The fifth chapter in the series, 'Order of the Phoenix' had a lot to live up to when it was first released. Being the longest book out of the seven, there was a lot to work with and choosing what to keep and what to leave out was probably no small task to say the least. Overall however, I enjoyed 'Phoenix' much more than 'Goblet of Fire' and it didn't disappoint nearly as much as I had thought at first. With Voldemort now fully revived and on the loose, A new tyranical teacher taking over Hogwarts, and the Wizard Government attempting to silence Harry and his friends to cover up Voldemort's return things go from bad to worse in this entry. This also brings much more character development and this is 'Order's' biggest strength.
This is one of the best written screenplays of the eight films and kudos going to both Ms. Rowling and Michael Goldenberg. They add the perfect mix of horror, comedy, tragedy, and adventure to the story and everyone getting their fair share of stand out moments, particularly Matthew Lewis' Neville Longbottom getting some really nice screen time and with him being one of my favorite characters I'm always pleased to see that. The actions sequences are also very well done this time around as well, improving while also adding to what came before. The film's finale within the Ministry of Magic is one of the best with an awesome Dumbledore fight and one of the biggest slaps to your face that while I felt angry, it was necessary for the film's sake.
Where did they go wrong you ask? Well, as I said much of the fat needed to be trimmed for a two hour time frame needed for theatrical release. While much of it was not needed that much, a pivitol scene involving Neville's parents was sadly left on the floor when it could've been one of the biggest sequences in the entire movie. The first half also suffers from being rather rushed and I started to lose attention before the halfway mark and that's no good. Luckily, the second and final act really boosts this one above the previous entry and I recommend it.
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