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More magic in the world than we can see.

It’s a new school year and Harry Potter, Ron Weasely and Hermoine Granger are in Form 5.

There’s a lot going on….

Hogwarts is still recovering from the tragedy at the Tri-Wizards Tournament with Harry and his mates flaking suspicion from the wizards community.

Professor Dolores Umbridge and the Daily Prophet newspaper make matters worse.

Rumour flies about the return of the Dark Lord Voldemort of which the Ministry of Magic denies.

Harry and his friends decide to revive the Order of the Phoenix.

So basically, more excitement!

Screenwriter Micheal Goldenburg had his work cut out for him converting 896 pages of writing to two hours of screen time. Thank goodness because Harry spends much of the sixth book whinging about how lonely and tortured he is.

Director David Yates moves through the movie at a clumpy pace in his feature debut. He didn’t have an easy job considering that most of the new inventions, spells and action appear in the first five books and screen adaptations.

However, that final fight scene is pretty dang fabulous. Yes, it’s all very interesting to see junior witches and wizards learning new spells, but the grown ups (and original Order of the Phoenix) make this stuff look good!

Goldenburg spices up this adaptation with scenes of magic being practised in the Muggle (non-magical people) world. The Order of the Phoenix headquarters will please anyone who ever suspected that there is more magic in the world than we can see.

Professor Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) isn’t the only new cast member. Helena Bonham Carter joins the party as Bellatrix Lestrange. My favourite character, Luna Lovegood (played by Evana Lynch) enrols at Hogwarts this term. ‘People who know’ say that as all the ethnicities of the world are represented on the Hogwarts school roll, it’s time that a Pacific Islander student joined the ranks. JK Rowling, take note.

JK Rowling decided that she would release the fifth movie and the seventh and final book during the summer holidays. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter to the masses) will have more than his latest movie to celebrate this summer. Other than starring in the stage play, Equus; Radcliffe turns 18 on 23 July.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix gets three stars.

 

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