Review: New Potter film a magical triumph

Editor's note: We have set up a special forum for Potter fans who are attending Tuesday's midnight opening of 'Order of the Phoenix.' Please share your thoughts with us on the film by clicking here.

David Yates seems an unlikely choice direct a Harry Potter film, as hes best known for work in British television not big-budget extravaganzas.

Fans neednt worry, though. Potter producers have a history of spinning risky directorial choices into gold. They did, after all, tap Alfonso Cuaron to direct Prisoner of Azkaban when his most notable credit was Y Tu Mama Tambien, a graphic foreign language effort about sexual awakening.

Yates take on Potter is just as magical as Cuarons, and even more important it fits with the previous movies, avoiding the identity crisis that sometimes comes with a change in leadership.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a grand effort possessing all the hallmarks of the best fantasy films. The story is involving and powerful, the acting is superb and the special effects are simply gorgeous.

Although everything about Phoenix is outstanding, it is worth noting that a working knowledge of Harrys universe is a prerequisite. One thing Yates avoids is a recap of what has come before and viewers must know what the boy wizard has been through to understand where he is going.

Phoenix begins on the eve of Harrys (Danielle Radcliffe) fifth year at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with his snotty cousin, Dudley Dursley (Harry Melling), teasing him about his lack of a proper family. Suddenly, the sky turns black and the boys are attacked by otherworldly creatures, provoking Harry to defend himself with magic, which is forbidden outside of Hogwarts.

When the event goes public, its unclear whether Harry will be allowed back into school. Even more troubling is the fact that many in the wizarding world doubt claims by Harry and Hogwarts headmas! ter Dumb ledore (Michael Gambon) that the evil wizard Voldemort has returned. This prompts paranoid players in the Ministry of Magic to attempt an overhaul of Hogwarts, beginning with what amounts to an end to the schools Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

Harrys longtime pals, Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), stand by him; but Harry cant help but feel alone. He is the only one who has faced Voldemort, and he is still haunted by events that led to a fellow students death last term. This gives Order of the Phoenix an interesting subplot about the solitude heroes must sometimes endure, and it makes Harry even more admirable than in past episodes.

The plotting of Phoenix is complex enough that one could spend pages detailing the twists and turns, but doing so would only diminish the moviegoing experience. Therefore, suffice it to say that the picture is extremely intelligent.

The film is also beautifully paced, as Yates deftly mixes his action sequences with the dialogue-heavy sequences needed to tell his tale. The result is a perfect summer blockbuster. A movie that mixes all the gee-whiz special effects weve come to expect from big-budget movies with the emotional resonance and quality storytelling seen in cinemas best dramas.

If Yates resume wasnt ready for the big leagues before, it certainly is now.