Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix Movie
| Resolution | Size | Download | ||
|
1920x800 | 7459 MiB | 1080p | |
|
960x528 | 2557.24 MiB | 720p | |
|
632x258 | 800.07 MiB | divx | |
|
480x204 | 620.27 MiB | ipod | |
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
Harry is about to start his fifth year at Hogwarts. He's desperate to get back to school and find out why his friends Ron and Hermoine have been so secretive all summer. However, what Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down....
| Daniel Radcliffe | Harry Potter |
| Rupert Grint | Ron Weasley |
| Emma Watson | Hermione Granger |
| Helena Bonham Carter | Bellatrix Lestrange |
| Robbie Coltrane | Rubeus Hagrid |
| Ralph Fiennes | Lord Voldemort |
| Michael Gambon | Albus Dumbledore |
| Brendan Gleeson | Alastor 'MadÂEye' Moody |
| Richard Griffiths | Uncle Vernon |
| Jason Isaacs | Lucius Malfoy |
| Gary Oldman | Sirius Black |
| Alan Rickman | Severus Snape |
| Fiona Shaw | Aunt Petunia |
| Maggie Smith | Minerva McGonagall |
| Imelda Staunton | Dolores Umbridge |
| David Yates |
7.50 out of 10 (67310 votes)
Visitor Reviews
AVADA KEDAVRA to this Muggle filth
posted on 30 Aug 2009I LOVE the Harry Potter series; this was my favorite book so you can imagine my excitement when the movie came out. After reading some of the reviews I feel like I missed something because my excitement quickly turned into frustration as I spent most of the movie pulling at my hair and yelling at the screen. I cannot believe that it took 2 years to create a movie that strayed so far from the book that to call it Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is false advertising. I am a realist and forgiving when it comes to the time constraints the movie creators are dealing with. Turning an 875 page book into a 2.5 hour movie is quite a feat, it's just too bad that it was just a waste. I sat through the movie waiting and hoping that something good would come. I told myself that as horrible as the movie is, the ministry will be the saving grace of the movie, sorry, just as Harry notes in the graveyard scene in the 4th movie, his mother was not there to save him this time, just as there is absolutely nothing in the Muggle or Wizarding world that could have saved this movie. There are so many time-line inconsistencies as well as inconsistencies with actual events. When I read the book I hoped that all of the brilliant parts of this book would be included in this movie, even though I knew they wouldn't be so you can imagine my surprise when I saw that a young James and Young Sirius had been cast, yes! They're going to do the memory. Well it was like most everything in the movie, disappointing. The best part about this movie was Lucius Malfoy's outfit.Here are just a few questions: 1) why is it that Dudley seemed like he was doped up on something? 2) Where was the script, most of the time you are sitting and watching while listening to music, as beautiful as the soundtrack is, I can listen to that later? 3) Where were Dumbledore's glasses? 4) Where were Voldermort's sleeves?, can we say too much skin?. 5) Why did we see so little of Bellatrix, McGonagall, and Snape? 6) Where was the "baby headed" Death Eater? 7) Priori Incantatum?? I thought that could only happen with twin cores that was a cheap, pathetic way of doing such a powerful part of the story, but what do I know? To the writers of the movie, FYI the script has already been written, READ IT! I will continue to vent about this movie but I leave with this, in the Dark Lord's words "I confess myself disappointed."
JK's biggest book to the screen, mission impossible? Mission accomplished!!!
posted on 28 Aug 2009For the avid Harry Potter reader the whole suspense leading up to HP Order of the Phoenix can be summed up in the word "how". How are they going to translate a nearly 900 page book to the screen, how are they going to tie together a storyline that in the 5th book breaks into dozens of streams like a mighty river coming to its delta.This seemingly impossible task is well accomplished by astute summation of plot and concentration of action. Also, the heart and soul of the book, i.e. the thematic spirit of the story and Rowling's shining gift for characterization are given the fullest support in this film more so than in any previous HP movie.Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix basically involves Harry being persecuted by the government for telling a truth they refuse to believe all while dealing with the same feelings of teen angst and emerging love that any ordinary teen finds stressful and consuming. Only through the love and dedication of family and especially friends does Harry come across the means to fight back against the government, elude his enemies and make some sense of his emotional turmoil.Most reader's will come out of the theater saying "I wish they had shown this or that." However, all will leave satisfied that they have been treated to a faithful rendering brilliantly acted and directed. All the HP movies are a "good watch" but in this one we get a great movie.We have the advantage of going to our HP movies with a non-reader and she was, to say the least, blown away and pronounced it a near classic. My daughter and myself have read and reread the books many times over and came out limp from exhilaration, our keen anticipation very much fulfilled.A few highlights: The acting is best ever. The three principles push themselves to a new level. My favorite new characters were Imelda Staunton as Delores Umbridge, excellent (you'll love to hate her) and Natalia Tena as Tonks. Natalia is sheer delight. She is the penultimate punk rock witch girl(think Dead Milkmen here). And Helena Bonham Carter is in her medium (she played the witch Morganna in the movie Merlin) as the dangerous and demented Bellatrix LeStrange.Battle scenes: breathtaking. Commraderie: The only HP that actually caused me to get teary so heartfelt are the portrayals of friendship and family.See the film knowing that unless you want a 10hour movie some things are going to have to go. Leave having enjoyed a film that takes the beans and water and instead of a nice large coffee treats one to a perfectly concentrated, most artfully brewed and extremely tasty espresso. It has been said before but truth is truth: BEST YET!
Very nice addition to the series.
posted on 28 Aug 2009I had incredibly low expectations for this movie, and I actually didn't know I was going to see it opening night until my friends told me they had tickets like six hours before the show. Needless to say, I was quite impressed.The film covers most of the events that occurred in the 5th Harry Potter book subtitled "The Order of the Phoenix." It did an EXCELLENT job at portraying almost all of the necessary elements to the story, while twisting some events away from the actual story line. Personally, I enjoyed that. I don't like to see movies that are 100% what they're based on- there's no element of surprise, and a lot of the fun of watching a movie is taken away. I won't say what parts were/were not excluded for the sake of not spoiling anything for those that haven't read the book (shame!) or what was changed so that you can be pleasantly surprised like I was. The plot did tend to stick to what was absolutely necessary to keep the story progressing, though. The lack of "filler" disappointed me. We didn't get to see any of Harry's classes besides Defense against the Dark Arts, or classes where Professor Umbridge was ridiculing other teachers and threatening their job security. Draco Malfoy also appeared for... all of three minutes.I was never really too fond of the children cast of Harry Potter's movie series. They aged too quickly for the movie series, and often acted really... poorly. Example: Harry's character stutters after saying "He's trying to...", and before he can pause long enough to indicate that he's dropped the sentence or thought, Hermione jumps in and says "to what Harry?" Little details like that prevent me from taking them serious as actors. I guess I've never had a qualm with Rupert Grint (Ron) and don't mind Harry as much as I do Hermione.That said, there were a lot of really corny and cheesy moments- Moments where the entire cast laughs at something completely not funny or assaults the audience with preachy and ridiculous lines that are just... stupid and show signs of poor writing. Surely the director could have hired a writer more skilled to portray these characters for such a high profile film! The film also introduced 2 new characters- Professor Umbridge and Luna Lovegood. Both were portrayed AMAZINGLY. Umbridge was a perfect representation of what the character would be, and really made the plot interesting. The same goes for Luna, whose "dreamy" voice quality was perfectly recreated.I really enjoyed myself. For some reason, I suffer some sort of "amnesia" in between releases of new Harry Potter books and movies and forget how much I love them. This movie has once again reinvigorated my interest in the series, and it just might be one of my favorites.
Pretty good book to film transfer
posted on 28 Aug 2009I went to the press screening past Friday. I wasn't expecting too much. I only saw the first 2 movies, and I didn't think they were that great. The books are just much better. But I must say, this fifth movie is pretty good. But the biggest part of criticism I have on this title is that they left too much out. I understand that the book just has way too many subplots to put in the film. But still it's a shame. Like the relationship between Harry and Cho. They only appear together in only 2 scenes!But there were also some good things. Like the attention for detail. Like the kitty plates on the walls of Umbride her walls. That getting us to Umbridge... She was played pretty well I have to be honest. Could be better. But still pretty nice. The only thing I didn't like is that you didn't get the feeling that the other teachers hate her as well, like you do in the books.A lot of things were different that I imagined while reading the book, but the final fight scene, did match a little bit. That was pretty nicely done. Special effect there were pretty OK (could be better, but they are not that bad)Well, pretty nice movie. Good book to film transfer. If you liked the previous movies, go see this. If you are a fan of the book. You can go see it... but be prepared for it to be a lot different than you imagined.7/10
...Abra cadaver......
posted on 28 Aug 2009So many movies today are suffering from 'over-sequelitis' and this latest Harry Potter endeavor is no exception. Sorry if that offends all of you "Huge Fans of the Book and Why It Does or Doesn't Compare to the Movie" amateur critics.In my view, the first one was great, and it's the only one that I have purchased for my DVD collection. The plot was interesting, the effects superior for the times, the main kid characters fresh and funny, the older actors brought seasoned skills to the project and it was just the right mix of all the elements to make it fun and worthwhile to watch. (Although I still don't understand why witches celebrate Christmas!) Subsequent installments left me progressively disinterested until, finally, this last one.....and it is THE last one that I will go to see even if another one is ever produced. I can't fathom someone spending $25. on a book then $8.50 to see the movie version, then trying to figure out how or why one is better or worse than the other, then coming to this venue, or some other, to express some profound pronouncements......of a Harry Potter comparison!!! Personally, I don't care about the books and how the films compare to them. I want to see a movie that can stand on it's own merits and production values, and this one, unfortunately, stands shakily. The kids aren't cute anymore, the plot has evolved beyond interest, there are no new effects added and, in short, it has become a stale, boring snoozefest. One of the few consistent bright spots in ANY of these films has been the older actors. I'm certain that any one of them could make the reading of a deli menu seem like Shakespeare. Rent it on DVD when available and watch it if you've been troubled with insomnia. It will do the trick.
What Was Done, Was Done Well, But HP5 Does Not Even BEGIN To Live Up To Its Potential!!
posted on 28 Aug 2009I wanted to love it. I have anticipated this movie for several years, now, but I have to say I was terribly disappointed by this installment of the blockbuster Harry Potter franchise. This was one rich novel, and one horribly chopped-up film! It's almost as if the director was handed a few sequences and told, "Make a movie," and the remaining 2/3 of the book were left unattended.If you have no emotional investment in the franchise, and are simply a fan of the movies and not the novels, then this movie will be adequate in propelling the story into the next installment.If you ARE a fan of the books; however, you will discover that 3/4 of the work is left to the book! This work is nothing more than a shadow of its literary self.While the children are growing into fine young adults, and their performances are growing with them, the peripheral characters in this chapter are nothing better than lackluster, at best. As far as the kids go, I do have to interject that Dan Radcliffe has grown exponentially as an actor. He will have a brilliant career ahead of him, should he decide to follow this course. I can't wait to see where life leads him once the HP series is done and done. Emma's performances have grown over the years, as well. She seems more comfortable within her own skin, as Hermione, and Rup is growing up nicely. Dan, the world is your plum...just reach out and pluck it.Bonnie Wright just can't seem to get a handle on Ginny Weasley. Her weak portrayal seems to make Ginny's character more and more superfluous, installment by installment. If it weren't for the known storyline and her momentary importance therein, I would say the movies would be better without her. Her performances when she was younger, were more convincing and felt more real.Matthew Lewis is adequate as Neville. Frankly, I can't imagine anyone else who could portray the vacant look, wordless emoting, and complete lack of charisma any better than Matthew Lewis. If he didn't have at least SOME bearing on the outcome of Book 7, we don't seem to need his character, either. His character's presence and on screen time seem to be dwindling, rather than building; contrary to the books. Hopefully, if/when the time comes, he will be able to draw upon his experience as a child actor and enunciate around those prosthetic teeth! You can barely make out what he says! I'm also hoping he gets a grip on those bug eyes, and finds the ability to rise to the occasion, because in my opinion, he was much better an actor, when he was a younger boy. The "actor" he is now seems to be utterly out of place on the screen.Regrettably, Tom Felton had VERY little screen time, and I can't say I remember a single line, if he even had one. Evanna Lynch, on the other hand, had plenty of lines, lots of charm, and nailed Luna Lovegood's character quite well. Here's hoping she can keep up the pretense, long enough to finish out the necessity of her character. The Phelps twins got their shining moment, though not AS shining as one might expect due to the plethora of huge plot elements, etc. which were omitted, but it was adequate in its portrayal of the general feeling in Hogwarts at the time, though it did lack something, merely due to the writing, and in no way due to the twins themselves. They were awesome, as usual. I hope the next screenplay includes their presence, as the book did. Maggie Smith's screen time (as compared to her character's word time in the novel) was significantly less than what I felt it should have been. The best scene of the SERIES involving Minerva McGonagal was LEFT OUT/CUT! But okay. They "had" to do that due to screen time obligations and contractual stipulations. I know. I know.All in all, it was the hatchet job done on this work that brings it down in my opinion. Performance -wise, you'll get about what we've come to expect from most everyone but the trio who are improved, installment by installment. Otherwise, the enjoyment factor was lessened by a lack of continuity, and the adaptational quality was zilch. Inconceivably, this installment enjoys a box office gross second only to the initial installment! Just goes to show you how few people read, and how there's no accounting for taste. Read the book. You'll enjoy that immensely more than this film editor's wet dream.ALTHOUGH, what it DID show, it showed well.It rates a 5.5/10 from...the Fiend :.
Visually enthralling...Story wise awful...
posted on 28 Aug 2009I am a Harry Potter fan. I have always loved the books. But i have always been disappointed by the movies. The first two were the best and stayed true to the story of the book. But since the third there's been a disastrous change. Talking about this movie particularly i was mainly disappointed and sad when i came out of the theater hall. The cgi and the special effects are really very good and convincing. But its the story where the movie suffers the most.If you've read the book you'll know that as far as understanding the Harry Potter universe is considered the 5th book is one of the most important. This movie was supposed to be the one that should have answered all the questions that a common viewer would have, having watched the movies without reading the book. It was supposed to tell us why Dumbledore never talked to Harry about his scar. Why he never said why he left Harry at his uncle's place when he was just a baby. Why he never explained the reason that Harry had to return to his uncle's place during all his vacations. Why it was because of him that Sirius was killed. And so many other questions that would have made the movie perfect in all respect.I felt that Harry's character was kind of over-shadowed by Hermione. It was like she was bossing him around and he was too much of a coward to take control.The movie could have been great in many other ways. I have just mentioned a few.All in all i'd give it a 6 just for the enthralling visuals and nothing else.
Best yet, Staunton and Lynch steal it
posted on 26 Aug 2009Film Review Harry Potter 5Not being a fan of the books or the previous films gave me little anticipation for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix after acting particularly from the younger stars I felt before had been decidedly average. How my opinion changed after seeing this. I was extremely impressed by the fantastic special effects throughout and how they were often incorporated into effective flashback sequences and truly added a sense of darkness to the film which is no doubt the scariest yet sometimes genuinely sending chills down my spine. The film is rarely dull and since I have not read the books, I was pleased at how it had been squashed into about 2 hours of film that a lot of the time had me on the edge of my seat. Initially I think the films would put people off reading the books for fear of picturing Daniel Radcliffe giving a wooden performance from the pages. However this time, despite my thoughts at first, the young cast have improved dramatically, Emma Watson keeping her eye brow expressions to a minimum and frankly Radcliffe this time not making me cringe. I loved the new additions to the cast, I truly think the girls steal the show this time, up against the greats like Gary Oldman. Maggie Smith and Emma Thompson although on screen briefly are touching, and Julie Walters is as always impressive. Imelda Staunton steals the show as newcomer Dolores Umbridge, playing the callous teacher to perfection. I think most of the kids did well, especially newcomer Evanna Lynch who subtly gives one of the best performances playing the quiet and mysterious Luna Lovegood well. It was a good idea for her to picked as a new actress, the films should continue to cast newcomers in the roles that matter, this time it worked well. Also Helena Bonham Carter also with a brief appearance is amazing as the sinister Bellatrix Lestrange. Although my friends that are die hard fans complained about missing elements from the book particularly the absence of quidditch, I think the magical build up of tension, suspense and surprise action was a perfect cocktail building up to a fantastic showdown. They preferred the previous film, however this one so far is definitely my favourite. With a cheesy kissing scene aside I'd give it 9/10. The kissing scene tries to be subtle but I have seen more subtlety coming from a cat in a swimming pool.
Excellent movie, if you forget the book
posted on 26 Aug 2009This is an excellent movie with excellent action scenes, excellent visual effects and a simply marvelous cast.The casting of Evanna Lynch, Helena Carter and Imelda Staunton for the roles of Luna , Bellatrix and Umbridge was a brilliant idea. They suited their roles very well. The mannerisms portrayed by Evanna Lynch were very much Luna. A certain level of maturity of the characters which was expected in this book can be clearly seen in the cast. The visual effect were very well done. The thestrals were portrayed very excellently. They have a certain eerie, yet peaceful air about them.The main problem of the movie is that there are many differences in the plot of the movie and of the book, but if you put that apart and look at the movie on its own, its quite a piece of art. I also strongly feel Daniel Radcliffe has hogged the limelight a bit and not much screen time has been given to the other characters. But then this is the longest book and it has been compacted into the shortest movie, you are bound to loose the details.But even though the plot has been modified, the storyline flows very smoothly and even non-readers can get quite a approximate grasp on the story. This is a feature which I have liked a lot about this series from the very beginning - reaching out to the non-reader.My advice is :If you like Harry Potter, then go watch movie without fail and if you LOVE Harry Potter, watch it with some caution, for you will be in for some major disappointment as the plot is twisted beyond recognition.I give : 8/10
Best of the five movies
posted on 26 Aug 2009I'm a huge Harry potter fan, books as well as movies and I can say I am not at all disappointed with this film. The movie was brilliantly made, and the dark feel was evident right from the beginning of the movie. What I was really happy about this one is it was more faithful to the book. The new actors like Imelda Staunton(played the role of Umbridge brilliantly), the young lady with potential Evanna Lynch who played Luna Lovegood and no need to mention the Bellatrix to the heights of evil.I particularly enjoyed the climax sequences which were a pleasure to watch in 3D, the movie went smoothly right from the beginning and there were no split ends. The lack of quidditch in the movie makes sense because the viewer can assume Umbridge might have banned that as well. I can say that this movie was the most touching of all the five because of the importance it emphasized on friendship and love. The movie also showed properly about the rebellion in school and fudge's lack of belief in Voldemort returning.Daniel Radcliffe has definitely improved in this movie and the improvement has been clearly seen in the final scenes where he had to fight Voldemort possessing him and Sirius dying. Emma and Rupert were great as Harry's friends Hermione and Ron as usual. The only mistake which I've seen is Luna using the spell "Levicorpus" in the final fight which does not come until the next book. Apart from that I'd give this movie a double thumbs up and everyone whether a book reader or not can watch it and still be able to appreciate it.
Harry Potter movies no longer good for book fans.
posted on 24 Aug 2009Let me first preface my comments by saying that above all I am a fan of the Harry Potter books. And until now, I was a fan of the movies as well. But Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was a book fan's nightmare. Not only are the most pivotal emotional scenes robbed of meaning (Snape's worst memory, Dumbledore's office scene at the end), but basic themes from the book are crushed into powder finer than the glass shards from the climactic, yet mostly garish final battle sequence. The best line in the movie is lifted directly from the book (Hermione's line about Ron's emotional range). Perhaps most atrocious of all is the constant innuendo towards a Harry/Hermione romantic attachment. I understand that Dan Radcliffe/Emma Watson is a more desirable on screen couple for movie marketers, but the sixth book dispels any chance of that, so what is it doing in movie 5. Most disappointing of all was the Dumbledore/Voldemort duel. The book version is filled with banter and new and interesting magic. The movie version relies on wowing us with shiny particle effects which were no doubt expensive.Anyhow, I'm rambling. Perhaps this film will prove itself upon subsequent viewings. As the filmmakers apparently believe, anything's possible. There were some shining moments. A brief moment between Harry and Sirius fighting side by side in the Death chamber was excellent. The DA was fully realized and wonderfully done throughout. Imelda Staunton and her collection of kitten china was priceless.In all honesty, ten more minutes of dialog and some different editing would have made this movie far better. Another half-hour and it would have been better still. But alas, for me, the magic is gone.
Sad
posted on 24 Aug 2009We have been waiting so long for this Movie, We bought advanced tickets for the 7p.m. show, then my daughter found out her softball game was canceled and we had to rush and get the 12:01 tickets. We could have waited, along time maybe till Video, this was the biggest disappointment.There is a progression in the books, The First; Happy cause Harry is away from his Aunt and Uncle and then it gets Dark. 2nd: A little darker. 3rd; Darker Still 4th: getting scary dark 5th: Getting almost terrifyingly Dark. 6th leading up to the darkest climax 7th; ending the serious and potentially the darkest of all.The Movie's although a little tough to digest at times have honored the above. Until this one. It appears the Director wanted to spare the 5 year olds who might watch any of the real terror the book depicts. The Special effects are really good. I guess that is the best that can be said. Harry is a teenager with all the normal moods and attitudes that teens get plus the added stuff, this movie never really lets anyone into the evolving relationship between Harry, Ron and Hermonie not to mention any of the other Chars. I wont go into all the really important books stuff that is left out of this movie. Or the major changes made from the book version. If I were J.K Rawlings I would stand on my head and scream if this Director and Screen Writer are involved in the next 2 movies. My 13 year old asked the really important question; DID THEY EVEN READ THE BOOK, OR PREVIOUS BOOKS? If you love all things Potter see the movie if you just want a visual of a book you liked don't. We Love all things Potter and the Movie still managed to Disappoint. But we have the Book Release coming. Chin Up. One more thing a reviewer above blamed this on a Americanisan of the movie, I am American and I can say honestly say I do not think thats it. They wanted a movie a child could watch. They got it but I think even a child who has read the books would be disappointed.
room for improvement
posted on 24 Aug 2009This is the first of Potter films of which I felt I'd have done well to have read the book so that I could be let into the story more fully. The earlier movies, for all their faults, entertained me on their own terms, whereas with this one I was aware of time ticking by, so I was clearly not engrossed in it. What remains of an unquestionably high standard is the seemingly never-ending supply of excellent UK actors. Imelda Staunton makes a contribution that would be outstanding in any movie: I hope she wins recognition for it when the awards come around. There is also some engaging work from the youngsters: Daniel Radcliffe has become a good young actor - perhaps unsurprising, considering he's been able to learn from the very best. Unfortunately, Emma Watson's gifts seem to be travelling in the opposite direction: she is effortlessly outshone by newcomer Evanna Lynch.Or maybe Hermione is just a duller role.The author's fully-imagined world is what appeals to me about these films - though it is not sufficiently appealing to impel me towards her doorstop novels. I appreciate that it is extremely difficult to capture the detail of a work of literature on screen. I can also understand that Ms Rowling and her filmmakers feel an obligation to the hordes of young fans who want to see as much of the books as possible on the screen. Until now these adaptations have trodden a pretty much successful path. I hope they find their way again for the last two outings.
Harry Potter 5 a BIG disappointment
posted on 22 Aug 2009I was very disappointed in this movie all the others have followed the books rather closely(with a few exceptions) This Movie did NOT!! there were so many things left out or Drastically changed(The coins for D/A,Umbridge blew a hole in the wall to get to the Room or Requirment(in which they do show forming)They never show Sirus mother screeming or Buckbeak(weatherwings Btw Sirus looks Like a pirate not a wizard.).. Necessary Things that held the book together. There were scenes where it never happened in the book and harry scar was missing from 3/4 of the movie. the Story was weak but the cinematography was good.
Sorry folks, this one just doesn't fly!
posted on 22 Aug 2009I was so looking forward to this installment of the Harry Potter series. I enjoyed this book immensely and just knew that it would make for a great movie. Well, was I ever wrong! The first mistake was in the choice of director. David Yates might be good at directing TV shows or crime dramas, but he totally screwed this up. Can we say welcome to the Imelda Staunton Show? Were they sleeping together or what? I mean REALLY! And yes, I understand the need to compress a very long book into a workable movie script, but there were so very many important plot points that were either totally ignored or else so changed as to be unrecognizable. Would it have been so difficult to work in that Ron and Hermione were PREFECTS? Did they have to make Cho the traitor - I mean what is one more small part (Marietta) in a movie that consisted of small parts - except for Imelda Staunton's part! I didn't even recognize Mark Williams for heaven sake! I thought they had gotten an actor who kinda maybe looked like him! And whose idea was the revolting...i mean revolving Daily Prophet???? Show the damn thing once and get on with the movie!! That was simply a waste of time and made most of the audience dizzy.And another thing - why waste so much money on the set for the Ministry of Magic. It didn't look anything like it should have - maybe they could have afforded a better director and screenwriter if they had been a bit less over the top on the sets??? Where was Malfoy? Where were most of the members of the Order? You saw them for a couple of seconds and then they disappeared! I saw this movie on the day it came out - the theater was half-empty - doesn't this tell you something?? And now to find out that this MUGGLE is going to be directing the next movie too??? I thought Alfonzo Curzon was the worst thing that could possibly happen to the series...boy oh boy was I wrong!
For once I wasn't disappointed - not even a little bit! awesomo!
posted on 22 Aug 2009Well I went into this movie without many expectations and without rereading the book (it was my least fave) but having said that, this film i enjoyed so much and didn't come out thinking 'omg what was that?' What really made this good was the fact that everyone acted really well for once. Nothing felt too contrived. There were a lot of moments skirted over (i'm glad they cut all that stuff about cleaning out the house) but they kept all the key checkpoints. And for once, one could emote with Harry. His performance was top here and I could really feel his anguish and despair. Well done Radcliffe. What was also a plus was Luna - really well cast as was Umbridge (i was skeptical at first cos at first glance you just want to hug Imelda Staunton).The SFX was great too and the climax at the Ministry was given full justice (unlike last film's).The use of hand-held shots was refreshing too. And nice moments caught by the director esp with Ginny. (v.subtle but there nonetheless).Definitely the best Potter movie since the debacle of no.3 and 4. If you treat it as a separate entity to the book.
time-line plot hole
posted on 20 Aug 2009I don't know if anyone else has pointed this out or not but during "Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix" there was a mistake. Though a small mistake, storyline wise it was actually quite big. You see the whole story starts in 1981 when Harry was just over a year old and so at the beginning of this film when harry's supposed to be 14 going on 15 it would be 1995 not 2007, so how come in the common room scene you could hear "boys will be boys" by ordinary boys. This song was not around in 1995. This is to me a big plot hole. Hope you don't find me too sad for noticing, but to a book reader there are bits were the time-line is mentioned more than in the film and surfice it to say that when the last film is done the none book readers will suddenly click to such a mistake.
I almost left
posted on 20 Aug 2009This is the only movie that has ever made me consider leaving in the middle. If you have read the book, do not see this movie. It leaves out the most important things in the book, and adds others that are entirely unnecessary. For example, Ron and Hermione's promotion to prefects is left out, Harry, Fred, and George's banishment from quidditch is left out, and pretty much the whole department of mysteries is left out. This was my favorite book in the series, and I was looking forward to this movie more than any of the others. Now I feel cheated. What should have been an amazing display of action and character building turned into a confusing and unreliable portrayal of the book. For those who haven't seen the book, many characters are added without explanation as to who they are or what their importance is. My friend, who hadn't read the book, came out of the theater with many questions that could have easily been answered with adequate directing and screen writing. I'm sure taking an 800 page book and turning it into a two and a half hour movie is hard, but the amount of things left out was not worth cutting time. The only reason I didn't simply get up and leave the theater was because I was looking forward to the battle at the department of mysteries. I figured that the reason so many things were being left out was so that the end could be accurate and full of the interesting things that were in the book. Unfortunately, I was wrong, and I came out of the theater wishing I had never went in. No thumbs up for this one.
half blood prince stunk
posted on 20 Aug 2009What was David Yates thinking when he directed Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, it didn't even follow the book. He took a perfectly great book and destroyed it. I would have never have recognized the movie if not for the title. They should have stayed with Chris Columbus as director at least he followed the book and didn't add stuff that never happened and cut stuff that did. David Yates should be ashamed of the job he did on this movie, I don't recommend it for anyone who loves the books to go see. I was extremely disappointed in the movie as a story. The only positive thing that can be said for the movie was that the graphics were good. To bad that he has anything to do with the last two. How badly will he destroy them?
As the series grow darker, Harry grows older, and in this new installment, adaptation is nicely done but lame visuals.
posted on 30 Aug 2009As a die-hard Harry Potter fan, I can't help but say I left the movie feeling a little disappointed. No, it was not because of the cut scenes that were in the book, but the visuals itself was bad. Acting, I was impressed with. Imelda Stauton as Dolores Umbridge was wicked, and she added a bit of light humor to the dark movie. Evanna Lynch, her first on-screen performance, does a truly believable job as Luna Lovegood, balancing well with her bizarre ways and her light-hearted ways. Helena Bonham Carter, as the psycho Bellatrix Lestrange, proves that she had fun portraying an evil person. Despite her short time on-screen, she leaves us with a haunting effect. The story, I'm not complaining. It was well paced, (not fast nor slow)and I enjoyed the tender moments between Harry and Sirius. The screenplay did not take us right into the action, but had built the momentum for the final sequence. I'm not going to reveal anything, but the final sequence (included scenes with Voldemort vs. Dumbledore, and the gang in the Hall of Prophecy) was visually and actively stunning, but I wished the action was a tad bit longer. The part of the screenplay that disappointed me was Harry venturing through Snapes' mind, where we see a brief look at James Potter, Harry's father, which not well shot at all. Now, the visuals. The howler/envelope at the beginning for Harry, telling him he had done underage magic in the presence of a Muggle, was the fakest thing I had ever saw. The howler looked like it had come out a Blue Clues show, for it was so... aminated, so unrealistic. I remember being so distracted by the fake thing I even didn't hear what it said. Next, the giant, another fake-ish creature in the movie, I mean, seriously, it looked like it was plucked out of a cartoon show. And the centaurs, you know what, let's not get started on that one. Warner Bros. is an extremely successful movie company, and a lot of money went into this movie, and yet they provide us with sloppy CGI. On the other hand, the thestral were impressive, not what I had pictured at all, but will do. The scenes with Harry teaching the DA was well done, to my relief. It had humor, ambition, visually stunning spells, and us viewing Harry maturing as he teaches others. Despite sloppy scenes and visuals, I did sort of like this movie, for its darkness, for the final sequence, for Imelda Stauton, Evanna Lynch and Helena Bonham Carter, and for its steady pace.