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Created Oct 25, 2007 10:16AM PST • Edited Oct 25, 2007 04:40PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Perfect 5.0

   Just by a slight, slight margin, PRISONER OF AZKABAN is still the best POTTER movie (damn you Alfonso for being such a terrific director!), but ORDER OF THE PHOENIX is mere points away from beating it. Yes, indeed: ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, the fifth installment of the seven-part POTTER franchise is another awesome adventure. A wonderfully crafted screenplay, excellent performances from every actor on board, bloody terrific score, tightly edited, and overall just perfect.

4. Acting

   Great 4.0

   Everyone – no matter how little their screen time – is on their A-game here. Take away all the magical elements, the war between the wizarding world and Voldemort, and even the story elements, the performances by the actors are more than perfect enough to hold the weight of two plus hours.

5. Male Stars Really Great 4.5

   Dan is the man! Never before has I EVER been so impressed by a teenage actor. Daniel Radcliffe is – I dunno, insert whatever positive word you want here. Finally, you get the feeling that PHOENIX is Dan’s movie. His performance is so wonderful, it’s something you gotta see to understand.

6. Female Stars Great 4.0

   Emma Watson shines as Hermione (though AZKABAN and GOBLET have a bigger role for her to play). On a personal note, her constant hesitating before answering a simple question gets quite annoying (if you want a example, watch GOBLET OF FIRE when the Weasley twins bug Hermione before they attempt to put their names in the Goblet). Overall, though, a solid, if nothing spectacular, performance.

7. Female Costars Really Great 4.5

   Co-stars include Bonnie Wright as Ginny, and Katie Leung as Cho Chang, Harry’s love interest. Bonnie has finally been given a expanded role! Not since CHAMBER OF SECRETS has she been on screen for little more than two minutes. Though not much screen time, Bonnie still shines. Coming back for her second POTTER movie, Ms. Leung also shines. Katie is a terrific actress and I look forward to her future endeavors.

8. Male Costars Really Great 4.5

   Dude, Ray Fiennes is the bomb! Lord Voldemort is reason #2 to see PHOENIX. His excellent performance from GOBLET is carried over here perfectly. Definitly one of THE best villian portryals ever.

10. Film

    Really Great 4.5

    Top-notch on every level. Perfect. Sublime. Can you tell I like this movie?

11. Direction Really Great 4.5

    David Yates is creative and interesting, bringing us some pretty awesome visuals (the Dumbledore/Voldemort duel comes to mind) as well as near perfection editing. I have no complaints here, Yates is now my second favorite POTTER director (sorry, don’t think anyone will replace Alfonso; see CHILDREN OF MEN for more proof of his awesomeness). I’m extremely glad Yates is coming back for HALF-BLOOD PRINCE.

12. Play Perfect 5.0

    Kudos to scribe Michael Goldenberg, whose job it was to condense a 800 plus page book into a two and a half hour movie (and the funny thing is, the movie feels like the shortest). Goldenberg succeded in spades. Definitly THE best adaptation thus far of the franchise.

13. Music Great 4.0

    Yates-regular Nicholas Hooper comes onboard for the fifth POTTER flick (and apparently the next) with a serviceable score that isn’t fantastic, but steps above other scores. Williams left the POTTER franchise with AZKABAN, which has some absolutely beautiful music to it (in my opinion, “Qudditch, Third Year” is one of his best works ever); Patrick Doyle brought nothing new or interesting to GOBLET OF FIRE; so really, Hooper could only improve, and improve he does! Fantastic job, mate.

14. Visuals Really Great 4.5

    Though not as beautiful or awe-inspiring as PRISONER OF AZKABAN (sorry, guys, I’m in love with what Alfonso did)

15. Content

16. Edge

    Tame 1.3

    The POTTER franchise is (obviously) directed to the young and teenage demograph (though it does appeal to all ages)

17. Sex Innocent 1.0

    Unless you’re really uptight, and you can’t stand a bit of Harry and Cho snogging, then nothing sexual in the slightest is evident.

18. Violence Gentle 1.5

    If ‘violence’ constitutes as individuals pointing wands at each other and said effects erupting with supernatural power, then PHOENIX has violence galore(!!!). Seriously, none to be had here.

19. Rudeness Polite 1.5

    A “damn” here or there, but nothing terrible.

21. Reality

    Fantasy 4.5

    Human beings and creatures in the world that can produce magic via a stick. Reality abundance, here, mate. Though I daresay I feel this, er, ‘reality’ is faaarrr more plausible than, say, the recent SEEKER: THE DARKNESS IS RISING.

22. Circumstantial Fantasy 4.4

23. Biological Fantasy 4.6

24. Physical Fantasy 4.6