Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
By Annie Wagner

Settling in at Hogwarts for a year of preparation for the high-stakes OWL exams, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe, looking clean-cut and gawky, with Equus pecs) is thoroughly distracted. He suffers from nightmares, indicated by a sweaty montage of clenched jaws and hokey surrealist imagery. He’s being persecuted by the judicial arm of the Ministry of Magic, a solemn assembly of men and women in robes and Renaissance hats. And he has a crush on a girl, who, as it turns out, couldn’t be more starry-eyed and obliging.

There’s a lot of adolescent angst and contrived psychic turmoil in the fifth and longest Harry Potter novel, but director David Yates seems more preoccupied with how many crucial plot points he can cram into a feature film. The death of a dear friend is so abrupt and confusing it seems unreal; a long-awaited first kiss is so sizzle-free the camera takes time off to measure the inch or so of air between the adolescent bodies. (Potter’s verdict? “It was wet.”)

Much more enjoyable is the introduction of two new characters: the truly moony Luna Lovegood (the acting debut of a Harry Potter fan with the equally remarkable name Evanna Lynch) and especially, Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Dolores Umbridge (the amazing Imelda Staunton), outfitted in pink, with a sinister hiccough-giggle. You’ll recognize at least one of your high-school teachers in Staunton’s perfect amalgam of condescension, good manners, and of course, sadism with fascist overtones. Dolores Umbridge is such a great villain that Harry’s band of rebels gains in stature just by standing up to her. If only that could be said for the bad guys in the final battle scenes.

Unfortunately, their entrances are always heralded by a small avalanche of ash, and you can’t really tell who’s fighting whom.

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX DIR. DAVID YATES | RATED PG-13