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

[Snowflake]

I'm finding the discussion fascinating. While I have not seen the film yet, to me it makes no real difference since I am very familiar with the books. GoF, in particular was my favorite of the books in the series for some time (meaning the spoilers here won't affect my view of the film)

I, too, lamented the passing of Richard Harris. In other work, I have long admired Michael Gambon. His portrayal as Dumbledore could not be farther from what I envision from the books. I found myself wishing that someone such as Jim Broadbent could be coerced into replacing him as Dumbledore. This is a flaw that will continue to irk me with each remaining film.

While I have never thought of the books as fine literature, I enjoy them. I tried for years to read the Tolkein books, without success, could never get "in" to them. Loved the films, however. The Potter novels suck me in and, frankly, any book that encourages and makes kids enthusiastic about reading is a great thing to me.

Hopefully I will see HP & the GoF this coming weekend and if I have anything else to add to the good discussion, I will.

Donna

[wendybeth]

Snow, I agree about MG as Dumbledore. Harris captured him perfectly, and Gambon is too 'in your face', especially in this movie. The literary Dumbledore is quietly cool and confident, slightly arrogant, but in a likeable way. Gambon's Dumbledore is a bit too excitable, and seems to not have the knowledge and assurance that the book's character conveys. In the books, if Dumbledore says it is so, it must be, but the movie Dumbledore would not impart the same sort of confidence.

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by wendybeth

Snow, I agree about MG as Dumbledore. Harris captured him perfectly, and Gambon is too 'in your face', especially in this movie. The literary Dumbledore is quietly cool and confident, slightly arrogant, but in a likeable way. Gambon's Dumbledore is a bit too excitable, and seems to not have the knowledge and assurance that the book's character conveys. In the books, if Dumbledore says it is so, it must be, but the movie Dumbledore would not impart the same sort of confidence.

WB, I'm right with you, Harris was note perfect from the very first moment of HP & the SS.

With Gambon, it's not only the "personality" of Dumbledore I feel they got completely wrong, but also the look of the wizard himself. I assume that they wanted to differentiate from Harris, in this they succeeded. I do not feel Gambon has the "heart" of Harris. I'm hard pressed to come up with a suitable replacement for Harris. Broadbent does not have the same lanky kind of look of Harris, but he has all the heart and gentle strength. When I read the obit for Harris, I hoped that they might pursue Peter O'Toole for the part. I think he could have carried it off beautifully and made Dumbledore his own. In any case, the casting of Gambon will irk me to the end.

Otherwise, I feel the casting of the various new characters has been truly inspired. Kenneth Branagh was brilliant in the second film. I'm on the fence on Fiennes not having seen him (but I think his voice will be marvelous).

Donna

[wendybeth]

I think another decent choice might have been Pete Postlethwaite, but upon reading his filmography I see he used to be hooked up with Julie Walters (Molly Weasely), so that might not have worked.

[wendybeth]

In looking for a Pete pic, I ran across this one with Daniel Day-Lewis- I'd forgotten that they starred together in the movie "In the Name of the Father".


He would have been perfect for Voldemort. (sigh).

[innerSpaceman]

I'm a loner in the like-Gambon-as-Dumbledore camp. I found Harris to be far too benevolent and approachable. I like Dumbledore with a dangerous and maniacal quality.

I love that he nearly choked Potter when asking if he'd put his name in the Goblet of Fire. And I don't think the sweet Dumbledore that Harris portrayed would have fit the story point of continuing to use Harry as bait in the Tournament through the grizzly end. I think Gambon plays the wizard a bit demented, and I like it that way.

Perhaps it's not how the character is in the books, but I like the movie to be as different as it can be while telling the same story. Otherwise, like the first two Potter films, it's just a dull filming of the book. I don't see any point in that.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

I'm a loner in the like-Gambon-as-Dumbledore camp. I found Harris to be far too benevolent and approachable. I like Dumbledore with a dangerous and maniacal quality.

You're not alone. Harris was a lovely and benevolent Dumbledore and was very well suited to the Dumbledore we got to know in the first two books. But we later see Dumbledore in high action, which would have been hard for Harris to do. Dumbledore is spry. Gambon is spry. Harris was, being ill, not so spry. So I love the energy Gambon brings. The sense of danger. And I really can't wait to see him in action during the scene from Book 5 where he takes down a bunch of people in his office.

I wish they'd kept the "Remember Cedric Diggory" line as is, though. It's always the little nonsensical differences that bother me about these adaptations, I think.

But Gambon and Gleeson were just where I wanted them to be in this film.

[Isaac]

Harris was too decrepit as Dumbledore.

I prefer Gambon as well Steve, but I remember you weren't too fond of him at first.
In fact, when I showed you the teaser trailer for POA for the first time, you said when Gambon appeared on screen " AAAAH! Who are you ? "

[innerSpaceman]

Yeah, but as soon as I saw his actual performance in PofA, I was won over.

And EH1812, I agree with you on a tremendous number of your Potter points (especially about the masterpiece Prizoner of Azkaban).

[Oh, and I didn't edit your post but merely the grammar within your quote of my post that was within your post which as a layperson I can edit in my own post and as an all-powerful and dangerous moderator I can edit in your post as well. Mwuhaha.]

[wendybeth]

I have to say that Gleeson was great, and it will be interesting to see his paranoid, OCD Moody in next film. I hope they keep the "Blow your buttocks" line in as well.