HARRY
POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX (TWO-DISC SPECIAL EDITION) (2007)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Two-Disc Special Edition)
(2007)
Actors: Timothy Bateson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane,
Warwick Davis, Ralph Fiennes
Format: Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English, Spanish
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Number of discs: 2
Studio: Warner Home Video
Run Time: 139 minutes
Movie:
Disc:
In
retrospect this is probably one of the less disappointing sequels of 2007, a summer
marked by mediocre blockbuster sequels (Spider-man
3, Pirates 3, Shrek 3). It does a remarkable job at
condensing the events of the longest Harry Potter novel into the
shortest movie version (thus far) without ever feeling truncated or losing
its epic feel.
However the fifth Harry Potter adaptation is not a standalone film:
it merely serves as a bridge from the previous four movies to the two
remaining movies and as such it shouldn't be seen on its own. It gets our
vote as the Harry Potter flick most likely to confuse newbies. The
evil Lord Voldemort is indeed back and his return sees the wizard world
slowly erupting into civil war. So be sure to check out the books or
previous movies in the series before watching
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
In keeping with the previous two films, the tone is darker here than the
first two movies in the series and not really recommended for very small
children. Parents should heed the PG-13 rating.
THE DISCS: One featurette tries to offer clues as to what to expect
from future installments but it hopes dearly that there is still a soul
somewhere on the planet who hasn't read Harry Potter & the Deathly
Hallows, the seventh and final book in the series. Another featurette
looks at the editing process
-
ironically one of the film's weaknesses (the editing especially in staging
of some sequences are somewhat awkward).
WORTH IT? Yes, while some Potter die-hards may fume at what
material from the book this film has left, Harry Potter & the Order of the
Phoenix is a worthy entry in the Potter movie series. Production
values are still of a consistently high quality and even the acting has
improved.
In
retrospect this is probably one of the less disappointing sequels of 2007, a summer
marked by mediocre blockbuster sequels (