Phoenix mill mayhem

Hello again, Harry Potter. Even as millions of readers around the world are giddily anticipating the release, on July 21, of the final volume of J.K.Rowling's bonanza-sellers, here's the fifth installment of the formidable film franchise.

David Yates, a veteran of British TV, makes his directorial movie debut with the $200 million magic-and-mayhem adventure. Taking over from Mike Newell, The Goblet of Fire helmer who declined to return, he displays more of the visual panache of the previous Potter-fare.

Although the labyrinths of the plot are a tad difficult to traverse, both the eyes and the senses are seduced by the sophisticated special effects and wondrous set design.

Faced with the Herculean task of adapting the hefty 890 page novel, scriptwriter Michael Goldenberg has excised plenty of extraneous material, narrowing the focus on the overtly political aspects of the story. Incidentally, at 138 minutes, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the shortest film in the series.

So what's the news from Hogwarts this time around? Returning for his fifth semester at the school of witchcraft and wizardry, the teenage Harry (Radcliffe) finds his credibility compromised when the powers-that-be at the Ministry of Magic refute his claim regarding the return of their arch-nemesis (Ralph Fiennes, sinister as ever).

It's now up to our bespectacled hero and his best buddies (Rupert Grint-Watson) to defend the titular order against the rampaging evildoers. The trio with brio also has to contend with the school's new dictatorial Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher (Imelda Staunton). And in the midst of the malarkey, Harry even gets his first proper kiss from one of his classmates.

Rabid Potterphiles are bound to quibble about the missing Quidditch action. Also, kids, especially those under 10, may find the mood a bit too grim for comfort.

Reliable regulars, including Michael Gambon as the benign headmaster, Alan Rickman as Hogwart's resident occultist and Gary Oldman as Harry's heroic godfather, reprise their roles with aplomb. While Rupert Grint and Emma Watson barely make an impact in severely curtailed roles, Daniel Radcliffe has never been this assured before. However, the thunder is stolen by Imelda Staunton. Attired in shocking pink from head to toe, the Oscar-nominee from Vera Drake, has a blast.

Go ahead, make your multiplex matinee.