First, if you go see the flick, there is a chance you'll see THIS PREVIEW.
Sadly, it's NOT what I wanted it to be. For a quick few seconds, I almost thought I was watching a preview for "Bill & Ted 3" - which would have ROCKED MY WORLD. And made me wonder how I didn't already know about it. Anyways, the preview is funny, but I wish my dreams were coming true, instead of that other film.
Film Five.
It's like every other "Harry Potter" film, and exactly what I expected: A mysterious story, mention of "He Who Shall Not Be Named" throughout, and finally some quick action at the end, and a short resolution. It's a formula, and it works for them, and the films are enjoyable.
Now, I'm not a huge fan of the book series, I've never read one page of any book, and I'm not getting in line for the July 21st release of the FINAL book. I'm just a fan of the films. I've got a number of friends who fill me in on the missing storylines and characters, and I feel like I've got a fairly good Harry Potter knowledge, for someone who has never touched the books.
I'm a fan of the films, and the visuals, and how the stories translate to the big screen. I saw the first one to see what the hype was about, and I like it. And I've continued to like them as the series has gone on. I don't find them boring, or dumb, and while this film was NOT as much fun as "Transformers", it was still exactly what I wanted, what I looked for, and what I expected. So, I can't say there was anything bad about the story, or the film.
Although, I'll be honest that the opening of the film wasn't a good taste, at first. While it looked cinematically beautiful, some of the editing, quick cutting, and hand-held camera work didn't feel like it fit into the Harry Potter Film Universe, it annoyed me much in the same away as Alfanso Cuaron's "Prisoner of Azkaban" film felt, with the contastant "Iris Close/Iris Open" to transition between scenes - I REALLY disliked that part of the film, despite it being an enjoyable storyline, the editing of the film makes it the hardest of them all to watch. Chris Columbus did an amazing job with the first two films, both style-wise and visually, that I don't think the last three have been up the bar he set. With that said, "The Order of the Phoenix" was EXACTLY what I expected and wanted, and I enjoyed it.
I hope you do too.
On a completely unrelated note, it looks like Warner Brothers is copying themselves with the "Superman" sequel being titled "Man of Steel" - it's the EXACT SAME concept they went with for the Batman sequel being called "The Dark Knight". The sequels are just being titled with the character's nicknames. Clever one WB, very clever.
So, in "The Order of the Phoenix", there are many exterior shots of London at the beginning and the end. Toss in Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson, and WHAT MOVIE do you think I am in the mood to watch when I get home? Yep, I popped in "Love Actually". Big surprise?
UPDATE: My former boss, Helene, gets a mention in THIS ARTICLE from Indy Star. It's always fun to see the names of people I know. Maybe I will have to check this out in IMAX sometime.
