Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix Review
Now that I’ve seen OotP a second time, hopefully I managed to be a bit more coherent in my review. I was so coherent, in fact, that this review takes up 6 full pages in MS Word. O.o I tried to go mostly in chronological order. HUGE, MAJOR, DETAILED SPOILERS AHEAD.
The opening shot sets the mood perfectly. I love the bird’s eye view of the park and then the mysterious shots of Harry’s feet and then finally Dudley and his gang. I loved that scene (even though I thought Dudley looked a bit stupid; I think the audience reaction should NOT have been to laugh there, I don’t know why the filmmakers did that).
I really really loved Dudley’s expression when Harry draws his wand. His friends laugh, but he realizes what’s going on, and then the both of them running away TOGETHER was so SO perfect - they ARE family, and even though they hate each other, I don’t think either wants the other to die (at least Harry doesn’t, obviously).
One little nitpick about the whole opening scene was the weather reporter saying “such and such degrees Celsius, which is such and such degrees Fahrenheit”. That line pretty much said to me: Here’s the line, and here’s the line translated for the Americans that don’t know what Celsius is. Talking with my dad afterward, he said the same thing - that line kinda took him out of it. It just seemed so out of place for a setting in England.
The dementors were kind of good and bad, in my opinion. I liked the fact that they had hoods in PoA, even though it made them look like LotR Black Riders. I also liked the fact that they were less ‘physical’ in PoA - I think dementors in this new movie are too forceful, when they don’t need to be. They’re supernatural beings; they don’t have to resort to forcing people against walls and choking them to death.
Harry’s patronus in that scene was obviously a bridge from PoA’s patronus (which was COMPLETE CRAP) to the new, much more like the book patronuses. Overall, I really liked the new patronuses, and how they’re all silvery and active and kind of electric-looking.
I did not like Mrs. Figg, and I can’t really explain why. I just didn’t. Although I did love that she raised her hand during Harry’s Ministry trial. LOL
What the fuck did they do to poor Tonks? I love how she looked, and how she acted, but WHERE ARE HER LINES? She was in the movie for about one minute total, with only about six words to say. She was supposed to be a major new character, and super-cool to boot! Poor Tonks. I did think she was really awesome and cute, though.
Number 12 Grimmauld Place wasn’t what I was expecting (and I’ll forgive the weird sudden appearance from the outside). I thought, since it was a grand, lavish, rich family house, that it would be open and airy and impressive, but kind of in disarray. The tight, cramped hallways didn’t feel right to me, but overall, Number 12 isn’t really one of my major nitpicks.
Hermione is, though. I saw someone say this in another post and I completely agree - of the three main kids in the first movie, Emma seemed to have the most potential (besides Tom Felton, who has acted in other movies before) - she was my favorite for a multitude of reasons, but as all three of them got older, it looks like everyone surpassed her. Her eyebrows are the most annoying things ever, and she’s constantly in a state of panic/worry/excitement, and always breathing hard because of it. Is Hermione ever in a normal, neutral state?? Gaaah.
The second time watching the movie I noticed the Sirius/Lupin bits more, but when I noticed them, I really noticed them. Guh, love. The last two maraurders, together again and supporting each other in times of trouble. *sigh*
The Ministry Trial - Harry should never wear that suit again in his life omg. Other than that and Mrs. Figg, I don’t have much to say about it. I’ll talk about Dumbledore later. >.<
Ron is the BEST EVER in this movie. SRSLY. He’s always been one of my favorite characters in the books, and he FINALLY has a role that fits his character. Ron should’ve been loyal, protective, aggressive, and caring right from the beginning. Instead he was written as a whiny, annoying supporting character that specialized in weird faces and one-liners. But yeah, anyway, I LOVE the new Ron. I’m a bit disappointed that he didn’t get any mention of finally making the quidditch team and his whole ordeal there, but I didn’t mind tooooo much.
The other Weasleys were just as awesome. First, the twins - LOVE, as always. I’m so glad they at least had bigger parts in this movie. I love how they act together, and I really really really really REALLY adored the scene with both of them comforting that kid, right before they decide to leave Hogwarts. I wish more had been done with the joke shop’s backstory - that Harry gave them his Triwizard winnings was completely cut out. >.<
Ginny - I seem to be in the minority that actually liked her. O.o I’ve always liked her character in the books and the movies, and I think she’s finally getting noticed in this one, which is a good thing. I really loved all the Harry/Ginny hints and foreshadowing. And the fact that her Reducto curse is AWESOME.
And speaking of ‘ships - I loved all the Ron/Hermione bits. About bloody time, I say. The previous movies focused on Harry/Hermione (shunting Ron, once again, off to the side), and I’m SO GLAD that changed in this one. Harry and Hermione are not going to get together. Stop implying it. Harry and Cho should’ve had more exposition, because they had a horrible, complicated, strange relationship that was more about Cedric than them, and that would’ve actually been good to get into. I also think their kiss in the Room of Requirement lasted far too long and looked too awkward. I mean, at the beginning, it should be awkward - they’re teenagers and it’s their first kiss, but if they’re snogging THAT much, they should REALLY get a few inches closer together and move more than just their heads. It just looked weird to me.
The scene after the kiss, when Harry’s telling Ron and Hermione about it in the common room, I loved that. BUT - the ‘emotional range of a teaspoon’ line: I don’t remember what the line in the book was, or if it was cut short in the movie or not, but the way Emma said it, it sounded unfinished. And what the HELL was she laughing so hard about? Not a clue.
I think Luna was awesome. I loved her hair, I loved her clothes, I loved her nargles, and I loved the way she talked and what she said. She was just pretty much perfect. I also liked Neville, and that he had a bigger part in this movie. I didn’t like the circumstances for him finding the Room of Requirement, but I realize they had to have someone besides the non-existent house elves tell the DA about it.
I really really loved the DA scenes, and how it kept cutting back to them in the midst of Umbridge’s lessons and educational decrees and everything. I also really liked the newspaper theme, and how it was used to show the passage of time and significant changes. Really cool.
Umbridge was awesome and creepy and cruel. I liked her control breaking a bit in that first DADA class, and I loved how she acted in her office during Harry’s detention. The whole time with those cats, though, I was imagining cat macros. I want some dish-cat marcros lol!! The evil quill wasn’t quite how I expected, but it worked and was an awesome little torture device. I loved the twins’ reactions to it in that group detention later in the movie.
I think Trelawney was cool in this one, and the almost-banishment scene was a bit heartbreaking, especially since it was so public and humiliating. Snape was also awesome, because I love Alan Rickman, but I think the occlumency lessons could’ve been done better. McGonagall was very nice, and I loved the scene with her and Umbridge on the steps, going up and down and competing for dominance. It thought it was a bit sad that McGonagall kind of gave up and stepped down. L
I don’t like Dumbledore. In the movies, anyway; I rather love him in the books. My sister and I were talking about this the other day, in fact, and we compared him to Ian McKellan - Michael Gambon doesn’t have the same ability to play a character any age he wants to (or maybe he does have the ability and he just doesn’t use it, I dunno). In X-Men, Ian McKellan played Magneto younger than he was, and in LotR, he played Gandalf significantly older than he was, and in both movies, he really pulled it off and made it believable. Michael Gambon plays Dumbledore far too young, in my opinion, and why the fuck is he so angry all the time? I mean, what the hell was up with that scene in GoF in the trophy room after Harry was announced as the fourth champion? Why did he get all angry and PHSYCIALY VIOLENT with HARRY? It’s just wrong, and that’s not how Dumbledore should be. Also, in this movie, I think his little escape with Fawkes and that weird over-the-head clapping motion looked incredibly stupid. O.o
The Ministry of Magic was very very COOL. I loved the Dept. of Mysteries and how it was all black-tiled and shiny and sleek. I ADORED the prophesy room. I did NOT like that all the other rooms were cut out. I was really looking forward to seeing the time-turners and their effects, and I REALLY wanted to see Ron get attacked by the brain. You guys just don’t even know how much I wanted that scene. I really wanted it a LOT, and it was cut out completely. *is sad omg*
But anyway, the prophesy room was AWESOME, and I loved the effect their wand-lights had, reflecting off all those smoky spheres and black walls. I’ll skip talking about the actual prophesy for the moment.
Bellatrix was FUCKING AWESOME. She wasn’t in the movie for NEARLY long enough. She was crazy and psycho and sadistic and creepy and beautiful and scary all at the same time, in a way that only Helena Bonham Carter could’ve pulled off. LOVED HER.
Lucius was also AWESOME. He was creepy and evil and his hair kinda freaks me out, and he still managed to be sexy. Job well done, I say. *G*
I did NOT like the smoky, wispy shit going on all the time. 1) were the Death Eaters/Order Members supposed to be apparating? 2) shouldn’t there be some kind of incantation for that? 3) although it looked really cool, WHAT WAS THE POINT? Far too much smoky stuff going on in this movie, I think, what with the not!apparition, the dementors, the patronuses, the prophesies, and that fucking ‘veil,’ which I will discuss later.
I think one of the most disturbing images, for me personally, was seeing Luna get thrown off her feet and then rise with a bloody mouth. That was just freaky. Innocent Luna shouldn’t be bloodied up. *cuddles her* Very dramatic, though.
I can’t even explain how much I loved all Harry’s friends being held by the Death Eaters. OMGLOVE. Except for Hermione - WHY WAS SHE WHIMPERING? Ron was bloody AMAZING, fighting and being all resistant, and I liked how Luna just kind of stood there. LOL
Although I didn’t like (AT ALL) the manner of Sirius’s death, I loved the scene immediately afterward, with Harry and Lupin and Bellatrix sneaking away. Even if it did give me flashbacks of Frodo screaming after Gandalf falls off that bridge. *shrug* But I loved it, because it actually showed Harry and Lupin how I imagined them in the books (their general characters, not the exact scene) - Harry’s incredibly emotional about Sirius, and he’s screaming and fighting, and yet, Lupin tries to comfort him and hold him back, even though he’s just as gutted, if not MORESO, about Sirius than Harry. Poor Lupin omg. I liked him better in this movie than in PoA, even though he had far fewer lines, because it was more like what I imagined.
Now, what the fuck was up with the Veil? That was not a veil. That was MORE FUCKING SMOKE SHIT. I will now list my issues with Sirius’s death scene - 1) Bellatrix was not supposed to have Avada Kedavra’d him; she was supposed to have stunned him or hexed him or something, and Sirius was to fall through the veil, and THAT’S what killed him. 2) The veil was not a fucking veil. How hard can that be, really? 3) He was supposed to fall through it, not get sucked into it like a black hole or something! 4) Sirius and Bellatrix didn’t fight AT ALL. The fight in the movie was between Lucius and Sirius, with Bellatrix finally coming to the rescue and killing Sirius. NO. Bella and Sirius should’ve had a long, drawn out battle with lots of taunting and laughter and vindictiveness. 5) How did Sirius have time to look at Harry and smile-sort of-between getting ‘killed’ and getting sucked into the smoke-veil?
Voldemort - yessssss. Awesome battle between him and Dumbledore. That was actually the only time I LIKED Dumbledore. I also loved that Harry was against the wall with his knees to his chest looking vulnerable and child-like.
And the whole mind/body possession thing at the very end? What was that?? It was very cool, and yeah, probably necessary to make the film satisfying, but where did that come from? >.<
While I’m on the subject, I LOVED all the mind-control/dream/flashback/possession/occlumency things. The quick flashes and the close-ups of Harry’s pulse and sweaty skin and worried, pained face? fucking AWESOME. And I adored Dan’s little head-jerk things whenever Voldemort was trying to get into Harry’s mind or whatever. That was just really bloody cool.
Okay, so. The prophesy: 1) Harry wasn’t supposed to hear it at all. 2) It left out the ‘thrice defy’ and ‘born as the seventh month dies’ thing. 3) No connection to Neville at all. 4) No connection to Trelawney. 5) That scene in Dumbledore’s office, where Harry was supposed to be THROWING things, wasn’t right at all. And Dumbledore didn’t even explain much of anything!
I like this new screenwriter SO much more that Steve Kloves, who did the previous 4 movies. The new guy, Goldenberg, stayed truer to the books and left in EXACT QUOTES, which I really loved. The stuff that was cut was made up for in other ways, and the scenes that were left in were done justice. He put in the right ships (HARRY/HERMIONE? OH, COME ON!) and gave (some) of the characters the right parts.
I also like the new director, David Yates. I liked the cool colors and the specific shots and angles that he used. I think this movie was more mature than the previous ones (except maybe GoF, which I think was pretty good too).
One complaint I have is the pacing, though. This is the shortest movie yet, isn’t it? I think I heard that somewhere. Anyway, I would’ve gladly sat there for another 20 minutes while a few things were further explained or added in to round out the movie. The whole thing just seemed to move too fast. Although I said I liked the intercutting of the DA meetings and the Umbridge stuff, I can see that it was done specifically to keep up the pace and move things along quickly.
Some other minor pluses and minuses:
+ Voldemort in a SUIT. Fucking YES. I always imagine my bad guys being impeccably dressed.
+ Sirius’s robes and general image.
+ the fact that Ron and Hermione almost always wore striped shirts at the same time. Hahaha
+ Luna’s clothes and jewelry. And Luna herself.
+ DanRad’s acting ability. I can’t even say how much he annoyed me in previous movies.
+ the Weasley Twins and Ron, full stop.
+ Bellatrix and Lucius, separate and together. Hee
+ GRAWP. Even though he has no point in the movie and I didn’t like him in the books, he was cute, and I love his and Hermione’s little bell exchange. *g*
+ the movie on the whole. BEST ONE YET, in my opinion.
- Nargles. Luna should’ve introduced other imaginary beings - it’s not like they needed explaining; nobody’s supposed to know what they are except her.
- no Quibbler interview, or even much of a mention.
- no explaining about Ron, Ginny, Hermione, and Neville getting introduced to the Thestrals and riding them even though they can’t even see them.
- no Ron getting attacked by brains omg!!! And no Ron getting to play Keeper and ‘Weasley Is Our King’, which I also want a t-shirt of, LOL.
- Emma’s eyebrows.
- KREACHER. What point did he have in the movie? He was supposed to be a big deal in the books.
- SMOKY SHIT.
- it annoyed me that, in the final Harry/Voldemort mind control thing, Harry’s eyes flashed green. His eyes are supposed to be green ANYWAY, so the fact that they flashed green and were supposed to be evil kind of irked me.
- Fudge’s line, “HE’S BACK!” made the entire audience laugh, both times I saw the movie. Which shouldn’t have been the point of it. OF COURSE HE’S BACK. A bit more shocked realization would’ve been nice instead of immediate, sudden acceptance.
- Percy was NEVER explained, not even his NAME, when he was hanging around Fudge. You just had to remember him from the first two movies, I guess. And know what his deal was.
- Snape’s memory, with James and Sirius tormenting him, was entirely too short and not graphic enough. It didn’t really make me feel very sorry for Snape, even though it was supposed to.
- Draco Malfoy not getting a lot of screen time, because I really like him as a character. He’ll be a big deal in the next one, though. (or at least he’d better be!!)
So yeah, that’s the movie. Before it started, a couple of the theater people came in and said “We’ve got some time to kill, so, how about a trivia game! Poster prizes for people who answer questions right!” I immediately sat forward and was all attentive. :D The first few questions were EASY, and I raised my hand, but I didn’t do it FIRST, so he didn’t call on me. One question went to a girl on the front row - Can you name all of the Weasleys? I watched the girl counting on her fingers and obviously struggling with it, and then the guy said “Ok, she got 6 out of 9, can anybody beat that?” and I was like Hermione in the first movie in Potions class. He pointed to me and I was like “…me? …ME?” and then I said, calmly and very easily, “Arthur, Molly, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny,” while thinking the entire time, “OMG IS THERE ONE BETWEEN PERCY AND F&G THAT I’M FORGETTING? OMG I KNOW I’M FORGETTING ONE!” I kind of recited the names without any involvement from my brain, because it was kind of frozen and crashing like a computer. And then everyone around me (and pretty much the whole audience) was like “…wow.” LOL!!! So I got a poster! And then my hands were shaking and my stomach was in knots and butterflies because I hate being put on the spot. LOL