Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a solid entry into the longstanding franchise and light breather for the fast paced nature of the previous two.
Order of the Phoenix is the start of David Yates’ tenure as the shepard of the franchise. Much like the source material, the film takes a few steps back to address the franchise thus far and ties together the events of Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire, two films that strand on their own two feet in many ways.
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix covers Harry’s fifth year at Hogwarts and brings back some of the joyful and relatable nature of the first two films by concentrating on the school aspect and drawing parallels to their audience, which is primary teens. The film suffers because of this due to the fact that it has a hard time earning the love that Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire deserved.
Following the events of Goblet of Fire, the public perception of Harry Potter on a political and school level somehow lessened. The scrutiny increased and his legend as the Chosen One comes into question. As political interests from the Ministry and paranoia from it’s leaders comes to the forefront, Harry Potter is left more alone than ever. It is because of this that Harry establishes his own team, comprising of his friends and peers to prepare for the resurrected Voldemort.
The best part about Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the cast. As each film continues, so does the cast and their chemistry. Overall scale, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is solid film. While it does not reach the level of excellence of the previous two films, it still moves the story and evolves the characters on a great level.
4/5
