With their warning about Lord Voldemort’s return scoffed at, Harry and Dumbledore are targeted by the Wizard authorities as an authoritarian bureaucrat slowly seizes power at Hogwarts. (imdb.com)

This was the first of only two Harry Potter films I’ve seen. I saw the previous Prisoner of Azkaban only because I noticed that both Gary Oldman and Alan Rickman were in it. I love them both as actors. Though Rickman has been in all the Potter films, I didn’t know that at the time. After seeing this last one in theaters, I was inspired to watch the first three. I thought they were good, cute. But these last two I liked much better because they were so dark.

The British have a raw, very honest approach to storytelling that can sometimes be off putting if you don’t watch a lot of UK films or TV shows. I heard that a lot of people were somewhat put off by the very dark tones of the last two films compared to the somewhat lighter tones of the first three. Americans! I was put off by the lackadaisical approach the kids and teachers at the Hogwarts School. I mean, what kind of mental is it to have children play such a dangerous game that involves flying about on broomsticks at a million miles an hour. Reminds me of how much I hated playing dodge ball when I was younger.

Anyway, My impression is that since the actors were younger and cute and prepubescent, fans enjoyed it more. Kids grow, get over it. The realities of being witches and wizards must come with age. Yeah, Americans and the Brits have polar approaches to reality and storytelling.

Anyway, The Order of the Phoenix is a great, dark installment. I look forward to the next.

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