By David Server

This seems to be the summer of sequels. Almost every blockbuster this season has been a continuation of a series, for better or for worse. While a great sequel can breathe fresh new life into a seemingly faltering franchise, a poor one can feel like a chore, or worse. Where does this latest installment of Harry Potter reside on that scale? While falling just short of the title of 'Best of the Series' (that honor still belongs to Alfonso Cuaron's haunting 'Prisoner of Azkaban'), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix lives up to its namesake, and bursts from the ashes with renewed life and vigor for the continuing saga of the Boy who Lived. As this latest chapter begins, we find Harry Potter once again living among regular humans, still haunted by the death of one of his schoolmates at the hands of Lord Voldemort. After a brutal and unexpected attack on seemingly safe territory, Harry is forced to defend himself with magic. Subsequently, he is expelled from Hogwarts for his unauthorized spell casting in the human world. This sets Harry off on a journey to challenge his expulsion, as well as the propaganda spread by the Ministry of Magic that he is lying about the return of the Dark Lord. Rebelling against the Ministry, Harry begins to secretly train and mobilize his schoolmates at Hogwarts in preparation for the coming conflict.

One of the most surprising things about Order of the Phoenix is how light it is on action. Of the 2 hour and 15 minute run time, almost the entirety of the action occurs during the film's last half hour. Even more surprising is how little you'll find yourself missing it. While the previous Potter outing seemed like a series of set pieces strung together, this film plays almost exactly the opposite, eschewing high concept conflict in favor of character development and mood. One of the most memorable scenes in the film features not one single bit of special effects wizardry, but instead, takes a moment to show Harry and his friends discussing what Harry's first kiss felt like. It's a tender and genuine moment, and one that helps to cement these characters as real kids who happen to be wizards, and not vice versa.

At this point, the world of the films is so thoroughly fleshed out that the filmmakers can immediately start playing around in their universe, without the burden of introducing everything. Impressively, new director David Yates jumps into the mix without missing a beat, and shows an impressive command over the mythology. When the forces of evil first rear their ugly heads in the real world, it is startling and terrifying, and it sets the stage brilliantly for the tense and foreboding narrative that follows.

The Potter franchise is as successful as it is thanks in no small part to the cast, new and old. Thank goodness they never recast those leads. Not only do Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson evolve wonderfully as performers as they age, but seeing them mature through the films adds a certain reality to the magical proceedings. Flashbacks showing a younger Radcliffe from the first film go a long way to remind you how small he was when he started. As an audience, we've truly gone on this journey together with this cast. The characters have evolved as the franchise has progressed, as well. This time around, Radcliffe has an especially complex role, pushing Harry into a darker and more emotionally gray area than ever before. Harry is colder in this film - a little older, a little wiser, and a little more jaded. The wide-eyed wonder has gone, and has been replaced by a growing sense of sadness and helplessness. Radcliffe captures Potter's struggle with the confidence of an actor who truly knows his character.

This series has become something of a playground for character actors to go wild, and I mean that fully as a compliment. The casting from this franchise rarely falls short of inspired, finding the best in the industry to fill out the ranks of Hogwarts, and Phoenix is no exception. The adorable and ethereal (yet slightly creepy) Evanna Lynch shines as new classmate Luna Lovegood. But without question, the star of this show is Imelda Staunton as the Ministry of Magic's Professor Dolores Umbridge. With a grandmother's smile on her face and a heart as black as coal under her pink cardigan, Staunton's Umbridge is one of the most vile and memorable screen baddies in recent memory. Her confrontation with Harry during a disciplinary meeting will have you writhing uncomfortably in your seat, and seals the deal to make her *the* villain you love to hate this summer. Umbridge's sing-song voice and sinister smile easily rank amongst the film's most memorable and deviously delicious ingredients. Extra kudos to composer Nicholas Hooper for giving Umbridge the perfect dainty pizzicato imperial march of a musical theme to accompany her sugary-sweet reign of terror.

If the film stumbles in one area, it's sticking the landing. While the build-up and tension of the first two hours is consistently engaging, the finale falls somewhat short. The climax of the Umbridge plot isn't quite fitting of the larger-than-life villain the film sets up so well. The final confrontation with the forces of evil does not yield any new information we either didn't already know, or couldn't have assumed. Nor is the battle as creative or visually impressive as any of the competitions from Goblet of Fire. And a tragic farewell (fans of the books will know what I'm referring to) comes and goes without nearly the sense of sorrow or weight it should carry. While it doesn't rob the film of all its successes, it does taint the closing moments somewhat. It's a shame, considering how well everything else works.

Despite a few shortcomings in his wrap up, Yates (who is already signed up to direct the next film in the series) has proven with Order of the Phoenix that he has what it takes to keep the Harry Potter series fresh and exciting, and makes you eager for more. Personally, I'm already excited to turn the page and start the next chapter.

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