Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Imelda Staunton, Gary Oldman, Michael Gambon

By far the darkest of the five Potter pictures so far, ''Order of the Phoenix'' sees Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) once again up against the dark magic of Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) – but this time the bespectacled wizard and his ally Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) have to fight with their hands tied in red tape, courtesy of ministry leader Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton). Our hero is also battling with young adulthood, young love, and Jungian dream sequences. Suffice to say, things get a little hairy for Potter.

Those tuning in to the series without the benefit of reading the books might find themselves lost in a lavish digital landscape with a cast of millions, for the movie doesn’t burden itself with more than stringing together the highlights of the saga so far. That said, this story is the least kinetic of Harry’s adventures. Perhaps that is why the longest book translated into the shortest of the ''Potter'' movies. But don’t worry, it still feels pretty long.

Drama here borders on ''Star Wars: Episode I''-style exposition and the humour of the first three films remains, though it’s much more sardonic. Laughs are centred around the power-hungry Professor Umbridge, who looks and acts disturbingly like Geroge W Bush (and has his wife’s sense of style).

The meat of the movie actually lies in its political sub-plot – that’s what keeps you watching.

This is director David Yates’ first crack at the ''Potter'' franchise. Though the visual pallet remains stunning, Yates plays a conservative hand, keeping the monsters not too scary, the romance not too sexy, and the build-up not too thrilling. Kudos to Gambon, Gary Oldman, Imelda Staunton and the ever devil-iscious Alan Rickman for keeping some dra-magic in the wand.

This is another fun ride for fans of the ''Potter'' series – but if you don’t already have an appetite for a pot full of Harry, I suggest you don’t order the Phoenix.

The usual swarm of extra features - featurettes, deleted scenes, games, and so on - accompany the movie. Fan only stuff, though.

Rating :
Reviewer : Clare Bath