Has Harry Potter Lost His Magic?

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I have a question. How does a movie writer and/or director take a story that is already laid out, already a huge hit with readers and fans, already contains all the elements you need for a great movie, and mess it up? I'm still puzzled by this phenomenon. It's happened with a few comic book movies (by a director that doesn't even deserve his name in this post) and now it has happened to the world's favorite young wizard, Harry Potter.

Let me first say that I have not read any of the books. Just haven't gotten around to it yet. Perhaps one day I will. But I'm perfectly content seeing the movies for now. I have seen them all and they have all been quite enjoyable. I was a big fan of magic and wizardry when I was a kid, so I totally understand the allure for both children and adults alike to this franchise. It's what many children dream of... a school where you learn magic instead of science (which if you really think about it is the closest thing to magic in the real world), where you learn to defend yourself against the "dark arts" by learning spells and incantations to fire through your magic wand, where you can fly around on your pimped out broomstick and play a flying brand of basketball/football. I mean, what kid wouldn't want that?

"Order of the Phoenix" is the fifth installment of the Potter series. It's tagline was "When the Revolution Begins...". Its trailer showed a much older Harry training and amassing an army of kid wizards to combat the threat of the evil Lord Voldemort and his band of baddies. Sounds like the makings of a classic summer blockbuster, right?

To quote the recently more popular Murphy brother "EHHHHHH! WRONG! WRONG!"

The trailer LIED TO US! This was by far the biggest let down of the series. I had anticipated the most action packed Potter movie to date. Instead, we were left to sit in the theatre for a good one hundred minutes, while the movie set up the last thirty minutes. It was like someone telling you a story they already told you except adding an extra hour of meaningless details. Things were unexplained, characters were under-developed, and even though the action sequence at the end was entertaining, by the time it happened it felt anti-climatic. Perhaps readers of the book will understand more of what goes on with these characters, but I've heard grumblings in the Potter world that many plot lines of the book were omitted. I'm sure it is very hard to adapt an 870 page masterpiece into a 2.5 hour film, but we need to feel the character's relationships more than they allow you to in this movie. They touch upon a love interest for the Boy Wonder, they touch upon a father figure, they touch upon his connection to the bad guy, but they don't SELL it. As only a reader of the movies, I was left with many more questions than excitement. Are these books out on paperback yet? Perhaps it's time I got the details.

The young actors were pretty good. Although this poor kid that plays Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) will probably never work another day in his life once the series is over (How hard is it going to be for him to break from this seven movie typecast?), he does the character justice. On the other hand, mark my words, we will be seeing much more of Emma Watson, who plays the headstrong female of the lead trio, Hermione Granger. She has grown up into a beautiful young actress who could take the baton from the likes of Kate Winslet and
Kate Beckinsale as the next of England's sexy imports (Hmmm... will she have to change her name to Kate?) Just give her a few more years (or the last two Potter Movies) to really come into her own. Then there's Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), who provides more of a goofy comedic element to the group. This dude will probably be straight to video with Radcliffe in "Harry Pothead... The Sorcerer's Stoned".

The adult actors are an ensemble cast of veterans who, even as the focus is on the kids, really are the glue that holds these movies together. Ralph Fiennes, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson (are Emma and Kate the only girl names in England?), Helena Bonham Carter, and a slew of other limeys are used quite sparingly, but hold it down as the kids stumble into their little "war".

All in all, "Order of the Phoenix" wasn't horrible. It was just a little slow to develop and lacked some of the charm and magic of the other movies. The final battle scene was visually pleasing, but had a element of "Star Wars" to the idea of Harry indulging in his "dark side". I'm still waiting to see a serious, balls out wizard battle. I'm still waiting to see one of these herbs kick it to Hermione, and I'm still waiting to hear if Harry actually dies in the last book. Here's to reading books.

I give this 2 eyebrows, slightly raised.