Potter continues to please

Once again, J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers have created a film that bewitches the audience. “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” was released Tuesday at midnight.

The previous installment, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” left many viewers confused as Warner Brothers attempted to leave what was occurring on screen true to the novel but shortening the run-time of the movie by removing whole chunks of the book.

While many facets of the novel were again left out because of time restraints in “Order,” the film represents a complete story line and flows smoothly.

Many fans have protested the loss of quidditch, a wizard sport similar to soccer with brooms, as well as the underdevelopment of minor characters.

Despite the complaints of “Potter-philes” since the first movie, “Order” represents the spirit of the novel while pleasing an audience that has not read the series.

Even those who know nothing about the series can enjoy this film. While set in the magical world, the movie deals with very mundane subjects. A tyrant has taken over a boarding school and the children must fight back. A group of friends begins to grow up and develops romantic interests in each other. A young couple share their first kiss.

Those of us deemed “muggles” (non-magical people) by Rowling can empathize with Harry as he deals with problems common among adolescents. Labeled insane by the wizarding newspaper “The Daily Prophet,” Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) faces a hostile environment when he returns to school for his fifth year.

From strange stares to open insults, Harry must come to terms with his classmates’ hatred and rise above it — something many teenagers attempt today. Granted, most teens are not labeled lunatics by their local newspaper, or known as “The-Boy-Who-Lived,” but on a small scale they can appreciate Harry’s issues.

Harry is also faced with one of the most daunting tasks a 15-year-old boy can face — his first kiss. Highly anticipated by fans, Harry’s kiss with Cho Chang (Katie Leung) is surprisingly long and unrealistic for a first kiss. Most first kisses are awkward and do not last more than a second. The heated kiss between Harry and Cho feels strange and too adult for the genre.

“Order” bears the mark of a new director, David Yates. The guards of the wizarding prison Azkaban that were originally seen in the third installment are more visually complex. Instead of the flowing robes they wore previously, they are now skeletons and move much more quickly than before.

Also different in this film is the videography itself. The camera angles and transitions are much more edgy and reminiscent of an art film instead of a kid-friendly flick.

Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) reappears in this film, still having to hide from the law because of a false accusation revealed in the “Prisoner of Azkaban.” This time, Sirius struggles to separate his godson Harry from the memories of his late best friend and Harry’s father, James.

This sub-plot is given little screen time, but it is still poignant throughout the film. Particularly touching is the moment between Sirius and Harry at King’s Cross Station. Sirius accompanies Harry in the form of a dog, and transforms once inside a waiting area guarded by members of the Order, a secret society founded by Headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon).

This transformation adds another contradiction to previous movies as Sirius reappears wearing what appears to be a bathrobe closely resembling his canine form’s fur. In the “Prisoner of Azkaban,” another character is forced to transform from animal to human and is shown wearing normal clothes post-transformation.

Imelda Staunton is amazing as Dolores Umbridge, junior undersecretary for the minister for magic. The minister for magic, Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy), has appointed Umbridge the new defense against the dark arts professor at Hogwarts (the wizarding school), something that no minister has done before.

Umbridge goes on a power trip, making radical changes with the blessings of the Ministry. Dumbledore attempts to stop her efforts, but his meddling ends with his removal as headmaster of Hogwarts. As Fudge and aurors (magical law enforcement) attempt to remove Dumbledore from his office, Dumbledore performs a spectacular bit of magic and vanishes in a flash.

Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt (George Harris), who is also secretly a member of the Order of the Phoenix, comments, “Dumbledore’s got style.” This comment rings true throughout the movie as Gambon creates a character that is headstrong and powerful instead of the benign old man Richard Harris created at the onset of the series.

Some of the most amazing actors of the series receive little-to-no screen time, as the story focuses more on the students and Umbridge than the other teachers.

Alan Rickman has capitalized on the new information released about his character. Rickman portrays the controversial Potions Master Severus Snape and walks the line between “good guy” and “bad guy,” playing into the debate that has been raging since the release of the sixth book.

Minerva McGonagall (Dame Maggie Smith) makes a few appearances in the film but is deprived a terrific opportunity for character development due to the time constraints. In the novel, McGonagall is much more active in opposing Umbridge than in the film.

Overall, the film is a fantastic way to spend an afternoon. Some of the moments will only be understood by avid fans, but the majority of the movie is enjoyable for anyone.

Grade: B+