Rated: PG-13
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson
Director: David Yates

Synopsis: Lord Voldemort has returned, but few want to believe it. In fact, the Ministry of Magic is doing everything it can to keep the wizarding world from knowing the truth - including appointing Ministry official Dolores Umbridge as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. When Professor Umbridge refuses to train her students in practical defensive magic, a select group of students decides to learn on their own.

With Harry Potter as their leader, these students (who call themselves "Dumbledore's Army") meet secretly in a hidden room at Hogwarts to hone their wizarding skills in preparation for battle with the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. . New adventure - more dangerous , more thrilling than ever - is yours in this enthralling film version of the fifth novel in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. A terrifying showdown between good and evil awaits. Prepare for battle!

DVD Features:

• Additional Scenes
• Featurette: "Trailing Tonks"
• Featurette: "Harry Potter: The Magic of Editing" (Interactive)
• "The Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter"
• Bonus digital copy of film (PC required)

Critique:

This chapter in the Harry Potter series is one of the most tedious. There is a ton of information that must be conveyed in a very short amount of time. While at times I felt things were a bit rushed and jumbled within the story itself, much like riding a roller coaster that twists and turns upside down multiple times, it was still a great ride.

Many of the antagonists in this film are internal for the main character Harry (Daniel Radcliffe). This lessens the outward battles and brings on a more psychological struggle that must be realized by the audience. Radcliffe does a fabulous job portraying this on screen, progressing steadily with his talents in each of the series' releases. Through this installment viewers are introduced to a much more in-depth look behind the glasses of Mr. Potter, primarily due to Mr. Radcliffe's apt abilities to reach within and drag out that inner darkness.

Imelda Staunton radiates the perfect Dolores Umbridge—the true villain in Order of the Phoenix. I have never wanted to slap someone so badly after having seen them on screen more than this character. True gleeful evil. The rest of the cast gave great performances, although Cho's character grated on the nerves slightly as she came across weak and mindless there in the end. This was not the actor's doing, but rather a poor call on the part of the script writer.

Overall, minus my picky points, the movie was filled with fabulous effects, cinematography, lots of magical moments and greatly improved acting all around. Order of the Phoenix is a great building block to the upcoming Half-Blood Prince, due in November 2008.

The extras on the second disc are seemingly less than previous DVDs released from the franchise, but entertaining nonetheless. There are 77+ minutes of extra goodies. You will see what it is like to be on set for a day with the actress Natalia Tena (Tonks), learn about what goes into the films with cast and filmmakers, view deleted scenes (nine in all), learn about film editing and edit your own scene...they even include a way for you to pop your DVD into your PC and copy it over to your hard drive - provided you have enough space. Now to put it on my iPod...

Final Analysis: If you or anyone you know is a Potter fan, you must have this DVD in your collection. It is much more than a "trailer" for the next film as some have called it, it brings us closer to the main character and plot points that will be crucial in the last two chapters of this magical saga as it comes to a close in 2010. The more you watch it, the more you'll like it.

{etRating 4}

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