Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

Widescreen Edition Special Edition 2 Discs DVD

'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' is the fifth movie in the wildly popular and incredibly successful Potter franchise, based on the book series by author J.K. Rowling. The fifth movie installment has a new face in the director's chair - a daunting task for any esteemed director. This time David Yates has taken the helm, and has turned the lengthy book into an extraordinary film. He manages to craft a cohesive story without deviating too much from the text and taking too many liberties. Yates draws the heart out of the story and places it in the forefront, while still creating an action-filled thrill ride, keeping true to the essence of the magical world that Rowling has fastidiously crafted.

At its core, 'Order of the Phoenix' is a coming-of age drama with some magic thrown in. It is the darkest and most grown-up part of the Potter saga thus far. It shows how Harry Potter and the world in which he lives has matured, showcasing humanity's struggle between good and evil, with the level-headed students fighting against the tyrannical government that is trying to invade the students' only refuge: Hogwarts. The film slyly tells the story with slight political overtones and the ideas of democracy and rebellion. 'Harry Potter' fans will be both impressed and satisfied, and if you don't become a fan after watching this one, then 'Harry Potter' is surely not for you.

Like each of the previous 'Harry Potter' Special Edition DVDs, there is a full bonus disc of extras to go along with the accompanying movie. Even though the DVD is packed with extras, not all of them are as exciting as one would hope. "Trailing Tonks" is a guided tour by Natalie Tena who plays her namesake in the film. She takes you through the various places on the set, going behind the scenes and introducing you to the people, places and things that have made 'The Order of the Phoenix' such a success. This, along with the interactive piece on how a scene is edited, provide the only in-depth look at the making of the movie. The deleted scenes are pointless, which is a huge disappointment. The other lengthy feature, "The Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter," is simply a recap of the movie story thus far. Though it is nice to watch the progression of Harry through the first five stories, hardcore fans won't be learning anything new, and casual fans won't buy the Special Edition in the first place. One great feature, which most of us Potter devotees have been looking forward to, is the sneak peak at the sixth film, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." It delivers a quick taste of what's to come and helps create more anticipation for the next movie and 6th part of the Harry Potter story. This feature alone makes the DVD worthwhile, though it only appears when viewed on an internet-ready computer.

One would think the Harry Potter films are a treasure trove of bonus features. What with the sheer length and complexity of the books and the amount of time cut from the films, you'd think there would be plenty of extra scenes. But of the last few DVDs, this one included, the deleted scenes are lame and very scarce. And us Potterphiles would be in heaven with an in-depth look at the making of this special effect-laded film, but alas, it is still missing. However, Harry Potter fans will still love any extra information about the story, so the more Potter, the better.