Harry Potter is back! The latest movie (The Order of the Phoenix) and the last book in the series (The Deathly Hallows) have been released in the last month bringing Potter-mania to yet another level of intensity. Everyone from avid young readers to academic scholars are again feeling the enchantment of J.K. Rowling’s literary work.

In fact, fans of the book series compiled their analysis, discussions, commentaries and examinations of the Potterverse in the Xlibris release, The Witching Hour: a Magical Compendium. This self-published title is a must have for any Harry Potter aficionado – a collector’s item of the rarest kind that gives readers a different perspective on the characters and events in Harry’s fictional magical world. Fans of the books could consider this an unofficial companion to The Deathly Hallows.

As for fans of the films, here is an unofficial companion to the latest film: A review of the fifth film in the series. [Something that will hopefully find its way to the second volume of the Magical Compendium? Hah!]

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is more for adults -- and older teens -- than it is for young children. The film is paced more like a drama with some action, than an action movie with some drama. This is the most notable difference between this one and the preceding four films.

I enjoyed the way the story was told, and although not as visually flashy as Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban or Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix has its own charm and qualities that set it apart from the other four.

First off, the music. I came in the theater with the end credits rolling. The music played was the one used in the scene where the Weasley twins disrupted the O.W.L.s. It gave off a sense of excitement for the film. Going through the movie proved that sense of excitement to be right on the money. There was drama, action, drama, special effects, and drama. All of that was conveyed well through Nicholas Hooper's score -- especially the drama. ;o)

The director. Being sourced from the same series, there would understandably be a sense of coherence in the five films. And yet there has always been a certain distinction in the way each of the four helmers handled their respective Potter films. Each director left their mark in the series. Chris Columbus established a lot in Sorcerer's Stone and improved on them in Chamber of Secrets. Alfonso Cuaron did a good job translating the darker tone of Prisoner of Azkaban into film. Mike Newell handled the action-packed Goblet of Fire wonderfully. David Yates managed to turn Order of the Phoenix into an engaging plot-driven movie without relying heavily on special effects or action to move the story forward.

I loved the fact that Yates took time to develop the character moments as it allowed the audience to take in the emotion of those scenes and, in essence, the emotion of the entire movie. This is one of the qualities that made Order of the Phoenix stand out, in my opinion, and probably the reason why producers of the series are bringing Yates back for the next film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

The cast. One of the factors that make the Harry Potter films interesting is its cast. From the first movie to this one, producers have always managed to get the best British thespians to play key roles in the movies. The addition of Helena Bonham Carter and Imelda Staunton makes the growing cast list of the series seem like a who's who of the finest actors in the UK. I particularly enjoyed Staunton's performance as Dolores Umbridge – she is the standout character in this film. Also notable in the acting department are Daniel Radcliffe in the title role, Alan Rickman as Professor Severus Snape, and Evanna Lynch as the irresistibly sweet Luna Lovegood. The rest of the players also did a good job with their respective parts.

The effects. There are fewer visual effects shots here than in the previous films but whenever you see those shots your attention is definitely captured. Most eye-catching for me was Professor Dumbledore's (Michael Gambon) escape through phoenix fire and the confrontation between Dumbledore and Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) towards the end of the show. Kudos to the visual effects people.

Themes. From a personal perspective, I found some relevant themes in the movie that mirrored some of the things I believe in life. First, the importance of prophecies. In the film, Voldemort was after a prophecy, which only Harry Potter could retrieve from the Department of Mysteries. Prophecies can be a word of warning, instruction or encouragement. These are given to edify those whom it was intended. In this case, the prophecy was part warning and part instruction for Harry. He Who Shall Not Be Named obviously understood the importance of said prophecy, which is why he was bent on getting the prophecy from its resting place.

Second, the importance of knowing the truth before making judgments. At the beginning of the movie, many students and teachers at Hogwart's (and practically everyone in the magical community) doubted Harry's confession of the Dark Lord's return -- thanks mainly to the stories published by The Daily Prophet. I saw in those series of scenes how we can sometimes jump the gun on making up our minds about certain situations and people in our lives -- we can become one-sided and make hasty decisions, which isn't good. However, towards the end of the film, some of the individuals who initially doubted Harry found out the truth – some saw the Dark Lord himself – and finally believed that the Boy Who Lived was not a boy who lied.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix continues the series on a high note and pushes it further in preparation for the last two films. Many plot points in this film were elaborated and logically connected to plot points of the previous four movies, making it more of a dramatic film than an actioner. It didn't fall short of portraying important themes -- friendship, trust, standing up for what's right -- that many could learn from. And on top of that, the promise of director David Yates's return for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince -- assuring fans of the films of something better and more exciting.

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