Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix

A swifter than expected return to Hogwarts as Luke was desperate to see it and Mrs Fletch and I both fancied seeing it again too. He couldn't believe his luck.

This is the one where the teenage angst and moods really kick off. And Harry has his first snog. The performances are definitely improved all round this time too. Think getting his wand out on stage in that horsey play definitely helped Radcliffe improve his acting chops ( I have no idea what chops are in that context and freely admit to reusing that phrase from some film mag or other). Imelda Staunton is excellent too as the tea sipping, chintzy, witch bag who tries to turn Hogwarts into Colditz. A truly hateful character excellently brought to life.

New-comer to the franchise David Yates, directs with a nice mix of flair and common sense. There's some good shots that feel 'handheld' and bring a bit of urgency to things. He must have done a lot right anyway as the directing gig was his from this film onwards.

There's not so much villainy on screen in this one (till the big smackdown at the end) and instead the story revels in the hubble, bubble, toil and trouble as unseen dark forces gather strength. You really get the feeling that badness and bad things are on their way. With that and all the teenage grumpiness going on, you could sum up this film with the word 'brooding'.

I asked Luke to give me his review of the film over breakfast this morning. "I really like Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix" was his considered verdict. He's a master of brevity, my son.