“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” lights up silver screens across the world with a risen spirit that does justice to the title.

The 129-minute movie, directed by movie newcomer David Yates and who had not directed any of the previous movies, ranks as spectacular as the first movie in the series, perhaps better.

In the fifth installment, Harry fends off an attack on of dementors on him and his brother while he is at home, and comes close to being expelled for using magic outside of school. The suggestion that dementors are loose hints at Lord Voldemort’s rebirth and how the Dark Lord’s presence is starting to corrupt and terrorize the world.

After Dumbledore saves Harry from being expelled, Harry quickly finds that the Ministry of Magic is denying that the Dark Lord has returned, and exerting their propaganda on everyone in Hogwarts. With few friends who believe his story, Harry feels must deal with a blissfully ignorant and vulnerable Hogwarts. Meanwhile, Harry’s dreams are invaded by Voldemort, and Harry can’t help but feel he’s turning a little bad as a result.

The movie features all of its previous actors and actresses, with some new faces to join the ranks of Harry’s cohorts. While the teenagers are obviously growing a bit older than their paperback counterparts, the feel of the Hogwarts wizards growing up is more displayed.

The movie is extremely fun to take in visually. Despite a noticeable ramping-up of visual graphics, the movie is one of few in the year to not overdo them. Instead, the new graphics lend more color and excitement to the already cool scenes in the movie, like flying in formation with the aurors over London’s nightscape. Also breathtaking are the many aerial views of Hogwarts castle, rivaling Minas Tirith in the Lord of the Rings.

In addition to the amplified excitement of the cool scenes in the plot, Director David Yates capitalizes on creepy and fear-producing moods very well for a first-time fantasy director. When the bad guys start gaining ground in the plot or extending their influence to the cheerful student life, the chilling atmosphere made my heart stop. I’ve never felt that in a Harry Potter movie – and I know what’s coming too. That’s really awesome in a book-to-movie adaptation.

And while the movie isn’t spending most of its time taking us for a plot roller coaster, the comic humor is wittier than it has been in previous movies. Thankfully, it’s also not overdone. Fred and George Weasly’s twin clown role doesn’t die, either. Even better, some of the professors (Snape and Filch, even!) get their own moments of hilarious humor!

Still, the movie faces issues of Harry’s personality not quite as fans of the book saw it. The short time given the entirety of the book’s plot is shown in how little Harry’s raw emotions are developed – but at least Radcliffe makes some progress. We don’t see so much angry Harry as we do a Harry tormented by his memories (and by his dreams via Voldemort.)

Also missing from the movie are several subtle details found throughout the book, details that not only bring some previous ones from older movies full circle, but also some details that would give foreshadowing to the next two movies. I won’t reveal such details to avoid spoiling the plot, but fans of the book will notice that some of the more delicious finer points of dialogue and setting have been left out.

Dolores Umbridge, the Ministry’s representative in Hogwarts, is depicted slightly differently than she was in the book. In print, Umbridge was a large and dragon-like lady in personality, more menacing than anything else. In the movie, the role is replaced with a purposefully annoying overly sweet instructor. However, the true colors of Umbridge stay true to the book, and her cruel side comes across as intended.

For those who have not read the books or seen the movie yet, I don’t think I’ll be spoiling too much by saying that the audience will not be disappointed to find out why the only one Voldemort ever feared was Albus Dumbledore.

Despite the absence of many details and scenes in the book, print Potter fans won’t be disappointed by the latest movie.

For the fifth adaptation of a long line of Harry Potter movies, this one breathes life back into the series with a rainbow of new special effects, excellent writing and directing. What’s just as exciting, is with the visual success director David Yates has had with film five, he’s returning to direct film six too (which is already in production!)