Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - - (Spoiler zone)

[Jazzman]

This is my review cross-posted from MC.

WARNING! Longer than I intended!

We saw the midnight premiere last night and had a lot of fun, but I can’t decide yet if I actually liked it or not. It had pretty high quality production values and the acting was superb throughout, which is all definitely good, but there were a few things that I just didn’t quite agree with.

Spoiler:

The Good

- I continue to be amazed at how perfectly they are able to match the characters’ on-screen representations to the images I’ve created in my mind. Every time a new character is shown on-screen they look exactly the way I imagined them. Cedric, Mad Eye, Voldemort, Fleur (Ahhh, lovely, lovely Fleur) etc. And they filled their parts wonderfully. Even more than LoTR this series has been, to me, like the books come to life.

- I have to mention how much I adore the score. It didn't change much, but I still get chills when hearing it, and the films have all succeeded greatly in using the music to enhance the scene without becoming overpowering or annoying. John Williams is truly a master of leit motif, and his Potter themes are some of his best, which is saying a lot. Added - Patrick Doyle arranged the score for this film, but his source material was still the motifs crafted by Williams for "Sorceror's Stone."

- The first task was incredible and, I feel, even surpassed the book’s version. The dragon was fantastically rendered, and the same is true of all the CG shots, such as the merpeople, Voldemort’s rebirth, etc. George Lucas should hook up with these FX artists, because this is what CG effects should bring to a film. I never had to drown in suspension of disbelief in order to “buy” the effects; they fit like perfectly matched puzzle pieces.

- The tone of the movie also matched the book’s tone quite well, which I appreciated. The filmmaker’s could have easily toned it down and kept it aimed at kids, but they had the cajones to keep it true to the story and preserve the spirit of Rowling’s tale. The wizard world is now at the brink of war, and this chapter in the saga is where that dramatic transition begins. The innocence of “Sorcerer’s Stone” is gone, and as Harry told Hermione, things are all about to change. If this film hadn’t been as dark as it is, then the following films would either be thrown completely off by having to be lightened accordingly, or they would be made appropriately “dark” to match their respective books and the change between this film and them would be clunky and jarring.

- Some of the most dramatic moments blew me away. Cedric’s death unfolded exactly as I think it should have. Watching Harry tearfully throw himself protectively across Cedric’s body, and then listening to the wails of despair coming from Cedric’s Dad just tore my heart out. I never expected a Potter film to bring tears, but this one made me misty a few times.

- A huge, HUGE thumbs up to the extended screen time given to some previously neglected characters; the twins especially. They’re so much fun, and just fill the screen to overflowing whenever they appear. I loved every frame they were in. Neville was also a scene stealing gem. “I just got in! Me!” I actually let out a heartfelt cheer for him. Neville is such an endearing character, and it was fun to see him on-screen radiating that same lovableness which he has in the books.

- The little comedic moments were so well timed that it felt like those cool summer breezes that come along on a really hot day and make you stop, smile and bask in the moment. Whether it was the ferreting of Malfoy, McGonagall’s dry quips, or anything the twins said or did, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud and not once rolled my eyes or groaned. No cheese = all good.

[u[The Bad[/u]

- Above all I have to bemoan the horrible casting of Dumbledore. Michael Gambon may be a fine actor, but this part is nowhere near the right one for him. I of course don’t expect anyone to step into Richard Harris’ shoes, but someone at least close would be appreciated. Harris was able to capture the essence of Dumbledore; the awesome power flowing just beneath the surface, obvious yet not overshadowing the serene calm of the kindly, sometimes goofy, old man. Gambon, however, fails in this completely, and his stomping, brooding and shouting is completely out of character for Dumbledore. When he dove into Harry, nearly strangling him, after the Goblet spit out his name I rolled my eyes nearly out of my head. Absent entirely was the fatherly concern and love fueled worry that Dumbledore exhibited in the books. Instead he just look like an old geezer throwing a fit. Lame... I remember a scene in the “Chamber of Secrets” where Dumbledore shouted “Silence!” over the heads of the students. There was such commanding authority in his voice that even the viewer sat up straighter. They tried the same trick a few times in this film and it was just grating and irritating. It reminded me of a substitute teacher trying to bring a class to order. Totally lame and ignore-able. Dumbledore is such an important character that it’s sad to see him acted so poorly. I have to wonder if “Half Blood Prince,” when it’s filmed, is going to impact anyone at all.

- I understand that running time is a huge concern, but at 157 minutes this was not a long film by today’s standards. So much had to be cut from the book that even another fifteen minutes would have been greatly appreciated by those of us who love the books so much. As it is we lost characters like Winky, Bagman, Mrs. Weasley, the Dursleys, Percy and Peeves; plot points such as Riddle’s past and the death of his parents, the gravity of the trials, and the tragedy of Neville’s parents; and things like the Blast Ended Skrewts and the Sphinxes, among others. If anything, the huge success of films like the extended LoTR editions show that audiences, if the story is compelling and beloved, will watch for hours and still want more. If the Potter saga isn’t compelling and beloved, I don’t know what is. Hopefully they’ll open up “Order of the Phoenix” enough to really give us what we want. It will be a huge success of they do.

- Following on that, I felt uncomfortably rushed. I understood the need to get going, but the way it was executed made me feel like I was watching the movie on fast forward. Ten minutes in and were over half way through the story? What the...? Perhaps the problem was in editing. I’m not sure, but it seems to me that the same film could have been put together in the same length without feeling like a ride on a bullet train. The way it was, I pitied anyone who hadn’t read the book. They really had no time to get their bearings or work things out and just had to hang on for the ride.In fact, Steph was getting annoyed because the lady next to her kept asking, “Now who’s that? Why is he upset? Who are they? Why are they doing that?” It was painfully obvious how lost she was because she hadn’t read the book.

- The maze. Sucked. They totally blew it. Instead of a dynamic, Sphinx and giant spider filled labyrinth of doom, we got a windy hedgerow filled back yard growing with Evil Dead vines. Lame.

- Sirius’ face in the fire was really lamely done too. I was a bit surprised, as the effects had been otherwise exemplary. It’s too bad that our only glimpse of Harry’s godfather was as a glowing pile of Kingsford’s charcoal briquettes.

- This really can’t be helped any more than they did, but the aging of the kids kept jarring me back into reality. Someone on-screen mentioned that Harry was fourteen, and an audience member piped up, “Uh uh! He’s twenty three!” to uproarious laughter. I’ll just have to deal, I know, but it’s still a factor.

- Ron. I love Ron! Why did they relegate him to mainly the role of “funny sidekick?” A couple of plot driving moments aside, Ron basically sat there going, “Bloody hell! Blimey! Bloody great! Piss off! Huh..?” I just didn’t feel that the screenwriters did Ron justice. Hermione was allowed to grow and mature (and boy did she!) Why not Ron?

Those are the biggest points I can think of right now. I’ll probably (hopefully) enjoy it more the second time around, in IMAX! One thing’s for sure though. I cannot wait for the next film!

[wendybeth]

I'm not going to bother with spoiler tags, as there is a warning in the thread title to beware. Also, I'm lazy.

I love Ralph Fiennes, but I am not sure I like his Voldie. In my mind's eye I keep seeing Daniel Day-Lewis in the role. I don't know why, but I do. Maybe it's his character in 'Gangs of New York', or just what sort of visual he would impart- dark, thin and intense. Fiennes seems a bit too healthy; it seems to me that Voldemort would be a bit more skeletal after his regeneration.

The fire was lame, too. But I still loved the movie, and we are seeing it again tomorrow!

[Alex]

We saw it today because Lani wanted to. I've never read the books so I am looking at them completely as standalone movies.

Most boring 2.5 hours I've experienced in a very long time. Harry Potter is an empty shell who in about 10 hours of movie has not shown one reason for people thinking he is such a great thing, in every situation he has to rely on others to solve his problems.

The framework of this movie, the Triwizard Tournament, may have been well done in the book but is thoroughly nonsensical in the movie. First, why do the other two schools only have 8 students each (or did the headmasters abandon the remaining students for a year?).

Second

Spoiler:

If all four completed the first tast with no indication of an ordering in their finish, and then Harry Potter got second place on the second task (for a very stupid reason, like the people in charge are going to drown innocent bystanders if they fail the task) then how in the world is he tied for first place when they start the third task.

Also, it is interesting that despite the eternal importance placed on this tournament none of the adults involved seemed to have any problem with the blatant cheating done in Harry's favor. But at least I didn't have to watch another Quiddich match.

But I was extremely bored about 20 minutes into the movie (at least there wasn't another horrible prologue with Harry's muggle family) so I had extra thought processes to spend contemplating the problems.

These things may be interesting for people who have read the books but as standalone movies each one has been crappier than the previous (at least the first one had some sense of discovery but we've been pummelled with essentially three additional repetitions of the same story.

I'm sure there is something about the writing that makes the books unique and wonderful, but at core there is nothing particularly revolutionary about the story being told (it is common in epic fantasy, particularly young adult literature; see also Luke Skywalker) and the movies provide absolutely nothing new for the genre other than fair special effects (which weren't much improved over movie 2 and probably not as good as 3).

Hopefully when the next one comes out, Lani won't feel compelled to see it. She didn't much care for this one either, but feels she has put in enough time seeing the earlier movies that she should see it out.

As much as I hate ever agreeing with Rex Reed, I'm completely in synch with his review (link). I was honestly amazed when the movie ended and I found we hadn't passed the 3 hour mark.

Perhaps for the future movies they could cut out the Harry Potter character and focus on the other people, he's the most boring character in them.

[Jazzman]

Originally Posted by wendybeth

I love Ralph Fiennes, but I am not sure I like his Voldie. In my mind's eye I keep seeing Daniel Day-Lewis in the role. I don't know why, but I do. Maybe it's his character in 'Gangs of New York', or just what sort of visual he would impart- dark, thin and intense. Fiennes seems a bit too healthy; it seems to me that Voldemort would be a bit more skeletal after his regeneration.

I very much enjoyed Fiennes performance, but Day-Lewis would have been an interesting choice indeed. He has a certain intensity about him that would suit Voldy well. Cool idea for speculation!

[flippyshark]

One thing I liked best about this movie as compared to the first three; this was the first one NOT scored by John Williams. Now, JW wrote brilliant motifs for this series, but I've found his scores for the first three overbearing, hammering every emotional point home like a pneumatic pile-driver, and layering a heavy syrupy coating on the "sense of wonder" moments.

This new score, using the Williams themes, is composed by Patrick Doyle. It's much subtler, and conveys mood without hard-selling it. Doyle has done fantastic and persuasive period-style music for HENRY V, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, and SENSE AND SENSIBILITY. He's versatile and classy, and he provides the best thing about this series entry. His score complements the action without overpowering it, and he also lets the more somber moments play out with dignity, not with glurge. This is the first Potter score I'm tempted to buy the soundtrack for.

Oh, and I thought this was a very entertaining movie. Not a one of these has been great cinema, but this easily rates near the top of the pack for HP movies. (I know number three was considered more stylish, and I did enjoy its visual touches, but it irritated and bored me as a movie, and is my least favorite thus far.) InnerS'man is right, Ron and Harry really do come off like a couple of clueless losers here. That just made me relate to them more, myself. I think great casting has been the strong point of these movies across the boards.

[wendybeth]

Harry and Ron are 14, which is why they are dorks. They are supposed to be- what 14 year old kid is not going to identify with them? It's when they are juxtaposed against the older students that it becomes glaring, just like in real life.

The only thing I was truly disappointed in was the very end- I wish Harry could have given the winnings to the Weasley boys to start their store. I loved the little add-ins, like Snape smacking Harry and Ron in the study hall. The ferret scene was hilarious, and there were quite a few other really funny scenes. The special effects were fairly impressive, although the forced perspective involving Madame Maxime was not very well done.

I liked the movie very much and thought they put more in than I could have hoped for. Book four is simply too massive to include everything- it must have been horribly difficult to choose what stayed and what went. While I liked PoA, I didn't love it. I will see this movie many more times, but I think it's safe to say it's my favorite thus far.

Edited to add: The Weasley twins just keep getting cuter, don't they? They were hilarious in this film.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

I loved it. From beginning to end, it was an enormously good time. The Trio were in top form and keep getting better/more attractive. Maggie Smith had stuff to do this time around, and was terrific. What I loved most about Azkaban and this film were the add-in touches, making the films their own experiences. My favorite scene was the study hall scene in the Great Hall, when Snape kept hitting Harry and Ron, and "Oi, Angelina!" was kept in!

Azkaban is a flawless movie, save the Shrieking Shack scene which was destroyed for no apparent reason considering ALL the necessary dialogue was in the book.

The only missing item from GoF that really stuck out for me was a better explanation of Neville's parents, and Snape showing his Dark Mark to the Ministry of Magic. But even those things didn’t really bother me until after the credits started rolling; whereas, in Azkaban (which I do consider a superior film) the Shrieking Shack’s brevity was jarring and irritating as I was watching it.

I loved the teenaged angst fest in Goblet. The first two movies introduced Rowling’s world to the screen, and saccharine though they may have been, I give Columbus a lot more credit than most of my friends for doing a darn good job at establishing the story, the world, and for the incredible job he did casting. Plus, I can't lie, it wasn't until after seeing Chamber of Secrets that I decided to finally give the books a try.

Azkaban went on to really *make* the wizarding world a real place. From the bus ride to the Leaky Cauldron to Honeydukes and the Whomping Willow, Rowling’s world looked like a completely realized vision.

Newell, in my opinion, really made it feel like a school. Funny, really, since this is the first movie where only one classroom scene was featured. It just felt really populated by students of varying ages. It had that private / prep school vibe going for it and I totally dug it.

I loved Moaning Myrtle in the bathroom. I just laughed and laughed and had such a good time. It wasn't as intellectual as Azkaban - not as meditative – but it was a really lovely action movie. I remember enjoying the book a lot, but after Azkaban it felt a bit of a letdown...didn't seem as thoughtful or precise. The second time I read it I absolutely loved it, because it was so much fun. Fun that was necessary considering the absolute darkness of the book’s end, and because of the dreary place she planned on going in the 5th installment.

It was the first truly ensemble film of the Potter series, I think. Krum and Fleur didn't get much in the way of dialogue but their presence was felt. Cedric was PERFECT. Oh, how I sobbed when Harry transported them back to Hogwarts and Harry couldn't let go of his body.

Grint was wonderfully subdued in his pissy anger. Loved their reconciliation and Watson's "Boys." remark. Ginny did stuff, too!

The friggin' twins were EVERYWHERE! Man, I love, love and love them.

The Yule ball was brilliant, minus the annoying rock band - though I liked the idea of having a rock band there. Neville's surprise and delight at coming home in the morning. Neville being the first to get up and dance, and the practice dancing in his dorm room. Sweet, brave Neville! I think it was those little perfect moments that made up for some of the other things that were lacking. I did think it strange that the Foe Glass was brought up and then not used again in the scene where Albus, Minerva and Severus foil Barty Crouch, Jr.’s plans.

The maze was a bit disappointing, but it was leading up to what we were all waiting for anyway. And the graveyard scene was far from disappointing. I loved Ralph Fiennes' semi-gay portrayal of Voldemort, with his effeminate wand waving. The Death Eater’s shooting out of the Dark Mark in the sky was terrifying, as were their bone-like masks. Awesome!

Gleeson's performance left me gleeful.

I don't know how I'd feel about the last two films if I hadn’t read the books first. My father really enjoys them, and no plans on reading the books. But I think if I hadn’t read them, some parts would feel very underdeveloped. As large as Goblet was, I don’t really feel like complaining.

Still completely baffled as to why the filmmakers have left out so much about the Mauraders and Snape, though. Given where the story is headed in Book 6, that seems almost irresponsible not to have made that at least clear in Goblet. However, since so much of Book 5 is Harry’s internal angry monologue, they can probably cut some of that out in favor of a bit of delayed exposition.

[Gemini Cricket]

Fiennes' Voldemort was a little gay now that you mention it. He steps on Cedric's face and says something about him being handsome. Whoa.

I kept thinking how cool his (Voldemort's) face looked. No nose. How did they do that? Fiennes has a biggish nose...

[innerSpaceman]

Well, 'natch the reason that the evil plot was done convolutedly through the tournament (rather than, say, having one of Harry's socks be a portkey) was that ... wait for it ... there wouldn't be a movie otherwise.

Really, one could have the same criticism for dozens of fantasy/adventure tales. It may be logical, but it's simply not too valid. Suffice it to say that maniacal villains bent on ruling the world have an incurable penchant for diabolically convoluted plots.

Having seen the film again, its flaws are still quite apparent. But the fun and adventure win out for me. It's really the funniest Potter movie, and I enjoyed laughing so very much. Yeah, it's got a choppy structure, the maze sucked tremendously, I didn't like Feinnes as Voldemort, and there was a severe drop in the style, editing, pacing and story departments since the last film. But there were fun characters old and new, some great visuals, and I found it an enjoyable romp.

I happen to agree with almost all of Alex's criticisms, but I just don't think they matter much in the context of Harry Potter movies. I know people who like them and haven't read the books, so I'm not at all convinced that reading the books is a prerequisite for this film series.

[wendybeth]

Yesterday my sis and her son went with us to see the movie, and even though she's not read the books and has only seen the PoA movie, she loved it. I tried looking at the movie with a more critical eye this time, and I have to agree with some of iSm's assessments- it is a bit choppy, the maze was underwhelming and Ralph Fiennes is just okay as Voldemort. I still loved the movie, though, which is somewhat ironic in that I didn't really care for the book.

Great review, Eliza!