By PAUL R. MAY
paul@paulrmay.com
Ralph Fiennes, the actor behind the evil Lord “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named” is scary enough to begin with. But his reptilian blue-white skin and those terrifying pit viper slits he has for nostrils are even freakier when he’s standing in front of you at about 50 feet tall.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix premiered at World Golf Village’s IMAX Theater Tuesday night. A packed house of media reviewers and lucky prizewinners enjoyed a 7 p.m. sneak preview of the movie before it opened to the general public at midnight.
Amadeus, Eden and Steve of 99.9 Gator Country’s morning show hosts served as emcees for the event, offering a pre-show trivia contest during which they were completely skunked by several young Harry Potter experts in the crowd.
Just before the movie started, a World Golf Village IMAX announcer said, “So, are you guys ready to see Star Wars?” There were a few snickers from the adults, but the kids were not in the mood to wait any longer.
There is nothing like the IMAX experience, especially when it comes to one of the epic Harry Potter movies. Here are the top 10 reasons to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at the WGV IMAX:
10. Those Creepy Death Eaters —Swooping in several times throughout the movie, with a particularly exciting scene in the beginning, the Death Eaters are especially terrifying on an 80-foot wide screen.
9. Uncle Vernon — The big screen really brings out Uncle Vernon’s giant yellow teeth and significant facial hygiene problems.
8. Battle Flashbacks — If you’re a Harry Potter nut who has seen all of the movies, you’ll appreciate the big-screen battle flashbacks between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort.
7. Mad-Eye Moody’s Wandering Eye — Think about his wandering eye at about 5 feet in diameter.
6. Breathtaking Landscapes — In true IMAX helicopter style, many of the scenes take you on a virtual flight over stunning landscapes.
5. Hagrid’s House (Bird’s-eye view) — Several other scenes use that same helicopter zoom-in approach to show Hagrid’s charming mountainside cottage.
Warner Bros. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix features a kiss between Daniel Radcliffe's Harry and Katie Leung and Cho Chang. WARNER BROS. PICTURES/Special
4. Harry Kisses Cho — Nothing like Harry’s first big kiss on the big screen. A little girl in the back row was overheard saying, “Tell me when it’s over.”
3. Hagrid at 60 Feet — Talk about someone who didn’t need to get much bigger. Hagrid towers over the audience on the IMAX screen
2. The Battle Scenes — The final battle scenes are a must-see on the big screen. Wand-sparks arcing across the theater, glass-shattering explosions, brilliant white-light Petronus charms.
Helena Bonham Carter is Bellatrix Lestrange in Warner Bros. Pictures' fantasy Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. WARNER BROS. PICTURES/Special
1. Helena Bonham Carter — Carter’s portrayal of Bellatrix Lestrange is mesmerizing. The IMAX screen brings her terrifying character right up close and personal.
Die-hard Harry Potter fans seem to be in agreement with a thumbs-up review of Order of the Phoenix.
Eva Pollinger-Middleton, 14, said she thought the movie was awesome. “They missed some things from the book,” she said. “But they definitely made up for it with the fight scenes. The acting was spot-on as always. Alan Rickman in particular.”
Summer Callahan, 14, was similarly enthusiastic. She said, “the big climactic battle between good and evil was phenomenal.” She said she also really enjoyed Helena Bonham Carter’s performance as Bellatrix Lestrange.
MOVIE SPECS
Title: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Length: 2 hours 18 minutes
Synopsis: Based on the fifth book in J.K. Rowling’s popular series. Harry Potter builds Dumbledore’s Army to fight Lord Voldemort.
Running: July 11- Oct. 4
Cost: $11.50. If purchased online at www.wgv.com, a convenience fee of $1.50 or $1.75 is added to the price.
