Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 2-Disc Special Edition DVD Review

The Harry Potter films continue to best each other with each new release. The fifth movie of the Harry Potter franchise - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - is no exception. The special effects are fantastic, the action sequences are everything you'd expect from a Harry Potter movie, and the young stars of the series have gotten better over time.

The Story
The return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is questioned by those in authority at the Ministry of Magic as well as some of Harry Potter's schoolmates in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. But Harry and his closest friends Ron and Hermione, along with Professor Dumbledore, know the truth. So do the wizards who make up the Order of the Phoenix, a top secret group dedicated to stopping Lord Voldemort...

The Bonus Features
I'm a huge fan of commentary tracks because I want to know why a director made specific choices as well as other behind-the-scenes tidbits. However, I know a lot of DVD buyers never listen to the tracks and don't find them all that important in making a decision about whether or not to purchase a film. If you're one of those who doesn't care, then buy away. The bonus features actually included in the Harry Potter 2-Disc Special Edition DVD release are worth checking out, and the fifth film of the series is - overall - one of the best of the lot. And having the film in your personal DVD collection makes it much easier to refresh your memory right before Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince hits theaters.

Extra Features

'Trailing Tonks' - Nat Tena gives a guided tour of the set including visits to a wand training session, props department, art department, the Room of Requirement, and the model shop

'Harry Potter: The Magic of Editing' - Director Yates and Editor Mark Day explain how much music affects a scene, and viewers are given the chance to do their own editing of a scene

'A&E Documentary: The Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter' - Sums up the background story thru the end of the fifth movie. It's everything you need to know about Harry Potter and more.

17 minutes of deleted scenes