 some pages, as a film and transfer it word for word to the big screen. A screenwriter simply must make decisions, leave out chunks that don't necessarily advance the main plot of the book (e.g. Hermione's campaign to free house elves in the 4th book/movie), and find ways to allude to certain relationships or events so as to make the final cut less than 412 hours long.

They don't get it. Which is fine. Because it's actually pretty wonderful that they have such devotion to the series and pay attention. And of course, it doesn't bother me that everything from the books is not in the films. I've said before that the movies can stand as cinematic works in their own right, even if one hasn't read the books. (And as I've said before, why you wouldn't read the books is beyond me but to each his or her own).

That's all still true. But I left "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" feeling let down.

There are still many things right with the film. As with all the other films, there is a faithfulness to the spirit and general direction of the stories. (I think Ms. Rowling has a large say in that matter).

The casting continues to be spot on. Imelda Staunton is new to this film, as the very awful Dolores Umbrage, who operating with a veneer of sweetness, worms her way into Hogwarts at the bidding of the very paranoid Minister of Magic and slowly creates a near totalitarian state at the school. She was perhaps more comical in the film than she should have been, but when she gets her evil on, it's creepy evil.

Regulars Maggie Smith, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs (be still my heart), Emma Thompson, Robbie Coltrane and Alan Rickman (heart, I told you to be still) all make their appearances. And kudos to them all for taking the "no small parts, only small actors" attitude. Because Emma Thompson, for example, has about 6 lines, most of which are of the "uh, uh, sniffle, um" variety. But the fact that the cast has not changed since the beginning (except, of course, Dumbledore) is one of the things that makes the series so strong. Continuity is a good thing.

Speaking of which, props go out to the kids-who-are-no-longer-kids, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe. They are growing up nicely and their acting skills have improved with every film. I also applaud their commitment to see the films through, even though there could be a downside to that career-wise. At this point, no one but those 3 could be Ron, Hermione and Harry.

And Mr. Radcliffe, who we all know is becoming quite a handsome young man, has also developed rather fine acting chops; revisit the first film if you don't believe me. More and more is being required of him in these movies and he delivers.

The creation of the magic world continues to amaze. I know they do all that stuff with computers but golly. Walls that appear and disappear and stairs that move and magical creatures...it's all too fabulous and perfect. Well, except for one thing. The terrifying, soul-sucking dementors, who make their first appearance in the 3rd book, were rendered in perfectly meme-like fashion in the 3rd movie. "That's exactly how I pictured them!" was the consensus. For reasons known only to themselves, the crew for this film changed the look of the dementors. Not only do they not look like dementors, it seems to me that once something has been established in a franchise like this, you don't mess with it. The Great Hall has looked the same through every film, the uniforms haven't changed...it was wrong.

Yes, I enjoyed the film well enough but there were glaring mistakes; or if that's too harsh a phrase, missed opportunities in this film. No. Upon consideration, I'm sticking with "glaring mistakes".

The fifth book is where the story begins to turn. In the first place, Harry is a full-on teen-ager with all the angst and "I hate everybody and everybody hates me" stuff that goes with that. His adolescent angst is palpable in the book, so much so that you eventually, as an adult, are ready to climb through the pages and smack him one. (And I suspect, if you are a teenager you read it going, "Dude. Totally. Grownups suck").

All that is missing from "Order of the Phoenix". There's a mere hint of it when Harry first hooks up again with Ron and Hermione but then he's over it. And a scene wherein he expresses some of his anger, etc. to his god-father Sirius (played by Gary Oldman. My poor little heart), it comes off as being connected to the whole Voldemort thing, making his internal conflicts more lofty and even something outside of himself. The truth is, it is his anger and arrogance and generally smelling of teen spirit that informs a lot of what happens in the 5th book. Which is way more honest, in my view. That whole "I'm just Harry" thing is a part of the story. He's got a destiny and more and more of that unfolds with each book. But this is literature with a classical point of view: his character is going to dictate his destiny. So his weaknesses, and what he does about them, are as important to the story as his strengths.

Second, the return of the darkest of dark wizards, Lord Voldemort, at the end of book/movie #4 doesn't just mean that there are going to be little skirmishes between good and evil. War is on the horizon. There is a profound tension in the book that is simply missing from this film. There is a sense of dark pushing back strong against the light, the realization that it could take more than is available to win against the darkness, particularly because the Ministry of Magic has decided to deny the return of Voldemort, make Harry and Dumbledore seem like nutters and sugar coat information to the people, even as they begin to employ the politics of fear in a bid to consolidate power. That story is present in the film, but somehow lacking all the visceral power that the injustice and frustration evokes in the book.

In fact, come to think of it, there is a general glossing over of the "Order of the Phoenix", what it is, the resistance movement it represents, the political tensions within that organization. And, in what I personally found to be a complete outrage, the character of Tonks is in the movie but not even once called Tonks, let alone allowed to play her very delightful role in the story. And that last bit is just a personal disappointment but still.

Finally, there is something very important relative to "the prophecy" that is left out all together. If things happen in the 7th book as I suspect they will, that could pose some interesting complications for the last two films. It so wouldn't have been a big deal to include that information and in fact, would have made for a more dramatic ending...just as the revelation did in the book. I kinda want to slap whoever decided that the Longbottom stuff was inconsequential. Puleeze.

The Child pointed out that there have been almost as many directors for this film series as there have been Dark Arts teachers at Hogwarts. More to the point, a little IMdb research provides a explanation for the slapping urge noted in the last paragraph. While the directors have changed, the screenplay has been done by the same guy in all of the films...except #5.

Ah ha!

Steve Kloves of 1, 2, 3, 4 and also 6, which is now in production, obviously has a sense not just of the books but of the continuity between them. New Guy, who I'm going to ignore, didn't do a horrible job but it was, in the final analysis, a sloppy job. There. I said it.

Hopefully Mr. Kloves has picked up the loose threads and pulled things back together. Because the fact is, the end is near. The seventh and last book is out on Saturday and by this time next week, all the world is going to know how this epic story ends. That will necessarily inform how fans view the 6th movie.

I did not hate this film. It was not a waste of money. It's better than #3, not as good #4. But that's alright. 2 more movies to go. I remain hopeful.

The Film Czarina gives "Order of the Phoenix" 3 out of 5 Koihead.