All right, kids. After going through the last few posts about the HP series, I realized I MIGHT have gone a bit overboard. Listen, we all know what happens in these books. So, instead of going on a massive summary that essentially tells you the finer details of the stories, I'll just go ahead and write a simple one, say what I like and my thoughts on the book as a whole. Sound good? Awesome.
So, we enter into Harry's fifth year at the prestigious Hogwarts. Voldemort has made his return, but Harry and Dumbledore are accused of creating this monstrous lie in order to gain attention and create unease among the wizarding world. After dementors are sent to Harry, he learns of the resistance known as the Order of the Phoenix. Mr.Weasley accompanies him to his hearing where he's freed of all charges, he heads back to school and the whispers about him start up once again. Dolores Umbridge takes over Defense Against the Dark Arts, refuses to teach them properly and for the first time, Harry is thrust into a much larger role in leadership as he starts to teach what becomes known as Dumbledore's Army. Throughout all of this, the dreams starring Voldemort happen more and more often resulting in Harry seeing Mr.Weasley being attacked. After that, Harry begins to practice Occlumency and manages to completely fail. Of course, Voldy learns of it and uses it to his advantage by placing the idea in Harry's head that he has captured and tortured Sirius to lure him to the Department of Mysteries. Umbridge catches the trio trying to get there, rounds up Luna, Ginny and Neville as well and once they get out of that mess, the group heads to the Ministry where Harry grabs the prophecy, the group fights off a group of Death Eaters and members of the Order come to join the fray. Bellatrix kills Sirius because she's a bitch, Harry chases after her and comes face to face with Voldy. Dumbledore shows up, he and Voldy duel and the Wizarding world finally comes to terms with Voldemort's return. Simple enough, right?
This is always the problem book. I have no problems admitting that. I can rip through the first three books in a week, get through the fourth in a few days and it isn't until I get to this story that I feel like I'm entering boot camp. It's the largest of the series and feels like it's honestly never-ever-ending. It's one of the few books where four hundred pages deep still doesn't feel like an accomplishment. Even when you're almost finished, you realize you STILL have two more books to read to complete the series. Oy-vey.
There's a lot to process with this book. There's so much going on and when you read the book, you realize how much just didn't make it into the movie. Not that that's necessarily a problem, it's just a fact. The movie is meant to be the book in a nutshell and get to the core of the story. If you wanted every detail, the book is where you look to.
Things I wish would have been in the movie: The St.Mungo's scene with Neville's parents was one of my favorite parts of the book. It gave you a serious look into why Neville feels the way that he does and what pushes him to prove himself. I wish they would have told everyone that Trelawney made the prophecy and that Umbridge was the one who sent the dementors on Harry. It would have been nice if they had shown that Sirius had given Harry the mirror because it seemed sort of out of place when Harry magically has this bit of mirror in Part I. The Department of Mysteries fight sequence was so elaborate in the book and I wish it would have been in the movie, but it was still wonderful nonetheless. When Voldy smashes the windows? Ugh. My favorite.
The most important aspects of the book and movie are as follows: Luna Lovegood is easily the best character introduced in the later portion of the series. There is no one who brings as much joy in books and movies 5-7 as Luna. It wasn't until this movie where I really thought that Daniel Radcliffe was going to be a really successful actor. I'm not trying to say that he wasn't great in the first four movies because he was. What I'm saying is that the scene where Harry is talking to Sirius in the Black family tree tapestry room is the first time I said, "Wow. Daniel Radcliffe is going to have an amazing career ahead of him. He's going to be an incredible actor."
I think that's more than enough to go on. Ah, this is incredibly long!
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