(c) Warner Brothers

Following the rebirth of “you know who�? in the last episode, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is haunted by the death of classmate Cedric at the hands of his ultimate nemesis. This places the budding wizard in a very dark place, and Radcliffe, who has grown tremendously as an actor right in front of our eyes over the years, is brilliant. His Harry is mature yet vulnerable, and his performance anchors the film this go round.

After an attack by the Death Eaters, Harry is nearly expelled from Hogwarts and must defend himself in front of the Ministry of Magic. Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) comes to his aid, but is strangely aloof. Upon returning to school, Harry is reunited with his BFFs Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), as well as last year’s crush Cho Chang (Katie Leung) and the new girl, Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch), an odd duck with secrets of her own.

In the ever-revolving post of Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, we are introduced to Dolores Umbridge, played with mirthful benevolence by Imelda Staunton. Clad in pinks and magentas, with an air of superiority oozing from her smile, she is like a Cheshire Cat with a new scratching post to claw apart as she wastes no time in taking over the school, usurping Dumbledore and generally making things miserable for everyone. She refuses to teach her charges how to defend themselves magically, so Harry, knowing that a battle is brewing in the not to distant future, takes it upon himself to train a small band of students in the finer points of how to handle a wand.

Meanwhile, Harry’s godfather, Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) is reorganizing the secret sect known as the Order of the Phoenix, recruiting a motley crew of wizards and witches in preparation for the impending war against “he who must not be named�?. However, Lord Voldemort - oops, I said his name - is doing the same thing. Even worse, it turns out that this big bad (once again played by a serpentine Ralph Fiennes, sans nose) has some kind of psychic link to our hero, a link that could lead to the end of young Potter if it is discovered.

A lot happens in Order of the Phoenix. Not only do we see the return of just about every supporting character (living or dead) in the Potter universe (only here can such award-winning actors as Maggie Smith, Emma Thompson and Richard Griffiths find themselves relegated to the sidelines), but we also get the lumbering giant half brother of Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), a roaming band of centaur warriors, a herd of flying, skeletal horses, and Helena Bonham Carter as a whacked-out witch.

Director David Yates keeps it all in check and believable while still maintaining a focus on the main character and his quest, something that Newell failed at so miserably in Goblet of Fire. Although the pacing does tend to drag during the host of expository scenes, Yates does stage some amazing action sequences, including a wizard’s duel to end all wizard duels.

Harry Potter in our world certainly has become a force to be reckoned with. Not for nothing did the announcement of the upcoming Potter-themed land at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure park make headlines around the world, as will the release of J.K. Rowling’s seventh and final tome later this week.