Order Up

I've now seen the latest Harry Potter film, The Order of the Phoenix, twice. It's not necessarily that I thought it a movie I had to rush out and see a second time (though I did quite like it), but rather that I had the opportunity to see it in two distinctly different venues.

Tonight, I went to a Denver theater that was showing the IMAX version of the movie, where the climax is in 3D. (Basically, everything set within the Ministry of Magic, plus the flight there on the thestrals.) If you have the opportunity to see the movie for the first time in this sort of format, I do recommend it. The big magical showdowns at the end of the film are especially impressive in the 3D format, and the Hall of Prophecy (and its destruction) eye-popping.

But the real thrill was the first time I saw the movie, at Grauman's Chinese Theater in West Hollywood. Taking advantage of being in LA for E3, I managed to get tickets on the first night, and it was an incredible experience. I've mentioned a few times before about going to see a "flashback movie" at a local Denver theater, and how the crowd is always riled up for love of the movie. Well, whether it was from the foreknowledge of having read the original book, or just opening night enthusiasm, this crowd was every bit as excited, and then some.

The audience burst into applause 20 times or more. They applauded the title appearing on screen. They applauded the Weasley Twins' fireworks display. They applauded Umbridge being dragged away by the centaurs (and Harry's clever retort to her that I wish J.K. Rowling had thought to put in the book originally). They applauded Ginny's Reducto Spell. They went absolutely batshit insane at Dumbledore's exit from Hogwarts, and subsequent reappearance at the Ministry. Even smaller moments you might not expect brought cheers from the crowd: McGonagall's confrontation on the steps with Umbridge, Neville's first successful Disarming Spell -- it's hard to remember them all.

And why not? It was a good movie. A pretty admirable job was done in condensing the longest of the books into the shortest of the movies. Unless you're a big fan of Ron's character, there really wasn't much lost of great importance. The central themes remained intact, and brilliantly portrayed by an outstanding cast. Though it's a shame that some roles like Lupin, Trelawney, and McGonagall were little more than glorified cameos, their moments were enjoyable. Gary Oldman as Sirius and Alan Rickman as Snape were in top form -- not just as good as in the earlier films, but even better.

Then there was Imelda Staunton as Umbridge. I am not kidding here -- I think her performance in this movie is worthy of an Oscar nomination. Everything about the character from the book that made her so sweet and loathsome was magnified to perfection in this film. She was like a chocolate-covered cobra. I can't remember the last time I've seen a villain on film or television that has been so much fun to hate. Even her musical theme, by composer Nicholas Hooper, is absolutely perfect and adds to the entire portrayal.

Ultimately, the one big flaw I saw in the film was the same problem I had with the book. And though it seems unlikely anybody should not know by now, I'll still throw out the obligatory

SPOILER WARNING!

Given that Sirius really only shows up at the end of Azkaban, and is hardly present in Goblet of Fire (especially the film version), I simply don't feel attached to him enough to have a strong emotional reaction to his death at the end of this story. Gary Oldman's performance does a lot to try to push the emotion there, but the simple fact is, I don't find the loss that significant. Of course, it is to Harry, and so I see how it's powerful for the story. But all of that always struck me in a very intellectual way when I read (and recently re-read) the book, and it really wasn't any different to me when translated to film. I found other moments within the stories to be far more impactful in an emotional way.

Still, it was a fun film, and one of the most enjoyable theater-going experiences I've ever had. I give it an A-.