As we approach the opening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Pop Goes The World, will take a look back at each of the Harry Potter films, today we re-explore Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

One of the most shameful things about the fifth Harry Potter movie was that it was the shortest one in the series. It takes the longest book in the series and condenses everything in just two hours. Steve Kloves took a break from writing the screenplay for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix so Michael Goldenberg took over. We also get a new director in David Yates, who does a great job with his first major Hollywood movie.

There were many cuts that I didn’t agree with and when I first saw the movie, I didn’t like it. I only learned to like upon second viewing (after knowing the cuts and grudgingly accepting it). But I made me like it was seeing it in IMAX 3D -the battle at the Department of Mysteries was just fantastic seeing it in that format.

The cuts I didn’t like was pretty much eliminating the stuff with Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) and his parents and how Neville came to live with his grandmother. Having that in the book really showed that there was more to Neville than being a klutz and being a poor wizard and the starting point to what Neville will become in future books.

I didn’t like the fact that they eliminated Rita Skeeter from the movie as I felt her writing a pro-Harry piece would be important but I guess in the long run it didn’t matter.

I heard that they wanted to cut Kreacher out of the fifth film but JK Rowling said that would be a mistake as he would be important for the seventh book. But how they used him in the film was pretty much nothing yet his role in the book is quite significant.

Also, the filmmakers really reduced the role of Tonks (Natalia Tena). She is such a significant character in the books and I actually like Tonks and was disappointed to see her part so watered down.

Now what I did like was Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge. She was perfect. I also love Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood and loved the hinting of Harry and Ginny in this film. Helena Bonham Carter hews the scenery as Bellatrix Lestrange. And I liked the father-s0n relationship that Sirius Black has with Harry Potter. Their scenes together was wonderfully acted by Gary Oldman and Daniel Radcliffe.

It seemed in this film that we have gone backwards in the visual effects department. Grawp (Hagrid’s giant half-brother) was terribly realized as were the centaurs. I saw a recent CNN special on Harry Potter where the visual effects supervisor was disappointed with Grawp. If they keep Grawp for Deathly Hallows Part 2, here is hoping that he is much improved just like Dobby was.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is my least favourite Harry Potter book because a) Harry was angry in it all the time and b) there  was no movement forward with Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) after introducing their romantic attachment in the previous book.

The movie version probably ranks in the middle of the pack because of that battle in the Department of Mysteries. It is quite the cinematic wonder.