Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-11-12
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English, Polish
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 138 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
While many movie franchises slide as they reach their later instalments, the Harry Potter films just keep getting better. The latest, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is easily the darkest of the series to date, and it’s also one of the best. For while it could easily have been little more than a holding film to set up the big encounters to come in the last two instalments of the series, it’s to the credit of British director David Yates that the end result is really very good.

It finds Harry coming under suspicion from his wizarding colleagues, who don’t believe his claims that the evil Lord Voldermort has returned. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix thus finds its title character on the backfoot for much of its running time, with a select band who firmly believe his story, and very powerful figures who don’t.

Where the movie of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix excels though is in its three trump cards. Number one is a far tighter script than we’re used to with Potter films, which, combined with trump card number two--the aforementioned David Yates behind the camera--cuts much of the slavish loyalty to the text away in favour of a film with real momentum. The third, and best, card though is the casting of Imelda Staunton as Professor Dolores Umbridge, who simply flies away with every scene she’s in. It’s a superb performance, and the film is poorer whenever she’s not on screen.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is not a film without a few problems, certainly: it’s a fair criticism that not too much actually happens, and one or two bits feel superfluous. But it overrides its problems with ease, to emerge as a compelling, highly enjoyable family film, which will leave you salivating for the Christmas 2008 release of movie number six in the series. --Simon Brew

Synopsis
Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) experiences a bout of teenage angst as he harbours a crush on a fellow-student at Hogwarts. But a strange prophecy reveals itself, and Harry's wizard exams and raging hormones have to remain in the background as he is called into action once again.

Synopsis
Harry returns for his fifth year of study at Hogwarts and discovers that much of the wizarding community has been denied the truth about his recent encounter with the evil Lord Voldemort. Fearing that Hogwarts' venerable Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is lying about Voldemort's return in order to undermine his power and take his job, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, appoints a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to keep watch over Dumbledore and the Hogwarts students.
But Professor Dolores Umbridge's Ministry-approved course of defensive magic leaves the young wizards woefully unprepared to defend themselves against the dark forces threatening them and the entire wizarding community, so at the prompting of his friends Hermione and Ron, Harry takes matters into his own hands. Meeting secretly with a small group of students who name themselves "Dumbledore's Army," Harry teaches them how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts, preparing the courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle that lies ahead.

Customer Reviews

Not great but still entertaining
Although I am not the greatest Harry Potter fan in the world I have always enjoyed the film series and thankfully this film continues this trend. The Order of the Phoenix sees the dark lord Voldemort gathering his forces but with the Ministry of Magic refusing to acknowledge his return Harry and his friends must defy the Ministry in order to prepare for the coming war. Complicating matters is Ms Umbridge, the Ministry appointed Defence from the Dark Arts teacher, who is willing to do anything for the Ministry of Magic.

I haven't read any of the Potter books as yet and as such I cannot comment about how closely this film sticks to the book and I have heard mixed reports on the subject. Nevertheless I do feel that the film fits in very will with the style established by the other movies in the series and did enjoy watching the film. The acting is, like the previous films, mixed with some good performances, a few great performances and the odd bad performance on show. The true strength of this film though is the strong writing, which is funny and tense in equal measure, and the special effects that are impressive throughout. Overall the Order of the Phoenix is probably one of the best of the Potter films released so far but it is still missing something that would make it a great film.

Another slightly above average movie in the Potter franchise
As expected this is a little darker but sadly not as good as 'The Goblet of Fire'. This isnt by any means a poor film, I quite enjoyed it but it is something that I'll proberbly never watch again. New characters are brought in and old characters continue to develop. This film seems shorter than the others but there doesnt seems to be as much substance to it, unlike the others.

Dissapointed
As a big Harry Potter fan I was quite dissapointed with this film. Many of the changes made from the books were unnessacery and dumbed down, I have to say the best thing in the film was Evvanna Lynch's portrayal of Luna, I loved the scene in the forest with just her and Harry.