HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF PHOENIX

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the fifth chapter in the popular franchise based on J.K. Rowling's beloved books, and it arrives in theaters a mere eleven days before the final book of the series (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) hits shelves. How does Order of the Phoenix measure up to the previous installments? Well, coming from a film goer who hasn't read the books, I'd say it's the second best of the cinematic lot (Alfonso Cuaron's take on The Prisoner of Azkaban remains my favorite). I'm sure this humble opinion will meet with much hostility from some fans who feel that the film has been stripped of too many important details. Furthermore, I have several film going colleagues who didn't care for the picture either (our very own Boneman included). Perhaps it's my lack of expectation that allowed me to be won over by this decidedly dark film.

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, our reluctant hero (Daniel Radcliffe) has virtually closed himself off from his loved ones (namely Hermione and Ron) after the tragic events that occurred at the end of Goblet of Fire. What's more Harry is put on trial for using magic outside of Hogwarts. Making matters worse, the school for wizardry is all but taken over by a new teacher, the villainous Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) . Soon, Harry realizes he must earn the trust of his fellow students so that he might band together with them and put a stop to Umbridge's wicked ways. In the midst of all of this, he struggles with nightmarish visions of the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), who remains a constant and very real threat.

This Harry Potter film really took me by surprise, most notably because of it's scale. Order of the Phoenix is much more intimate than the previous installments, and it opts to tell a story in a more character driven fashion. This will, no doubt, drive many viewers bonkers, but I responded to this approach.

Director David Yates (whose only other credits are in British television) has taken the thickest of the books and turned it into the leanest of the movies (Order of the Phoenix clocks in at about two hours and eighteen minutes). While I haven't read the books, it's clear that threads are missing. Be it the seemingly afterthought subplot involving Harry and young Cho Chang, to the blink and you'll miss it introduction of that otherworldly house servant/ elf creature, to that weird business with Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) and the giant. Furthermore, Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) are aren't really central characters in this installment. I can see why some Potterheads (oh whatever they call themselves these days) might cry foul. But there's also a wealth of emotion and heart beating within this movie. I actually feared for Harry in this picture, and the bond between he and his childhood friends, while strained, really felt genuine. Yates isn't the only one to thank for this Harry facelift however. Screenwriter Michael Goldenberg (taking over for a resting Steve Kloves) has somehow found a way to trim down this enormous amount of source material and make it work.

I suppose that it could be argued that that old Harry magic is a bit lacking in this installment, but Order of the Phoenix isn't so much about magic as it is about a boy becoming a man. One of the most fascinating things about this entire series is that we see these children grow before our very eyes. When these characters started at Hogwarts they were but children shielded by the innocence of youth. Through five years however, Harry, Hermione, and Ron, have begun to see the world as it really is, and while that may be tough for some viewers to swallow, that's life.

Say what you will about Chris Columbus (even I wasn't a very big fan of his first Harry Potter adaptation). The fact remains, he had the vision to cast these actors in these parts, and he should be commended for it. Daniel Radcliffe in particular really finds his comfort zone in this outing. His struggle to keep his dark side in check is much more convincing than Peter Parker's bout with darkness in Spider-Man 3 (granted that is a super hero movie so perhaps the comparison is unfair). Gary Oldman is a bundle of energy as Sirius Black, and his lively play in the final act of this picture is certainly one of the film's highlights. Alan Rickman is outstanding as the mysterious Severus Snape and for the first time, we really get a some insight into what makes this guy tick, and it wasn't at all what I was expecting. Imelda Staunton gives an award worthy turn as the bigger than life Dolores Umbridge. While this character appears oddly endearing at the surface, there's a wicked bit of cold, malicious, callousness at her center. New to the cast is the wonderfully offbeat Evanna Lynch. This young actress brings a sweet, eccentric sensibility to the role of Harry's new friend Luna Lovegood.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix may not be the special effects laden, action bonanza fans are expecting, but it does show a side of the series we haven't seen, and personally, I found myself caring more about these characters then ever before. In choosing to focus on exposition and character, director David Yates has opened the door for an emotionally charged sixth year at Hogwarts. And as it turns out, Yates will direct Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, marking the second time in the series that the same director has gone on to helm more than one chapter (Chris Columbus directed the first two movies). Personally, I can't wait.

On a sidenote, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is playing in Imax. As an added bonus, the final twenty minutes of the Imax presentation is in 3-D. If given the opportunity, this is the way to see it.