Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Interesting to note about the books: as the series progressed, the publisher simply stopped editing Rowling’s text. That’s why the books got bigger and bigger with each entry. (That, and they realized they could charge more for heavier tomes.) That presents a problem if you’re adapting them into movies. Sprawling texts are problematic but viable in print, whereas including everything, kitchen sink and all, won’t work for a movie. Thus, some parts have to be left out, and you start to see that effect at this stage of the series. Some characters and subplots—or at least plot elements—are eliminated noticeably here, for the sake of avoiding a four-hour film. Those excisions don’t necessarily hurt the story—arguably, it improves the tale’s overall flow—but fans of the series will recognize the absences. Still, this outing provides an experience consistent with the rest of the series, and as we established in the earlier reviews, this enterprise achieved its goals, if little more. Meaning: a satisfying experience for almost all viewers. Presto cinemo! 

GoldenEye

This movie began the weird Bond-series tradition of changing some players while retaining others. The old Q is still banging around here, but Judi Dench steps in as the new M, and of course Brosnan quickly secures the role of Bond as his very own. The six-year layoff between films was, apparently, good for everyone; the production is back to its usual standards, Russia plays prominently once again (as a post-Cold War venue, but it still had some of the old juice), and the gadgetry--sorely missing in the last two films--returns to its usual role. Most noticeably, there’s fun to be had here, the lack of which was a major deficiency in the Dalton movies. No wonder a tottering enterprise was able to save itself, not just to continue but to achieve future excellence.

The Tale of Despereaux

A beautifully made movie, with plenty of visual and directorial artistry. It seems to diverge quite a bit from the book--it's been forever since I read the original--but in this case that may not be a bad thing. Like all animation today, this one suffers from "familiar voice syndrome," but not as much as other animated movies. (There's no Chris Rock doing a jive-turkey routine here.) And there's enough quirky, individualistic charm to overcome any flaws. All in all, a satisfying viewing experience.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

The news is getting worse all the time. If this flick had been a pure movie all the way, it would be bad; but given its origin in print, the result is actually abysmal. Not only is the transition from page to screen unimaginative, but much of the cinematic aspects are just plain wrong: many scenes are awkward, the kids have regressed as actors, the big name cast is mostly going through the motions, and even at well over two hours, the story feels strangely edited and out of joint. There are a few pleasures, mostly in drawing up memories of the reading experience--and it's tough to go wrong when Dobby is in the house--but that's not enough to rescue this mess.

From Hell

The Hughes Brothers win points for ambiguity; the ending is neither happy, nor sad--it just is. Of course, movies about Jack the Ripper have a built in unhappy factor. This one touches on the most prominent suspects--the Duke of Clarence, Dr. Gull--and represents the period fairly well. On the other hand, Johnny Depp and Heather Graham are unconvincing as Victorian Londoners. Tread with caution: there's some serious gore here.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Not awful, but certainly a disappointment, considering the source material. Very lifeless and flat. The kids are fine, but the supporting cast doesn't quite live up to their pedigrees. (Especially Richard Harris as Dumbledore; a cigar store Indian would have been more lively.) This was mostly made for money, and that's hardly magical.