 --- Harry Potter: The Complete Collection Years 1-7 (8-Disc 8-Film Set) --- The rebellion begins! Lord Voldemort has returned, but 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 professor at Hogwarts. When Umbridge refuses to teach practical defensive magic, Ron and Hermione convince Harry to secretly train a select group of students for the wizarding war that lies ahead. A terrifying showdown between good and evil awaits in this enthralling film version of the fifth novel in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Prepare for battle! Storyline: After a lonely summer on Privet Drive, Harry returns to a Hogwarts full of ill-fortune. Few of students and parents believe him or Dumbledore that Voldemort is really back. The ministry had decided to step in by appointing a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher that proves to be the nastiest person Harry has ever encountered. Harry also can't help stealing glances with the beautiful Cho Chang. To top it off are dreams that Harry can't explain, and a mystery behind something Voldemort is searching for. With these many things Harry begins one of his toughest years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Written by HPfan Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Greg Maltz on December 10, 2007 -- Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) are not small children anymore. They face their gravest challenge yet in the fifth episode in the series, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". In the first few minutes of the film, Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) returns and attacks Potter. The danger posed by Voldemort is exacerbated by wrangling at the Ministry of Magic. For political reasons, the ministry refuses to acknowledge the evil threat. Worse, the ministry compromises Hogwarts, the school for young wizards, by appointing Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) as the new professor against the dark arts. Umbridge polices and punishes students and refuses to teach them self defense. By the time the ministry acknowledges Voldemort's threat and removes Umbridge from her post, the damage is already done. Potter finds himself facing off against an enemy that mainlines through his subconscious and threatens to take over his identity. In the end, his feelings of resentment and solitude are mollified by Hermione, Ron and other friends, who assist him in his battle against evil. Although director David Yates succeeds in establishing the film's engaging pacing and dark textures, many elements of the narrative are formulaic. There are only so many ways to use the same characters to set up themes of wizardry, self-discovery and good versus evil common to all of J.K. Rowling's Potter novels. The young wizard's resourcefulness and individuality are no longer as fresh as they seemed in earlier episodes. But the special effects of each successive film pushes the envelope in innovative ways, and Order of the Phoenix is no exception. The CGI graphics are absolutely mesmerizing. From small details like the animation of framed pictures to the expertly choreographed fighting scenes, the special effects are indeed extraordinary. The only question is whether Warner would do it justice on BD. The finely detailed 1080p release using the VC-1 codec puts to rest all questions and concerns. One complaint about Warner and other studios dabbling in both Blu-ray and HD DVD is that they seem to produce content for the 30-GB format and simply port it over to BD. This effectively negates Blu-ray's superior capacity and snubs early adopters. The suspicion that Warner is not delivering the best possible product is borne out by its releases typically falling short of reference- level material compared to studios that are BD-exclusive. But Order of the Phoenix gives up very little to the highest quality BDs available. While not quite the best A/V content to show off Blu- ray, Order of the Phoenix is an excellent effort from Warner that fully capitalizes on 1080p resolution. Harry Potter's fifth installment ushers in the entire series to Blu-ray. The other titles will be reviewed separately, but Order of the Phoenix gets an easy recommendation. The video and audio nearly achieve reference-quality and only viewers who like bright, deep cinematography devoid of film grain will find room for criticism. The film is sombre in subject matter, lighting and set design, as the young wizard wrestles with inner demons and an evil lord. Cast Notes: Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Harry Melling (Dudley Dursley), Jason Boyd (Piers), Richard Macklin (Malcolm), Kathryn Hunter (Mrs. Arabella Figg), Miles Jupp (TV Weatherman), Fiona Shaw (Aunt Petunia Dursley), Richard Griffiths (Uncle Vernon Dursley), Jessica Hynes (Mafalda Hopkirk [voice] [as Jessica Stevenson]), Adrian Rawlins (James Potter), Geraldine Somerville (Lily Potter), Robert Pattinson (Cedric Diggory), Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort), Natalia Tena (Nymphadora Tonks), Brendan Gleeson (Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody). IMDb Rating (07/24/14): 7.4/10 from 273,144 users IMDb Rating (11/21/09): 7.4/10 from 93,660 users
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