Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
"With their warning about Lord Voldemort's return scoffed at, Harry and Dumbledore are targeted by the Wizard authorities as an authoritarian bureaucrat slowly seizes power at Hogwarts."
- IMDB
First of all, let's talk about some of the new cast & crew.
My #1 gurl, Luna Lovegood played by Evanna Lynch stole my heart. I was obsessed with the character & actress in an unhealthy way in middle school. Helena Bonham Carter, one of my favorite actresses of all time, is literally the only one that could've played Bellatrix this perfectly. I'm certain of that. George Harris arrives as Kingslety Shacklebolt (if anyone's got style it's him) & Natalia Tena is introduced as my Hufflepunk role model, Nymphadora Tonks. Imelda Staunton was also perfectly cast as the most hated Potter character of all time. I hate Umbridge, but Staunton is so enjoyable to watch.
This is the first of (currently) 7 Wizarding World films David Yates has directed. I like his style and what he brings to these films. Nicholas Hooper jumped in to compose the score for this film as well as Half-Blood Prince; and I absolutely love both of his scores. Tim Burke, Tim Lewis, and Mark Day are some other new names we will continue to see in the rest of the franchise as well as Fantastic Beasts.
This is my 3rd favorite Wizarding World film, so here's a quick fire of some of my favorite moments:
Grimmuald place!!! Harry reuniting with Sirius as Lupin watches with a smile. 😢Voldemort in a suit? Yes sirrrr! "You're just as sane as I am." "What are nargles? No idea." "Obviously." "There are several things I would like to say." That whole meeting in Hog's Head is just a good scene. Neville finding the "room we require" let's go! Just everything about Neville in this film, honestly. He's a boss. "Just because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon." "We both have light and dark inside us; what matters is which part we choose to act on." "You're father was a swine!" Fireworks. Regret nothing. "Sorry professor, I must not tell lies." Also the ending is so optimistic for no reason. War has officially begun, but it's nothing a beautiful shot of Hogwarts can't fix, right?
I really want to gush about Harry's story here because to me, his Year 5 story is the one I relate to the most. His experience with depression is so real. The way he isolated himself in the beginning like that even though he had people around him to help is so relatable. Even in my own experience with depression, I knew I had a good support group around me; but that never stopped me from feeling like I was the loneliest person in the world. The DA meetings picked Harry up as he had a new mission to focus on. He made a difference in his classmates' lives, and that's as inspiring as his whole "if they can do it, why not us" speech. Harry's strength & resilience really shines this film, even after Sirius dies.
Harry didn't exactly play the role of the hero in the climax. He destroyed the Department of Mysteries, shot some spells at some death eaters, & watched Dumbledore fight Voldemort. But what made him a hero on this day was his mind battle with Voldemort. He was able to resist because he spent that whole school year persevering over his depression issues. That made him strong enough to fight back and not be pushed around by Voldemort's petty mind torture. And I admire Harry for this.
Speaking of the Department of Mysteries, gee this part of the story is exciting. In the book, the gang goes into other rooms and its the most wackiest experience that no one ever talks about. We only got to see a small portion in the film, but it's still exciting as we watch a bunch of teenagers stand on their own against a bunch of criminals. Also, can someone explain the Veil to me because I feel like it's been 20 years and no one actually knows what it is. I loved the whole battle when the Order of the Phoenix showed up. It's just super cool seeing fully trained wizards go at it in battle like that. "Get away from my Godson" is a classic line. And the death here is so utterly heart breaking, not just for us and Harry, but for Lupin as well as he is now truly alone with no friends in the world.
That battle though..... Sheesh. Voldemort vs Dumbledore remains to be the coolest duel we've ever seen. I'm not just saying that because I'm amused at Voldemort and the weird noises he makes. It was truly well thought out, well designed, and well animated. I loved every second of it.
Sorcerer's Stone, Prisoner of Azkaban, and Order of the Phoenix are not only my top 3 Potter films, but my favorite books in the series as well. The plot and the magic are continued in such an exciting way. There's laughter, tears, and everything in between. The music and visuals are beautiful. The vibes of this film always stand out to me every marathon I have and I don't think I'll ever get tired of it.
My Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★
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