Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: This phoenix soars

By David W. Shelton | July 12, 2007 |

Teen angst is a major part of everyone’s life, but when it comes to Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), angst explodes into magical proportions. Such is the premise of this fifth film in the popular series. Indeed, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a film about a young boy’s angst as much as it is about subversives in the face of a prevailing darkness.

Since Chris Columbus left with his shucks-darn style of directing, the Potter series has taken a darker turn, mirroring their literary counterparts. In Azkaban, the third film, Alfonso Cuarón introduced the lightning-fast storytelling that would be seen in following films, a technique that director David Yates has used masterfully. The leading actors have all grown up, and thankfully, the films have matured as well.

Phoenix begins with Harry being taunted by his muggle (non-magical folk) cousin, but the schoolyard bully is chased away by beings that are far more horrifying, dementors. Harry drives them away using magic, and as a result, he ends up on trial and risks expulsion from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. «Read the rest of this article»

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