In his fifth big screen outing, The Order Of The Phoenix, wiz kid Harry Potter demonstrates a "new maturity". Daniel Radcliffe plays it mean and moody, which is echoed in the gloomy visuals from director David Yates. Even though the story itself was deemed less compelling than previous instalments, you didn't need a sixth sense to predict it would be one the highest grossing films of 2007.

Magical Mystery

Potter has fewer tricks than usual tucked up his sleeve for this Special Edition. A 45 minute documentary recaps the story so far and looks specifically at the ambiguous but definitely very sinister dynamic between Harry and Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). Radcliffe assures us that Harry has "the potential for evil inside him", but apart from the teasing suggestions of cast and crew, experts on JK Rowling's mythology speculate on the meaning behind his scar and the matching wands. Of course if you've already read the last two books, there are no surprises.

Nine additional scenes aren't too revelatory either, although Emma Thompson and a wild-eyed Imelda Staunton are a joy to watch as the bumbling Professor Trelawney and psychotic Dolores Umbridge respectively. Between their awkward encounters in the classroom, there's more of Harry moping around the corridors of Hogwarts like the geek boys' answer to James Dean.

The Dark Arts

Natalie Tena, who plays Nymphadora Tonks, is your guide for an all access tour of the sprawling Harry Potter set in Trailing Tonks. First it's a stop off at hair and makeup, to get that Siouxsie and the Banshees look, before moving on to the modelmakers workshop where the studio elves are knocking up trolls and centaurs by the dozen. Tena later tries out a new broomstick in the props room and even has a few minutes to check in with the oft forgotten sound department. Finally, a quick nosey around the Hogwarts soundstage finds Radcliffe experimenting with his rubber wand. Naughty, naughty...

A five-minute masterclass in editing also manages to squeeze in a few CGI demos and some pointers on sound design. Given the scale of this project, it seems a little strange that all this intricate effects work is so quickly glossed over. David Yates doesn't have much to say for himself either and JK Rowling is probably too busy hatching her next big assault on popular culture to contribute at all. Ardent fans of the franchise may feel a little shortchanged by this not-so special edition, but there's probably enough backstage scoop for the average muggle.

EXTRA FEATURES

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix: Special Edition DVD is released on Monday 12th November 2007.