Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Directed by David Yates
Late in this film, miniature wizard Harry Potter enthuses that his self-appointed army has "something to fight for," implying that his nemesis The Dark Lord causes murderous mayhem on a malevolent whim.
Harry knows that evil Voldemort is back – but why won't anyone believe him? Why indeed. The unexplained dismissal of such a threat may be requisite for the plot, but doesn't make much sense.
It would be churlish to damn too harshly such a populist franchise for logical consistency, especially when it's aimed at children, presumably already big fans.
What's clear is that our Hogwarts heroes, little witches though they may be, have been bitten by the pangs of teenage rebellion.
The fact that, by machinations of state interference in educational policy, the school's new leader – the wonderfully named Dolores Umbridge – curtails their fighting spirit in favour of dull theory explains why the film, despite some superb special effects, isn't as visually astounding as its predecessors.
Veteran TV director David Yates – already in pre-production for the next Potter product – brings little of the menace of Alfonso Cuaron's darker Prisoner of Azkaban and less of Mike Newell's wit in Goblet of Fire.
Most of the latter springs from Umbridge's quintessential portrayal by the diminutive pink-clad Imelda Staunton, successfully combining shades of Mary Whitehouse, Margaret Thatcher and the shark from Jaws.
Staunton packs more threat into her tight-lipped smile than all the roars of Hellraiser as she justifies the torture of students to achieve precious order.
Her role, as appointee of The Ministry, is to control the students, banning the sloppy practices of her predecessors, including the well-loved Dumbledore – another solid if unremarkable performance by Michael Gambon.
That she's a tool of the state bodes ill. No wonder Harry leads the students to question the point of attending such a "vocational training" academy if they can't put their theory into practice.
Umbridge's answer is triumphant. The purpose of education is to pass exams. Such undertones make Order of the Phoenix the most quasi-political of the franchise so far.
The script plants seeds, too, of Harry's adolescent struggle between feelings of isolation and nascent leadership, galvanising his army to do ultimate battle with Voldemort. But, perhaps inevitably in its attempt to reduce the longest of the books into a manageable film slot, it loses focus.
With a few exceptions, the story focuses on process over people, tending to lower the urgency of the denouement. Such brave rebels deserve a better cause.
