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HAPPY’sFILM REVIEW: HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

3 ½ Happy Faces out of 4 Possible

I have to admit I am a huge Harry Potter fan. To keep my pride as a 42 year old man I have to say I am only a fan for several hours a year – as long as it takes to listen to each book on tape and watch each movie as they come, I don’t go to conventions or anything!
These movies and books have managed to do something even Star Wars couldn’t   create an extended series of movies that are all well made and tell an extended story that holds together well. How many other series of movies makes it past the 2nd one without starting to suck or to tell the same story over and over again?
What’s particularly magical about these stories is they manage to take things we have seen over and over again in other movies and stories – witches, werewolves, giants, etc, and make them seem somehow fresh. Throughout this series I keep find myself sayings things like “cool, that’ss a giant!” €“ perhaps the first time I felt that since of wonder since the first two Star Wars movies (and a bit during the last one.)
People will complain about what is left out of from the book, but for the most part this captured the magic of what I remember from the books. The one disappointment for me was the scene in the book where Dumbledore had to escape from being arrested. In the book it was a very powerful scene, as it was really the first time we saw him use his powers. In the movie he simply clapped his hands together and disappeared.
The standout character in this movie is the new teacher Dolores Umbridge, who is always smiling but sadistic and power hungry, probably the best horrible teacher in pop culture since the teacher from Pink Floyd’ss The Wall. Seeing her get her comeuppance is one of the few happy moments in what is otherwise a very dark, but excellent and moving film.

HAPPY’S BOOK REVIEW: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS
3 ½ Happy Faces (Out of 4 Possible)

NOTE: This review is spoiler free.
The final book in the Harry Potter series manages to refer back to almost every major even in the previous books, so much so I would recommend you re-read them all before you read this one. I had some trouble following everything that happened since I hadn’t read the last couple of books in a couple of years so I got confused at points. The positive side is that you have the feeling this series was well planned from the beginning and the whole story holds together and makes sense. It would also make re-reading the book a rewarding experience because there is so much depth and detail that no doubt you would get more from each reading, and I look forward to seeing the final two movies, as I will pick up things I missed in the books.
Harry Potter is one of the best coming of age stories out there, probably more so for the younger generation who are actually near the age of these characters and who are growing up with them. But even older people will relate to the struggles these characters go through and how that is weaved into a truly magical world.