| | |  | Horror & Supernatural | Home » » Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Full-Screen Edition) | | | | | | | Description: | | HARRY POTTER AND ORDER OF THE PHOENIX - DVD Movie | | | Product Details: | | | Actors:
| Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Brendan Gleeson, Harry Melling | | Director:
| David Yates | | Format:
| Full Screen, NTSC | | Language:
| English | | Subtitle:
| English, French, Spanish | | Number of Discs:
| 1 | | Studio:
| Warner Home Video | | Run Time:
| 138 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| December 11, 2007 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 803 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
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255 of 297 found the following review helpful:
The longest Harry Potter book gets whittled down to the shortest Harry Potter filmJul 11, 2007
By Lawrance M. Bernabo
I think that when you take the longest Harry Potter book and turn it into the shortest Harry Potter film, that a large number of complaints by fans as to what has been cut will be inevitable after they watch "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." Not that this means that the legions of fans will be bitterly disappointed by the film version, but rather that there will be regrets over not getting to see favorite scenes on the screen. For example, Quidditch is completely out of the film, denying Ron of his best moments in the sun (start singing "Weasley is our king"). So do not be surprised when your mind keeps shifting to what has been cut and distracting you from time to time while watching this summer's latest blockbuster.
When last we left our hero, Harry fell victim to a trap to bring back Lord Voldermort, which cost Cedric Diggory his life. The Ministry of Magic wants things hushed up, but Dumbledore tells the students at Hogwarts that Diggory was murdered and Lord Voldermort murdered him. As this fifth film opens Harry and his wicked cousin Dudley are attacked by Dementors. Harry uses his wand to defend them and is summarily expelled from Hogwarts for using magic in front of a muggle. The good news is that Harry gets reinstated, but the bad news is that the Ministry of Magic uses the opportunity to appoint Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary at the Ministry, as the school's new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. However, Umbridge teaches only the theory and not the practice because she insists Harry is a liar and there is nothing the students need to learn to defend themselves from. Then things get progressively worse.
"The Order of the Phoenix" was the most maddening book to read, not because it was the longest, but because I detest Dolores Umbridge. As far as I am concerned she makes Voldermort look good, because he knows he is evil, wicked, bad, mean and nasty inside, while Umbridge thinks the ends justify the means. She is puritanical, sadistic and hypocritical. If there were not going to be children reading this review I would tell you what I really think of her. Suffice it to say, she makes me sick and I do not even take pleasure in loving to hate her, which is why my only requirement going into the film is that the Weasley Twins get their moment of glory when they become the disloyal opposition to the new order at Hogwarts.
Daniel Radcliffe continues to have the tote the heavy load in these films as Harry, with Rupert Grint's Ron Weasley being reduced more and more often to reaction shots while Emma Watson's Hermione Granger remains the Mistress of Exposition in these films. Alan Rickman as Snape remains pitch perfect casting and Gary Oldman as Sirius Black is also a joy to watch, but I discovered in this film that I really like Michael Gambon's performance as Dumbledore, mainly because he always plays up the character's intelligence and I find I prefer his interpretation to that of the late Richard Harris, forgive my heresy. Imelda Staunton does not look as much like a toad as Umbridge does in the book, but she captures the character's detestability from start to finish. We are always painfully aware how dangerous she is, whether she smiles or not. Also, Evanna Lynch steals more scenes as Luna Lovegood than Katie Leung does as Cho Chang, and it is certainly interesting to see Neville (Matthew Lewis) towering over everybody, with Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright) in the silent but strong role for the pivotal sextet.
After seeing this film I raced home and got out my copy of the book and starting cataloguing things that had been cut. Such comparisons are, as I suggested up top, inevitable for anyone who has read the book. At this point what I missed the most were some of the conversations between Maggie Smith's Professor McGonagall and Umbridge where Minerva verbally flaws the Inquisitor. The omission that I am focusing on the most is the whole bit about why Neville's family was a target of Voldermort (I agree with Harry: always say his name and thereby reduce its power), since that suggests implications for what will happen in the final book, which gets released in just ten more days. I also would have liked to have seen an over reaction to Harry discovering his father bullied Snape at Hogwarts. My favorite part ends up being the impressive wizard's duel between Voldermort and Dumbledore. Screenwriter Michael Goldenberg does a good job of whittling down Rowling's book and director David Yates does a competent job, but fans will simply want more. Also, we know what happens in the next book and all of the bad things that happen in this film cannot help but seem inconsequential in comparison. Plus, fans will be distracted by mining this film for clues as to what will happen in the last book.
236 of 289 found the following review helpful:
 Cliff's Notes adaptation of the bookDec 12, 2007
By Gregory Bravo
I love Harry Potter, OK? So before you freak out, let me get that out of the way. The book version "Order of the Phoenix" was oustanding. I also think that previous directors have done pretty good to great jobs of translating the books to film (though I must say things went a little downhill once Chris Columbus left.)
All that being said, here's the kicker:
The movie "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" played like a Cliff's Notes adaptation of the book.
It lopped off a lot of the charm and romance and heartfelt pathos of the book--- as well as a lot of the pure creative touches--- in order to get the main arc of the story down. On top of that, it made "adaptations" to the book in order to get the story moving along--- yet all these "compromises" were actually worse than what JK Rowling originally wrote!
Don't believe me? Here is only SOME of what is wrong with this movie:
--Poor devlopment of the Harry/Cho Chang arc (The kiss is about all you get. No real feeling behind it at all. No devlopement of Harry's crush. No final break up argument on Valentine's Day.)
--Making Cho into an evil snitch (which is why she and Harry broke up in the movie.) In the movie SHE is the one who betrays Harry. Stupid.
--No hospital scenes. No meeting of Neville's parents.
--Perfunctory explanation of Grimmaud Place
--Perfunctory development of Occlumency
--Harry gets to hear the prophecy while standing in the Department of Mysteries rather than later with Dumbledore. On top of this, he gets to hear the prophecy just by holding it in his hand. That makes no logical sense at all!
--The Department of Mysteries itself is compressed down into one room (the room with the prophecies.) All the cool rooms (with the blue lights, the 12 doors, the clocks, the brains, and so on) are all just ignored. Those were such tremendous inventions by JK Rowling--perhaps some of the most creative stuff in all the books-- that I can't believe they just cut them!
--The room with the arch is made into a really boring place.
--The battle scene is really short and rather stupid.
--Snape's memory of being tortured by James Potter and his argument with Lily Potter is compressed into literally a total of 4 seconds of film. That scence is so PIVOTAL to the rest of the book series that I can't believe they got away with not fully developing the scene.
On top of all these plot issues, the WORST part about this movie is that there was really no FEELING in it. The whole range of emotional arcs that are so well-developed in the book are done absolutely terribly in the movie. Yeah, Sirius dies. In the book, it is a devatating moment. In the movie, it's like "Oh, well." Harry, Ron and Hermione don't have many moments together. There is no laughing in the movie. We don't get to feel pathos for Neville because his parents are insane. We don't get to feel the gratefulness of the Weasleys when Harry saves Mr Weasley. There are no lighthearted moments. Almost every scene except one or two that could have developed the emotional attachment we feel to the characters has been summarily excluded.
Like one other reviewer said: The movie is too short, yet it feels too long.
That is, sorry to say, a perfect description of a hack job.
I am quite disappointed.
30 of 36 found the following review helpful:
 What does Ultimate actually mean?Apr 01, 2011
By Brian
I have received an official response from the WB store and have verified that this is not "the extended edition." I knew that there were no extended cuts in existence for 3&4, so I bought those anticipating that to change for at least OotP. I do find it frustrating that the "Ultimate Edition" of a film who's director has repeatedly stated that WB made him cut nearly an hour of footage, does not receive the same treatment as the first and second installments of the "Ultimate" collection.
I do love the packaging, and the extras are kind of cool, but the real reason I started investing in this set was for the extended versions.
Thanks for a big tease, WB.
11 of 12 found the following review helpful:
You can't please all the people, all the timeDec 03, 2007
By TDrinkrrr
Pity the poor director of a Harry Potter movie. One one side we have the Indiana Jones contingent, who want a jolly romp through Hogwarts without any serious undercurrent. One the other you have the book nuts, who want the HP series to play like Wagner's Ring cycle and not leave anything out. Then there's your cast, and here a specially dishonorable mention must go to Michael Gambon's Dumbledore, who seems intent on portraying him as a faintly psychotic aging hippy. (When he roughs up Harry in the Goblet of Fire - what was that about??)
It is indisputable that as the series progressed, the books become more serious. At some point, then, the "jolly romp" contingent will be disappointed. I think HP5 marks the break. It is really hard to imagine how a moviegover who had not read the book could understand how sinister Umbridge is. This trend will only deepen: in HP6 we'll be handling Tom Riddle's childhood, horcruxes, and themes of suffering and betrayal, and HP7 of course is even deeper. The scene where Hermione is tortured in Malfoy Manor whilst Ron screams for her in the basement is unlikely to be a happy one.
So, accepting that HP movies from 5 on will not be happy adventures, how does 5 stack up for the book nuts? I'd give it a 3 or 4 out of 5. I think it should have been darker, like the book. The fact that it wasn't is due to some of the material being cut (well, that's ok, let's not watch a 15-hour movie) and some of the actors' limited range. Daniel Radcliffe is not a bad actor, but he's not up to the job of acting like HP in the book, who is going through wild teenage angsty mood swings. Well, what do you expect from a young man who is at the start of his career. It's like Hamlet; by the time an actor has lived enough to handle the soliloquy, he ain't no young prince.
I liked Imelda Staunton's performance but it wasn't quite sinister enough. She can't be too pink 'n' fluffy or else some of that menace is lost. Remember that the DA is an underground resistance movement for which the members are risking expulsion; it's way more serious than a group of disgruntled students who don't like a particular teacher.
20 of 24 found the following review helpful:
 Dark wizardsOct 12, 2007
By milss
"Yellow hair warrior"
The filmmakers behind Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix have done something unbelievable. Not only they have parted completely from the light and happy world created by the first two films, but they've also ignored any type of film summary. There's no synopsis of everything that's gone before. And good for that, I say. Go rent the other four if you need to catch up.
Year five at Hogwarts begins with our hero Harry angrier than ever. Harry has spent the summer being ignored by everyone after he was discredited by the Daily Prophet for daring to suggest that Lord Voldemort has returned.
Once again, Harry and company will have to fight he-who-shall-not-be-named while combating an government that insists and refuses to acknowledge the return of Voldemort. In doing so, the government steps up and introduces a new headmistress at Hogwarts: Dolores Umbridge.
You will find that these are indeed "darker" times for all the HP characters. Working with writer Michael Goldenberg, director David Yates have crafted a dark tale to entertain anyone watching. The effects shows us fantastic creatures. But it's the performances where a film is really sold and here they are wonderful.
The three leads, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, have all settled easily into their roles. But it's in the supporting cast where these films really shine. Filling out secondary roles with the cream of British theatre and cinema, like Gary Oldman, Imelda Staunton, Helena Bonham Carter, David Thewlis and Ralph Fiennes, everyone else must rise to their level, and they do.
The movie shows us the "weird" phase we all go between adult and child, between doing what's right and following the rules and between knowledge and comprehension. When all is said and done, Harry has grown as a character. He is on his way to adulthood with an understanding of the things he's learned in the previous four films.
However, there are worrying signs that there are no real developments from film to film: there are no substantial increase in maturity in the films themselves. Every time I sit down to a new Harry Potter movie, I'm surprised by how very similar it is to the previous one.
There is a definite feel with The Order of the Phoenix that the story is killing time - setting the scene for the battles yet to come in the last two chapters. This isn't a criticism as such, it's just that having to do that does leave a few unanswered questions. But then, what good would a series be without a few cliffhangers?
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