I blame my bad memory on many things, and rightly so. But this latest Harry Potter flick, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is apparently actually benefiting from my bad memory.
See, I’ve forgotten much of the book, and so, I can’t really compare the movie to the book. And as a stand alone movie, I say it works nicely.
Order of the Phoenix is the darkest of the series thus far, and it earns it’s PG-13 rating. The movie doesn’t ever show it’s happy, fun magic side like the previous movies. Some people might have a problem with that, but it’s for the greater good, as they just foreshadow what’s coming up for young Mr Potter and his brave, true friends.

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson are back as Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and I think they’re getting better and better. Truthfully, Ron and Hermione don’t get as much screen time as they should, but again, I feel like the movie stands alone from the book, and while all three characters get a lot of time to shine in the book, the movie just can’t be that long.
Also back are Gary Oldman as Sirius Black, Brendan Gleeson as Mad Eye Moody, and of course, Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore.
New to the mix this time are Natalia Tena as Tonks (she hates her real name!), but she has very little screen time, the great Helena Bonham Carter as the wicked Bellatrix LeStrange, and Imelda Staunton as the really, really annoying Dolores Umbridge.
My favorite new character to the movie is one of my favorite characters in the Harry Potter books, Luna Lovegood. She’s played by Evanna Lynch, and I think she did a really great job. Lovegood’s a great, spacey character, but somehow, she’s also very wise, too.

Order of the Phoenix was directed by David Yates, and I believe he’ll be doing the next film as well. I think he did a good job with the look and feel of the movie. Michael Goldenberg had the unenviable task of adapting the book, and while it would have been nice for some of the stuff he left in the book to find it’s way to the screen, I still think he did a good job.

So as I write this, mere days away from receiving my copy of the new book…the final Harry Potter book, I say that the Potter movie series is still going strong.