The fifth film in the series, based on the fifth book of the series, is more for adults — and older teens — than it is for young children. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is paced more like a drama with some action than an action film with some drama. It is the most notable difference between this one and the preceding four films.

I enjoyed the way the story was told and, although not as visually flashy as Sorcerer’s Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban or Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix has its own charm and qualities that set it apart from the other four.

First off, the music. I came in the theater with the end credits rolling. The music played was the one used in the scene where the Weasley twins disrupted the O.W.L.s. It gave me a sense of excitement for the film. Going through the movie proved that sense of excitement and much more. There was drama, action, drama, special effects, and drama. And that was all conveyed well through Nicholas Hooper’s score — especially the drama. ;o)

The director. Being sourced from the same series, there would understandably be a sense of coherence in the five films. And yet there has always been a certain distinction in the way each of the four helmers handled their respective Potter films. Each director left their mark in the series. Chris Columbus established a lot in Sorcerer’s Stone and improved on them in Chamber of Secrets. Alfonso Cuaron did a good job translating the darker tone of Prisoner of Azkaban into film. Mike Newell handled the action-packed Goblet of Fire wonderfully. David Yates managed to turn Order of the Phoenix into an engaging plot-driven movie without relying heavily on special effects or action to move the story forward.

I loved the fact that Yates took time to develop the character moments as it allowed the audience to take in the emotion of those scenes and, in essence, the emotion of the entire movie. This is one of the qualities that made Order of the Phoenix stand out, IMO. And probably the same reason why producers of the series are bringing Yates back for the Half-Blood Prince.

The cast. One of the factors that make the Harry Potter films interesting is its cast. From the first movie to this one, producers have always managed to get the best British thespians to play key roles in the movies. The addition of Helena Bonham Carter and Imelda Staunton makes the growing cast list of the series seem like a who’s who of the finest actors in the UK. I particularly enjoyed Staunton’s performance as Dolores Umbridge — she’s the standout character in this film. Also notable in the acting department is Daniel Radcliffe in the title role and Evanna Lynch as the irresistibly sweet Luna Lovegood. The rest of the players also did a good job with their respective parts.

The effects. There are fewer visual effects shots here than in the previous films but whenever you see those shots, your attention would most certainly by captured. Most eye-catching for me was Professor Dumbledore’s (Michael Gambon) escape through phoenix fire and the confrontation between Dumbledore and Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) towards the end of the show. Kudos to the visual effects people.

Themes. From a personal perspective, I found some relevant themes in the movie that mirrored some of the things I believe in life. First, the importance of prophecies. In the film, Voldemort was after a prophecy, which only Harry Potter could retrieve from the Department of Mysteries. Prophecies can be a warning, an instruction or an encouragement. They are uttered to edify those for whom it was prophesied. In Harry’s case, the prophecy was part warning and instruction to him and for He Who Shall Not Be Named as well. I believe Voldemort understood its importance which is why he was bent on getting the prophecy from its resting place.

Second, the importance of knowing the truth before making judgments. At the beginning of the movie, many students and teachers at Hogwart’s (and practically everyone in the magical community) doubted Harry’s confession of the Dark Lord’s return — thanks mainly to the stories published by The Daily Prophet. I saw in those series of scenes how we can sometimes jump the gun on making up our minds about certain situations and people in our lives — we can become one-sided and make hasty decisions, which isn’t good. However, towards the end of the film, some of the individuals who initially doubted Harry saw the light — and the Dark Lord himself — and finally believed that the Boy Who Lived was not a boy who lied.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix continues the series on a high note and pushes it further in preparation for the last two films. Many plot points in this film were elaborated and logically connected to plot points of the previous four movies, making it more of a dramatic film than an actioner. It didn’t fall short of portraying important themes — friendship, trust, standing up for what’s right — that many could learn from. And on top of that, the promise of director David Yates’s return for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince — assuring fans of the films of something better and more exciting.

Before anything else, I would just like to say that top billing for this review goes to Napoleon and Cherylynn, my "chaperones" to the opening night of this film.

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Transformers was an unexpectedly entertaining summer blockbuster. When I heard last year that Hollywood was coming up with a live-action version of the beloved robots in disguise, I wasn’t quite excited about the concept of the film. However, I made plans to watch the movie anyway since I am a regular patron of the slew of cinematic centerpieces big movie studios dish out during the summer season.

The film came out. I saw it on opening night. And Transformers conquered the box-office, surprisingly. The Cybertronian robots went on a rampage – entertaining moviegoers of all ages along the way – as the Autobots and Decepticons took their intergalactic battle to the streets of the America. But what was it exactly that made this Steven Spielberg-produced, Michael Bay-directed movie live up to its tagline, “more than meets the eye”? What were the elements of this film that drew the audiences into its universe and held them there for 2 hours and 15 minutes? From the very first frame of the film to the very last, I found Transformers to be an interesting movie. Here are some reasons.

First of all, images of fighting robots that can convert themselves into various types of transportation have never been depicted in a dynamic and eye-catching way as the robots in this film have been. This, I believe, made Transformers a big hit to the viewing audience. The animation of the Autobots and the Decepticons was done so well, it invigorated the imagination of moviegoers. I thoroughly enjoyed every time the robots would transform, get into battle mode and used the many arsenal they had tucked away in their mechanical frames.

Second, the uncomplicated story and how it was told. The script was not by any means Oscar-material, but it was simple enough for a summer blockbuster audience to take in, and told well enough for lovers of good narrative to appreciate. It was straightforward enough to be summarized as follows: advanced, alien robots – good Autobots and bad Decepticons – from a planet called Cybertron came to Earth in search for a great power source – the Allspark – which had been lost for ages; the quest involved a young man named Sam, who eventually helps the Autobots defeat the Decepticons and their leader, Megatron. You can’t get any plainer than that.

Third, the relevant themes and principles in the movie. For me, this is what made the film very meaningful. Many statements and symbolisms resonated with things that I believe in. Here are a few:

“More than meets the eye” – the film’s tagline, which was also quoted by Sam (Shia LaBeouf) and Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen), to me says a lot about looking beyond the surface, seeing a person’s character – who they are inside is what really counts.

“No sacrifice, no victory” – the Autobots’ battle motto sounds a lot like “no guts, no glory” but it rings true, nonetheless. In life, each one of us is called to give up something, to sacrifice what we want the most to accomplish a higher objective, a lofty goal. This was depicted vividly first when Optimus Prime offered his life to save many by allowing the use of his body to destroy the Allspark, and then when Sam sacrificed his safety and his life to keep the Allspark from the Decepticons. There can be no real victory without sacrifice.

“You are a soldier now!” – Captain William Lennox’s (Josh Duhamel) call to arms for Sam, who, toward the end of the film, was given the daunting task of keeping the Allspark safe and away from Megatron and his lackeys. Hesitant about taking a key part in the raging battle, Sam was encouraged to step up and join the ranks of the soldiers fighting for the protection and preservation of life on Earth. At some point in our lives, we will be required to heed the call to rise up and take arms to defend what is right.

Overall, Transformers was unexpectedly entertaining, easily digestible and honorably themed. It went beyond robots running around and big explosions galore. This film’s heart made it exciting and endearing to me. Transformers is truly more than meets the eye.