Product Description

Lord Voldemort has returned but few want to believe it. In fact the Ministry of Magic is doing everything it can to keep the wizarding world from knowing the truth - including appointing Ministry official Dolores Umbridge as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. When Professor Umbridge refuses to train her students in practical defensive magic a select group of students decides to learn on their own. With Harry Potter as their leader these students (who call themselves "Dumbledore's Army") meet secretly in a hidden room at Hogwarts to hone their wizarding skills in preparation for battle with the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. . New adventure - more dangerous more thrilling than ever - is yours in this enthralling film version of the fifth novel in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. A terrifying showdown between good and evil awaits. Prepare for battle!Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY/FANTASY UPC: 085391174929 Manufacturer No: 1000026194

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #726 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2007-12-11
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 139 minutes

Amazon.com
Alas! The fifth Harry Potter film has arrived. The time is long past that this can be considered a simple "children's" series--though children and adults alike will enjoy it immensely. Starting off from the dark and tragic ending of the fourth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix begins in a somber and angst-filled tone that carries through the entire 138 minutes (the shortest of any HP movie despite being adapted from the longest book). Hopes of winning the Quidditch Cup have been replaced by woes like government corruption, distorted media spin, and the casualties of war. As the themes have matured, so have the primary characters' acting abilities. Ron (Rupert Grint), Hermione (Emma Watson), and especially Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) are more convincing than ever--in roles that are more demanding.

Harry is deeply traumatized from having witnessed Cedric Diggory's murder, but he will soon find that this was just another chapter in the continuing loss he will endure. Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) has returned and, in an attempt to conceal this catastrophe from the wizarding public, the Ministry of Magic has teamed up with the wizard newspaper The Daily Prophet to smear young Potter and wise Dumbledore (Michael Gambon)--seemingly the only two people in the public eye who believe the Dark Lord has returned. With no one else to stand against the wicked Death Eaters, the Hogwarts headmaster is forced to revive his secret anti-Voldemort society, the Order of the Phoenix. This welcomes back characters like Mad-Eye Moody (Brendan Gleeson), kind Remus Lupin (David Thewlis), fatherly Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), and insidious Severus Snape (Alan Rickman), and introduces a short list of intriguing new faces. In the meantime, a semi-psychotic bureaucrat from the Ministry (brilliantly portrayed by Imelda Staunton) has seized power at Hogwarts, and Harry is forced to form a secret society of his own--lest the other young wizards at his school be left ill-equipped to defend themselves in the looming war between good and evil. In addition, Harry is filled with an inexplicable rage that only his Godfather Sirius seems to be able to understand.

This film, though not as frightening as its predecessor, earns its PG-13 rating mostly because of the ever-darkening tone. As always, the loyal fans of J.K. Rowling's books will suffer huge cuts from the original plot and character developments, but make no mistake: this is a good movie. --Jordan Thompson

On the DVD
The second disc of The Order of the Phoenix features "The Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter," a retrospective on the series so far, with "Potter experts" (i.e., people who run fan sites) weighing in on what's to come. This must have been filmed during production, because all their speculation about the conclusion of the saga is clearly dated and therefore superfluous (since Order released theatrically at the same time as the seventh book, one would've expected a more current analysis). Many of the deleted scenes are mostly extensions, with the exception of one hilarious take of Professor Trelawney (Emma Thompson) trying--unsuccessfully--to eat gracefully during Dolores Umbridge's introduction at Hogwarts. The chatty actress Natalia Tena, who plays Tonks, gives a tour of the set in "Trailing Tonks," even playing a Christmas song she wrote on her guitar, and director David Yates and editor Mark Day demonstrate editing 101 with a feature that lets you edit your own scene from the movie. Watch the feature but skip the self-editing part; the controls are too complicated to navigate and too frustrating to work properly (plus, hit the wrong button and you've gone all the way back to the beginning). A digital copy of the movie is also included on the bonus disc. --Ellen A. Kim

Customer Reviews

Not the best Potter flick


After the last performance I couldn't wait to see this. Unfortunately this is the worst DVD of the series. Everyone said it was darker. I thought they meant more "evil" or more "adult" not in the literal sense that there wasn't any color in the footage. What did they turn the lights out to cut budgeting cost? I had to readjust the settings on my plasma just to see what is going on. And most of the lines were not even audible enough to hear what was going on. I had to turn subtitles on. If you plan on watching this seriously put subtitles on and see just how much you miss if they weren't on. If you already watched it and can bear a 2nd viewing try it with subtitles on.

Good points were seeing A giant and some Centaurus. A great scene with spectacular fireworks and another with a visually amazing spell casting magic duel. (hmm both color scenes?)

Aside from the visual and audible disappointments this DVD was slow moving and the story line of "the ministry denying acknowledging the return of "He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named!" was boring. Also since it took so long for this sequel to get to theaters (probably because everyone couldn't see what they were doing during the recording of the film in the dark) delaying the DVD release I forgot what was going on since the last DVD. I don't go to theaters to watch the movies so from the point of the last DVD to this DVD release my memory has faded.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was a great movie. Even the special features are subtitled which is great for deaf folks like me.

My favorite movie of the series
People might say that they ripped to book since they left out a whole lot. But I loved what they put it, especially the ending. The ending made the movie.