Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was directed by David Yates, and stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort.It follows the fifth year of Hogwarts, and the Ministry of Magic (an obvious but still well done metaphor of the US Government) is in denial of Voldemort's return. As a result, they have sent possibly the most intentionally unlikable character I've ever seen, Dolores Umbridge, played really excruciatingly well by Imelda Staunton, to practically take over Hogwarts under the guise of making her the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. During this totalitarian rule, Harry and his friends, with the help of newcomer Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, and many other students, decide to train all of the Hogwarts students in secret. There they create the famous "Dumbledore's Army," a large team of Hogwarts students who are turning into people who can fight Voldemort and his rising army.Okay, let's get this out of the way: Dolores Umbridge is EVIL. The most EVIL Bureaucrat I've ever seen. She will not tolerate any breaking of the rules. She's basically every teenager's worst nightmare, and what makes her so diabolical is 1. The performance, which is done extremely well, and 2. How she thinks she is so right, even if she resorts to interrogating and even torturing students with illegal methods. Let's just say that her comeuppance is one of the most satisfying in the saga.But that's not all. The characters are all very well developed and many are developed even further, including Severus Snape, played by Alan Rickman in his best role since Hans Gruber (in my opinion). I won't give too much away, but let's say his developmental arc REALLY starts to pick up with this film and the next one.The story is so well paced and well put together that it keeps you on the edge of your seat, and this is something done a lot better than I remember. Something I think it has going for it more than people give it credit for, and more than all but one other film in this series (which I will get to later).The direction from David Yates is so well done, to the point that it is very admirable. It is also worth noting that many scenes are very well edited together, something I rarely point out in this genre, but I just love how certain scenes progress and are edited together.I am aware that many people didn't like this movie for some changes from the books, but I found minimal changes that were truly THAT important and/or problematic, aside from maybe changing the final battle a bit. But regardless, the final battle in this film is satisfying nonetheless, especially when you get to see the training pay off. It pays off even more so when Voldemort battles Dumbledore, in one of the best scenes in all eight movies.In my opinion, while this isn't the absolute best in the series, it is in the top three, and it is the most under-appreciated.RATING:9/10

Encore une super aventure de Harry Potter. Celle-ci prépare le combat final contre Voldemort. Ce monde fantastique est toujours rempli de beauté, de surprises et d'intrigues.

I think Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is one of the best movies I've ever seen. Of course, I love all the films of the saga, but that one is my favorite. Based on the book by J.K Rowling, it is a perfect mixture of action, suspense, adventure and mystery.Harry, Ron and Hermione enter the 5th year at Hogwarts, which is controlled by the Ministry of Magic, notably by Dolores Umbridge. She sets up a directorial regime and forbids students to practice defenses spells. So the three friends created "Dumbledore's Army" to practice defense against the forces of evil under Harry's teachings.I find Daniel Radcliffe (as Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (as Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (as Hermione Granger) are so great for their roles. They are so realistic. They are just perfect for their characters. Because they make you feel the emotions of the character well.And the director David Yates made a very fabulous final result. The story is extremely imaginative and is, in my opinion, one of David Yates's best. The composer for the soundtrack of this film was Nicholas Hooper and he made an amazing job. When I listen to one of them, I feel so good. They are so expressive. They reflect very well the moments when they are used. They are so pretty.This film was produced by David Heyman and David Barron, and I find their work extremely amazing. The costumes are absolutely awesome and fun. I think they are a big part of the extravagance and the originality of the movie. And last but not least, the special effects are so beautiful. Between the Dementors, that are so fantastic, the duel between Lord Voldemort and Dumbledore in the Ministry of Magic, the chamber of secrets, that is well done... that's so awesome to watch.So honestly, I really recommend this movie! If you are a person who wants adventure, suspense and mystery, this is the film to see! You must see it.Amandine

I'm sure it's difficult for any filmmaker to adapt a beloved novel, but David Yates had an extraordinary task attempting to cut down the longest Potter novel into what happens to be, the second shortest film in the series. I didn't read the books, so I can't specifically comment on the quality of the adaptation, but I do know that Order of the Phoenix is one damn good film.As much as I love the inevitable singular adventures each film in the Harry Potter series brings, I think Harry's emotional journey in each film is equally as intriguing. That journey is perhaps most drastic in Order of the Phoenix. After the horrific events at the end of Goblet of Fire, Hogwarts, its students, and the rest of the Wizarding World are at a split feeling surrounding the reemergence of Lord Voldemort. The ministry refuses to believe that that the dark lord has returned, while Harry and a select few at Hogwarts are truly preparing for what's to come.Harry faces a difficult case against him at the ministry after it's revealed to them that Harry used magic in the presence of muggles. It's another truly eerie opening as the dementors nearly killed Harry and Dudley. But Dementors are only the beginning to what is probably Harry's most difficult task in the series to that point, defeating the dark lord and his "army" he's been recruiting.We've seen plenty of great adventures from the main trio thus far, so I guess it was about time the team expands a bit. Alas, Harry starts "Dumbledore's Army" with the help of Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Neville, Cho, and the new cast member, Luna Lovegood among others. It's probably the first time in the series' history where Harry willingly takes on a leadership role in order to get ahead of Voldemort's plans. This all isn't taken too well from the newly appointed Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dolores Umbridge. Umbridge is easily one the easiest characters to hate in the series, but I can't picture anyone else bringing more to the role than Imelda Staunton did. It's a complicated character to like, but it fits in with the tone of the movie in a strangely satisfying way.Another strong point in The Order of the Phoenix is the impressive set design. Unlike Goblet of Fire, we get to spend much more time at Hogwarts as well as getting a look at a few new sets outside the campus. Just simply taking a look at the gorgeous cinematography and production design of the final showdown at the Department of Mysteries. To me, it's one of the finest sequences this series has ever given us. Seeing Harry and a good portion of his team take on the Death Eaters was cool, but nothing compares to Dumbledore (and sort of Harry) take on Voldemort. That along with the death of Sirius Black leaves the series on a satisfyingly somber note.It's difficult to compare this film to the others. There are aspects to the Order of the Phoenix that are great, like the climax and Harry's emotional arc, but it's hard to not feel like there's something missing from the story. You don't necessarily feel that way during the viewing, but perhaps looking back, it could have used an extra 15 minutes or so of scenes.+Production design +Harry's emotional arc +Dumbledore vs Voldemort+Harry takes on a leadership role -Could be an extra 15 minutes of plot to add 8.8/10