The Tory Party

Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix

Like Anne Coulter with all the evil sucked out!

In brief:

• Worthy.
• In look and tone, like a Harry Potter Lord of the Rings. Very growed up. And I am not the sort of person who thinks visual effects are stunning, but these were totally teh hott. The black smoke vs. white smoke alone was like surface of the sun. Put together, like the overhead shot of the kids in the courtyard with all of Hogwarts looming next to them, this movie created (in my estimation) the closest, most completely realized version of Harry Potter’s book world.
• Imelda Staunton as Professor Umbridge is like a circus peanut: Awful. But delicious.
• But Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood rocked me sockless. I want more footage of her explaining things in a high calm voice as soon as possible.

  
  Nevermind… just foller around Emma Thompson, do what she does.

• All the kids are growing up super attractive. Neville Longbottom’s massive pre-Goblet growth spurt is continuing nicely, evolving him into the slouching charisma of Nicolas Cage with the hair of Peter Gallagher.

  
  Knock knock.
  Who’s there?
  More attractive than you…

• Thestrels thestrels thestrels make you nawww-shuss.
• Good job of creating an arc and sticking to it. Minimal exposition. Forgotten (by me) faves like Kreacher breeze in and out leaving a light wake of their intended purpose without precipitating any monologues about who they are and what they’re doing.
• Character-driven humor! Look! There it goes! Make a note!

  
  
  Makes it OK that we’re dressed like the Scooby gang.

• Whedon moments! You know what I’m talking about. Like the little split-second reaction shots of Inara looking at Mal looking at Jayne looking at Keeley that remind you of the skillion years of backstory with which you’re intimately familiar. Like a fireside belly-rub of writerly affection. Who’s my good audience? Who’s my good little audience?
• The dude who plays Mr. Weasley looks like a parent version of Martin Freeman. Review. Discuss.
• Not enough Snape. No no no. Put additional Snape ‘tage with the Luna Lovegood immed pls kthx.

  
  Can it ever be wrong to love?

Recommend with a glass of effective flashback.