Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Pros: Cast, overall respect of the novels

Cons: lacks a driving plot, one important detail missing

The Bottom Line: This is the best Harry Potter movie so far. It does exactly what it must to keep us going through this series.

Review: The fifth installment of J.K. Rowling's ultra popular series hits the big screen. After Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuaron and Mike Newell, relative unknown David Yates gets the nod to direct this movie and he pulls the remarkable feat of making the longest ...

Pros: Terrific at every level, for rabid followers and non-buffs alike

Cons: Intense action and violence (though not any worse than in previous Harry Potter movies)

The Bottom Line: Does its source material proud -- easily one of the year's best movies

Review: (NOTE: Right up front, I must admit that this is a complete reversal of my negative review of Harry Potter 4. I've decided that, as with the Star Trek movie series, the odd-numbered Potter films are the ...

Pros: Exciting, unpredictable, and suspenseful.

Cons: Does not include everything from the book.

The Bottom Line: I highly recommend seeing this movie if you are a Harry Potter fan because it is the best one yet.

Review: Harry is back at school and some strange things are happening. He hears that Voldemort, his enemy who killed his parents, is trying to kill him again. There is a new teacher at the school who is not teaching the students how to defend themselves, which ...

Pros: A good adaptation of the book with good special effects and great acting.

Cons: The special features are not worth the special edition price.

The Bottom Line: A must for any Harry Potter fan-a great adaptation of the book and also easy to understand for the non-book watchers.

Review: I am a huge Harry Potter fan both of the books and the movies. Since the books are so long, the last few movies have been leaving details out and left me a little dissapointed at the adaptation. I felt Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was ...

Pros: Awesome movie

Cons: Terrible DVD special features

The Bottom Line: Don't waste your money on the 2-disc special edition. The normal version is fine.

Review: As a long-time Harry Potter fan (of both the books and the movies) I saw this movie at the midnight premiere and it was absolutely stunning. I was very satisfied with how the book was edited for the movie - everything flowed smoothly from one scene to ...

Pros: Lord Voldemort's and Dumbledore's battle.

Cons: Sirius Black... =(

The Bottom Line: I would recommend this for any hardcore Harry Potter fan and for people who are just watching Harry for the first time.

Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix marks Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In this year, Harry faces off with a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher named Dolores Umbridge (a nasty toad of a woman), and he must ...

Pros: Smooth transition to the screen, great special effects

Cons: You might not know what's going on if you haven't seen the first four

The Bottom Line: This comes close to hitting the mark where the book's concerned!

Review: A lot of times, when a book is adapted into a movie, there's too much tweaking with the plot or too much cutting of the essentials. Thankfully, neither is the case with this latest movie based on the Harry Potter books. If you haven't read the ...

Pros: interesting story, lots of plot turns, rebellion lets character really shine

Cons: some big holes in story, a few too many underdeveloped characters

The Bottom Line: It is an above average film that could have used some more editing and character development in order to flush out the story from the book.

Review: The boy wizard from Britain has returned for the fifth installment of the Harry Potter film franchise. At the age of fifteen, Harry Potter is about to enter his fifth year at Hogwart's Academy of Magic when circumstances force him to draw his wand in a ...

Pros: Newcomers Evanna Lynch and Imelda Staunton.

Cons: A changed plot point negatively impacts a character.

The Bottom Line: I'd give the film 4.5 stars if I could. I had some problems with some changes, but in the end they were minor.

Review: We're now up to the fifth Harry Potter film, based on the fifth Harry Potter book. This film faces two hurdles. If you haven't been keeping up with the movies or books, you won't understand much of what is happening. But that's the way it is with the ...

Pros: Imagery, imagination, pacing, and a fantastic battle

Cons: Dolores Umbrage

The Bottom Line: Ignore the book vs movie battle. If you like the series this won't disappoint. If you are new to it, don't start with this one.

Review: In the spirit of full disclosure I have included the following statement . . . This is part of the December 2007 dollar dealie—my protest is to write reviews of things I like but have already been heavily reviewed before; hey I’m not against gaining ...