Common Sense

Space Monkey and I traveled all the way to the Bob Bullock Museum of Texas to watch the new Harry Potter movie. We must be dedicated, well, at least as dedicated as you can be without ever having read any of the books.

Believe me, it was worth the extra price of the tickets and the long drive. The 3-D effects were amazing. Without giving away too much, we’re talking a serious battled between Dumbledore and Voldemort.

From what I understand, Order of the Phoenix was a long, unwieldy book that was pared down greatly to make the shortest of the Potter series so far. Screewriting duties (Michael Goldberg) as well as bringing a new director (David Yates) on board brought some new things to the mix, some very enjoyable things, but there was at least 15 minutes worth of extra material that really needed to be there for us uninitiated muggles.

Right from the start, there are some new characters that get no introduction. Much like Harry, we have basically no idea what the hell is going on. Apparently, the Minister of Magic, a guy named Cornelius Fudge (as apt a name as any in this series) has been using his influence at The Daily Prophet to dispell (get it dis-spell?) Harry’s assertion that Lord Voldemort has returned. He’s become so paranoid, that he is even trying to undermine Dumbledore (Michael Gambon).

Harry, while protecting himself and his cousin Dudley, uses underage magic. This somehow warrants him getting expelled from Hogwarts, then a trial in front of the entire Ministry of Magic. They try to railroad him, even going so far as to move up his hearing so that no witnesses or defense can be put for him. Luckily Dumbledore has arrived three hours early and manages to get Harry reinstated to the school.

But it doesn’t stop there. The Minister sends a loyal acolyte in the form of the very pink Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Stauton) to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Her curriculum includes absolutely, positively no magic. She hands out textbooks for beginners to 5th year students and has them study to pass a standardized test.

A very poignant scene emerges when Umbridge is confronted by Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith) about her literal torture of students, Umbridge makes the leap from questioning her to directly questioning the Minister. Talk about an egomaniac.

Umbridge sets about with new powers as a grand inquisitor, setting rules that restrict the students ability to do just about anything. She seems hellbent on making sure that there is no way that they can protect themselves should they need to. She, and the Minister, have their ideology and they are sticking to it. When people start disappearing, just as they did the last time that Voldemort began his war, its easier on the mind of the Minister to blame Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) than to worry that He Who Must Not Be Named may really be back.

When it comes time, the students themselves decide that they must learn to fight, and they turn to the only person they know who has actually faced real danger: Harry.

So they start their own underground society, similar to what many of their parents did when they formed the Order of the Phoenix, that they call Dumbledore’s Army. And Harry teaches them everything he can to prepare them for the fight he and the others see is coming.

There is also a wonderful subplot involving Cho Chang (Katie Leung). Cho had been Cedric’s date to the Yule Dance in Goblet of Fire (which I watched the night before to refresh my memory) It’s obvious that Cho is conflicted about liking Harry even though she lost Cedric when Voldemort killed him. And Harry gets his first kiss.

Ultimately it is Cho that reveals the location of the room where Harry has been teaching the other students to defend themselves. She kind of disappears from the scene after that, snubbed by the rest of the students until they learn that a truth serum that we were told in Goblet it was forbidden to use on students. When Snape has run out of that particular potion, Umbridge decides to use one of the unforgiveable curses to torture Harry into revealing where the “traitor” Dumbledore is.

Harry has had a dream that Sirius is being tortured by Voldemort in a room full of prophecies at the Ministry. Snape had been trying to teach Harry to block his mind because of the connection he and Voldemort share, but in a rare turn, Harry uses the spell to see into Snape’s mind and we get an interesting view of Snape as a young student at Hogwarts being bullied by James Potter and all the popular kids.

Voldemort had planted the dream to get Harry to go to this prophecy room and find a particular prophecy about him. Apparently, at some point, one of them is going to have to kill the other. And who else but Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs) shows up to claim it from him.

The students are prepared enough that they give the Death Eaters, Voldemort’s loyal followers, a run for their money before the Order of the Phoenix shows up to do some real fighting magic. In the melee, Malfoy breaks the prophecy and recent Azkhaban escapee Bellatrix Lastrange (Helena Bonham Carter) kills Sirius Black. Although, I’m not actually sure he is killed.

He falls into some sort of archway that readers of the books know more about than I. It’s not really covered in the fast pace ending of the movie. It is entirely possible that because he fell into the archway with his body and not just his soul, that he’s not really dead and could come back in Deathly Hallows. If only I hadn’t been too cheap and paid for 2-day delivery instead of regular delivery with Amazon.

Voldemort shows up to encourage Harry to kill LeStrange… as does Dumbledore. Even though Harry has locked wands with Voldemort in the past, he’s left to huddle against a column and stay out of the way as two really powerful wizards go at it. And let me tell you, in 3-D, it is quite the light show.

After the battle, Harry is left fighting for his very soul as Voldemort invades his body, but it is all his memories of love that drive the dark lord out. Just in time for the whole wizard council to see that he has, in fact, returned.

Fudge resigns, Umbridge is investigated and Dumbledore is reinstated as headmaster at Hogwarts. It’s all kind of montagy with moving pictures on The Daily Prophet’s front pages instead of actual scenes.

All is right and good as the children leave after another year at Hogwarts. Except, of course, the coming battles with Voldemort and his army. But, as Harry says, they have something Voldemort doesn’t, “Something worth fighting for.”

Given the experience of watching it at IMAX in 3-D and the movie itself, I give Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 4 wands out of 5.

I might have gone another half of a wand if the movie had been 15 minutes longer and done more exposition for all the shout outs to the fans of the books. I might have to actually read the book to get all of the stuff that was in the movie, and it’s the longest book in the series! I don’t want to do that.

I also don’t want to read the rest of the series and blow the next movies for myself. But it’s going to be at least a year until Half-Blood Prince is in theaters and I’m hearing Deathly Hallows has a 2010 release date. That’s just too freakin’ long to find out what happens next. The books will at least satiate my curiosity, though I know I’ll end up comparing them to the movies later on.

By the way, happy 18th birthday to Daniel Radcliffe today!

Space Monkey and I traveled all the way to the Bob Bullock Museum of Texas to watch the new Harry Potter movie. We must be dedicated, well, at least as dedicated as you can be without ever having read any of the books.

Believe me, it was worth the extra price of the tickets and the long drive. The 3-D effects were amazing. Without giving away too much, we’re talking a serious battled between Dumbledore and Voldemort.

From what I understand, Order of the Phoenix was a long, unwieldy book that was pared down greatly to make the shortest of the Potter series so far. Screewriting duties (Michael Goldberg) as well as bringing a new director (David Yates) on board brought some new things to the mix, some very enjoyable things, but there was at least 15 minutes worth of extra material that really needed to be there for us uninitiated muggles.

Right from the start, there are some new characters that get no introduction. Much like Harry, we have basically no idea what the hell is going on. Apparently, the Minister of Magic, a guy named Cornelius Fudge (as apt a name as any in this series) has been using his influence at The Daily Prophet to dispell (get it dis-spell?) Harry’s assertion that Lord Voldemort has returned. He’s become so paranoid, that he is even trying to undermine Dumbledore (Michael Gambon).

Harry, while protecting himself and his cousin Dudley, uses underage magic. This somehow warrants him getting expelled from Hogwarts, then a trial in front of the entire Ministry of Magic. They try to railroad him, even going so far as to move up his hearing so that no witnesses or defense can be put for him. Luckily Dumbledore has arrived three hours early and manages to get Harry reinstated to the school.

But it doesn’t stop there. The Minister sends a loyal acolyte in the form of the very pink Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Stauton) to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Her curriculum includes absolutely, positively no magic. She hands out textbooks for beginners to 5th year students and has them study to pass a standardized test.

A very poignant scene emerges when Umbridge is confronted by Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith) about her literal torture of students, Umbridge makes the leap from questioning her to directly questioning the Minister. Talk about an egomaniac.

Umbridge sets about with new powers as a grand inquisitor, setting rules that restrict the students ability to do just about anything. She seems hellbent on making sure that there is no way that they can protect themselves should they need to. She, and the Minister, have their ideology and they are sticking to it. When people start disappearing, just as they did the last time that Voldemort began his war, its easier on the mind of the Minister to blame Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) than to worry that He Who Must Not Be Named may really be back.

When it comes time, the students themselves decide that they must learn to fight, and they turn to the only person they know who has actually faced real danger: Harry.

So they start their own underground society, similar to what many of their parents did when they formed the Order of the Phoenix, that they call Dumbledore’s Army. And Harry teaches them everything he can to prepare them for the fight he and the others see is coming.

There is also a wonderful subplot involving Cho Chang (Katie Leung). Cho had been Cedric’s date to the Yule Dance in Goblet of Fire (which I watched the night before to refresh my memory) It’s obvious that Cho is conflicted about liking Harry even though she lost Cedric when Voldemort killed him. And Harry gets his first kiss.

Ultimately it is Cho that reveals the location of the room where Harry has been teaching the other students to defend themselves. She kind of disappears from the scene after that, snubbed by the rest of the students until they learn that a truth serum that we were told in Goblet it was forbidden to use on students. When Snape has run out of that particular potion, Umbridge decides to use one of the unforgiveable curses to torture Harry into revealing where the “traitor” Dumbledore is.

Harry has had a dream that Sirius is being tortured by Voldemort in a room full of prophecies at the Ministry. Snape had been trying to teach Harry to block his mind because of the connection he and Voldemort share, but in a rare turn, Harry uses the spell to see into Snape’s mind and we get an interesting view of Snape as a young student at Hogwarts being bullied by James Potter and all the popular kids.

Voldemort had planted the dream to get Harry to go to this prophecy room and find a particular prophecy about him. Apparently, at some point, one of them is going to have to kill the other. And who else but Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs) shows up to claim it from him.

The students are prepared enough that they give the Death Eaters, Voldemort’s loyal followers, a run for their money before the Order of the Phoenix shows up to do some real fighting magic. In the melee, Malfoy breaks the prophecy and recent Azkhaban escapee Bellatrix Lastrange (Helena Bonham Carter) kills Sirius Black. Although, I’m not actually sure he is killed.

He falls into some sort of archway that readers of the books know more about than I. It’s not really covered in the fast pace ending of the movie. It is entirely possible that because he fell into the archway with his body and not just his soul, that he’s not really dead and could come back in Deathly Hallows. If only I hadn’t been too cheap and paid for 2-day delivery instead of regular delivery with Amazon.

Voldemort shows up to encourage Harry to kill LeStrange… as does Dumbledore. Even though Harry has locked wands with Voldemort in the past, he’s left to huddle against a column and stay out of the way as two really powerful wizards go at it. And let me tell you, in 3-D, it is quite the light show.

After the battle, Harry is left fighting for his very soul as Voldemort invades his body, but it is all his memories of love that drive the dark lord out. Just in time for the whole wizard council to see that he has, in fact, returned.

Fudge resigns, Umbridge is investigated and Dumbledore is reinstated as headmaster at Hogwarts. It’s all kind of montagy with moving pictures on The Daily Prophet’s front pages instead of actual scenes.

All is right and good as the children leave after another year at Hogwarts. Except, of course, the coming battles with Voldemort and his army. But, as Harry says, they have something Voldemort doesn’t, “Something worth fighting for.”

Given the experience of watching it at IMAX in 3-D and the movie itself, I give Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 4 wands out of 5.

I might have gone another half of a wand if the movie had been 15 minutes longer and done more exposition for all the shout outs to the fans of the books. I might have to actually read the book to get all of the stuff that was in the movie, and it’s the longest book in the series! I don’t want to do that.

I also don’t want to read the rest of the series and blow the next movies for myself. But it’s going to be at least a year until Half-Blood Prince is in theaters and I’m hearing Deathly Hallows has a 2010 release date. That’s just too freakin’ long to find out what happens next. The books will at least satiate my curiosity, though I know I’ll end up comparing them to the movies later on.

By the way, happy 18th birthday to Daniel Radcliffe today!