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 Reel Life with Jane!Get the latest scoop on family-friendly movies at the theatre and on DVD! HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images. Should you bring the kids? Yes, although some scenes might be scary for kids younger than 12. This movie feels like a bridge into the final movies. There are some cool special effects and a few plot twists, but nothing of real substance takes place. Maybe after so many Harry Potter movies, we've set the bar extremely high. For more info, see "Bringing the Kids" below. It begins with Harry enduring yet another horrid summer with the Dursleys. He feels cut off from his closest friends, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), who haven't written to him all summer. It's not only hurtful, but odd, given the When his insufferable bully-of-a-cousin, Dudley Dursley (Harry Melling), tries to pick a fight with Harry, the confrontation is abruptly halted when a pack of Dementors attack and Harry is forced to produce a Patronus charm to save both their lives. Only moments later, a letter arrives informing Harry that he's been expelled from Hogwarts for illegal use of magic. The notice delights the Dursleys, but nearly sends Harry over the edge. But all isn't lost. That night, a group of Aurors (Dark wizard catchers) -- including Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody (Brendan Gleeson), Kingsley Shacklebolt (George Harris) and don't-call-me-Nymphadora Tonks (Natalia Tena) -- arrive at his door and whisk him away, telling Harry that Dumbledore has arranged for him to appeal his expulsion at a formal hearing at the Ministry of Magic. Returning to Hogwarts, Harry is met with suspicious glances, and the headlines in "The Daily Prophet" accuse him of lying about Voldemort's return. Feeling alone and cut off, Harry even resists Ron and Hermione's attempts to help him, believing that no one can understand what he's going through. Meanwhile, the new year at Hogwarts brings a new addition to the faculty: Professor Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Dressed in pink from head to toe, she's all about order and control. No one is safe from her relentless power grab. Not even Headmaster Dumbledore.
When Hogwarts adjourns for Christmas vacation, Harry's underground class reluctantly breaks for the holiday. But as the students part company, one stays behind: the lovely Cho Chang (Katie Leung), who first caught Harry's eye in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. When classes start up again, Umbridge is more determined than ever to track down the rebellious students and put an end to their subversive activities. She enlists the students of Slytherin House, led by Harry's nemesis Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton), to spy for her. Knowing it is only a matter of time before he, too, is banished from Hogwarts, gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) asks Harry, Ron and Hermione for a special favor. In his absence, he'll need them to look after his half-brother, Grawp (Tony Maudsley), a 16-foot-tall giant with a big crush on Hermione. Hagrid's been hiding him deep in the Forbidden Forest, where the Centaurs also live. BRINGING THE KIDS: PRESCHOOLERS (ages 2-5): This movie is too dark and tense for little ones, but they might enjoy the colors and music of Fantasia, a vintage Disney film that also sports a wizard – in the form of Mickey Mouse! Also check out Fantasia 2000, which, like the original, blends animation and classical music. Another good one is Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs, an animated TV/DVD series about an ordinary kid struggling to make sense of things like nightmares, accidents, and childhood frustrations. Harry works out his problems by magically transporting himself into an imaginary world: in this case, a place called Dino World that's populated by dinosaur friends Taury, Trike, Pterence, Sid, Patsy and Steggy. Great for kids 3 and older. GRADE-SCHOOLERS (ages 6 - 10): Like Goblet of Fire, this movie has a feeling of foreboding and danger to it. Harry is plagued with nightmares that seem to be coming true. Authority figures can't always be trusted, and there's a feeling of general unrest, like anything can happen and anyone can live or die. All of this, plus dark images, rebellious kids, and violent scenes of wand-to-wand combat make this movie unsuitable for kids 12 and younger. I recommend the earlier Harry Potter movies – The Sorcerer's Stone and The Chamber of Secrets, both rated PG (Prisoner of Azkaban is PG, as well, but darker than the first two). Older grade-schoolers might also like The Neverending Story, about a warrior-boy (Noah Hathaway) and his efforts to save the empire of Fantasia from a nemesis called the Nothing. A bit scary, but ok for older kids. TWEEN / TEEN (ages 11+): The power of love, loyalty, and friendship is explored in this movie, which makes it great fare for tweens and teens. Harry begins the movie as an outsider, but eventually sees that people trust him and are willing to follow him. The message: people who strive to reach beyond their limitations often end up in leadership roles, finding a place they truly belong. This movie is also a coming-of-age story. We see Harry and his friends entering young adulthood, facing choices and challenges and the consequences that come with them. They have to make their own way in a world that's daunting and scary, where things are rarely black and white, and where they need to trust their instincts. This movie may be set in a magical underworld, but any kid aged 12 to 18 can relate.JANE’S REEL RATING SYSTEM : One Reel: Pathetic. Even The Force can’t save it. Two Reels: Tolerable. Coulda been a contender. Three Reels: Pleasant. Something to talk about. Four Reels: Wow! The stuff dreams are made of. Jane Louise Boursaw is a freelance journalist specializing in the movie and television industries. Visit her online at www.ReelLifeWithJane.com or email jboursaw@charter.net
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by Jane Louise Boursaw
THE STORY: Everyone's favorite wizard Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) returns for his fifth year at Hogwarts, only to learn that much of the wizard community is in denial about the teen's recent dealings with evil Lord Voldemort (a creepy Ralph Fiennes). Harry and his pals are growing up, and this movie, directed by David Yates, is all about their journey into young adulthood.
tumultuous and tragic events of the previous year. Harry thinks everyone is ignoring him, and coupled with the normal stresses of being a teenager, it's all a bit much to bear.
First, however, they take a detour to a secret location, where Harry discovers there's been a lot going on lately. Arriving at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, Harry is reunited with Ron and Hermione and introduced to the Order of the Phoenix, a secret organization formed by Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) to fight the evil forces of Voldemort. They meet in secret because Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy), who's in charge of the Ministry of Magic, feels threatened by Dumbledore and is trying to repress stories of Voldemort's return. But those in the Order know that Voldemort is gathering followers and that his power is growing.
But before anything can happen, Harry must be reinstated at Hogwarts. The hearing takes place at the Ministry of Magic, a vast community in an underground world of polished black ceramic tile. Thanks to Dumbledore and an unlikely eyewitness, Harry is cleared of all charges.
Umbridge's strict policies don't sit well with the students, especially Hermione, who rallies her fellow students to take matters into their own hands. Harry agrees to step up and teach them the spells they'll need to defend themselves against the Dark Arts. The way he sees it, there's a war coming, and if Umbridge isn't teaching the students what they need to know, they don't stand a chance. Their powers are put to the test when a new witch, Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) comes on the scene, with tragic results.