Remember that fight in Attack of the Clones that was supposed to be the most awesome, knock-down-drag-out Jedi fight ever committed to celluloid? It turned out to be pretty weak (and it wasn't *NSYNC's fault either). Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix doesn't aim quite so high, but the movie's climactic battle royale is the best filmed magical brawl since Gandalf and Saruman went mano-a-mano in the tower of Orthanc.
It's not the combat that makes this the most watchable Harry Potter flick since Alfonso Cuaron's stab at the series. Like Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban it takes the time to treat the Hogwart's crew as living, breathing people. Here, perhaps for the first time in the series, you really feel the oppressive teenage angst that comes from being left out, ignored and talked down to by adults. Both films also better delve into the creepiness of the dark arts. Lucas made the mistake with his second trilogy of letting the gloom and doom overpower everything. In Phoenix and Azkaban the arcane chills make for awesome, frequently frightening wallpaper, but don't suck every last ounce of life out of the party.
1 comment:
Should we all go see this tonight?
And, and dress up!
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