“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’’
Rated PG-13
Now playing
*** 1/2

THE PLOT: In the angstiest book of them all, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is ferried abruptly back to the realm of magic after an ambush attack, only to find that the Ministry of Magic is bent on denying the return of Lord Voldemort, as powerful and revitalized as he is noseless. Harry now must juggle several issues at once, including his alienation, his rocky friendships and his archenemy, all while controlling his hormones (or attempting to, at least).

(Photo: Rupert Grint, from left, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson star in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." Credit: Murray Chase -- Warner Bros.)

STUPEFY!: The lack of explanatory dialogue and the glaring omissions from the plot stun the viewer, so only fans who have read the book can keep up with the Firebolt pace. This mild chaos does add to the fun, however, as you can challenge yourself – “Hey! I understood what just happened!”

EXPELLIARMUS!: “Harry Potter’’ the 5th has the special effects expected of a 21st-century summer sequel, but the dazzling effects can still disarm the moviegoer. The realistic graphics of the magical beasts would do Hagrid proud, as would the battle scenes. In fact, the viewer can feel the power surging from the wands during the final confrontation, which is remarkably souped up to become a symbolic fight between good and evil.

THE BOTTOM LINE: It is impossible to condense 870 pages into 120-plus minutes of screen time, and the overall production is an artistic, speedy and enjoyable adaptation – the key word being “adaptation.” The movie is a great work of entertainment, but if you want to decipher the sequence of events, make sure you remember the book well (or have read it, at least).

-- Michelle Kang, St. Francis High, Mountain View