A Hotter Potter

Tonight my buddy Captain Steve plus-one'd me for a screening of Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix at the Time-Warner screening room above Columbus Circle. The movie was much less gory than the last installment in the series, but it was also darker, more brooding, with much less humor than has been evident in the last four films. Harry Potter's writhing in mental agony seems to consume at least a reel's worth of screen time - flashbacks, nightmares, daydreams.

Most of the major and minor characters from the series make an appearance, a few of which I don't think we've seen since the first film. Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge, a new teacher at Hogwarts, almost steals the movie. Still, with no quidditch and few laughs, this Potter has a strange feel. It will probably grow on me with repeated viewings, as the Potter films tended to do. Harry is quite rebellious in this one, he mouths off to teachers, breaks the rules right and left. Daniel Radcliffe is turning into quite the hottie. Is it OK to say that? He turns 18 this month.

Anyway, I still just can't believe that they killed Hermione.
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