Thriving with five

Allow me to let a skeleton out of my literary closet. I have never read any of the "Harry Potter" books. Despite this, I have seen each of the silver-screen adaptations. In this fifth installment, the series is at its best. \nAlthough fans have been critical of the fact that this movie is the shortest of the five films and is based on the longest of the first five novels, the movie's pace is perfect and the plot leaves no holes, culminating in the most visually stunning and exciting battle in the entire series. \nRarely is there a dull moment as Harry enters his fifth year at Hogwarts. The Ministry of Magic denies Harry's claims that the evil Lord Voldemort has returned, Harry is held back from joining the Order of the Phoenix -- an assembly of witches and wizards who are against Voldemort -- and the newspapers discredit Harry so much that many turn against him. \nHarry must also deal with a host of new characters such as Luna Lovegood, an ethereal kook, and Dolores Umbridge, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Despite her affinity for kittens and Pepto-Bismol pink wardrobe, Umbridge is a witch with a "b" who is determined to squash Harry's efforts to raise a student army to fight Voldemort. \nThe series retains its cohesiveness in this installment, even with the fourth director now tackling the story. Unfortunately, we get no insight into the new director's take on Harry Potter's world. Even with a separate disc of extras, the skimpy four features are more average than special. \nIn one extra, actress Natalia Tena, who plays Nymphadora Tonks, takes us on a tour of the set. In another, filmmakers give a recap of past movies and speculate about the future of the series, which seems a bit silly now that the book series is complete. The coolest of the features is an interactive editing activity in which you can add music and sound effects to a camera shot of your choice. However, the novelty of this quickly wears. \nNow five titles in, it seems the people behind the DVD are resting on their laurels and relying on the Harry Potter name to carry their sales. This is a must-have for obsessive fans, but with only two movies left to be made in the series, most of you would be better off waiting until all they've all been released in a special boxed set.