Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Here you go, my review of the movie which I finally watched today, but before I launched myself to all the comments, I will tell you a few things first. I managed to finish reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire yesterday, took me 1 week plus. The cinema was totally full, just when I thought the rest of the world might have watched it by now. I almost didn't get a place. I feel like watching it again. I feel like a purist, can I say that? I mean, I hate it so much that so many things are different from the book. Honestly speaking I feel rather disappointed with the movie. The picture itself is literally dark. I know that it should be gloomy and all, but must it be so dark? Can't fear and evil exist in such a bright place? Well, I suppose when you are told to draw something depressing you will also choose dark colour.

I don't feel the movie is telling the story of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It's more like an adaptation of the story. So many different things, things which I feel are so crucial because it tells how brilliant the Potter world is. Really can not rely on the movie to know the whole story. I feel that for Potter lovers (readers) the movie didn't really satisfy our imagination. For non-Potter readers, I don't know if you can understand and appreciate the movie and find it enjoyable and amusing. I tried to watch the movie as a movie itself but I failed badly because my head kept on finding differences from the book. So many things were expected and yet it wasn't delivered nicely. Quidditch World Cup was such a let-down. I'm sure I am not the only one who actually want to see them play some quidditch. I wanted to see more dragon and yet there was only 1 and I feel it was rather small. The second challenge in the water, well, not that impressive for me. The last challenge, the maze, oH my God!!! Was it even a challenge? No nothing, no creatures, no female sphinx, the only thing there were plants and Krum under a spell. It was such a let down. Priori Incantatem could be better. If only they just followed the book and really lifted Harry and Voldermort of the ground. The ending...What was that? What was the climax? Am I dumb? They interrogated Barty Jr and the movie slowly ending with...I don't even know if people are happy with how things end. If you think that was the end of my review, then you are wrong I will now review them based on characters to make it a bit different than what I did for Azkaban. Please stop reading if you don't like Potter.

Harry Potter. Cheryl wrote in her blog that she thought Daniel Radcliffe still couldn't cry properly But I actually shed some tears when he managed to get back with Cedric, despite of him not being able to cry properly I always feel that Harry wasn't the best character in Harry Potter movie and I still think so. I enjoy watching the others more.

Ron Weasley. I will always love Ron, but this time around, Fred and George stole the limelight in the funny department. Still, I like Ron the best. Ron and Hermione, I wish the tension was more visible.

Hermione Granger. Move over Keira Knightley, here come Emma Watson. I am sure I echo the hundred thousand of people out there who say Hermione is so pretty, she IS. However, I don't really like the way Emma played Hermione this time around. I feel she was over the top in everything, over anxious, over worry, over-scared, over angry (the fight with Ron). She's very emotional in this movie. I just think Hermione has a cooler head. Also, what's with her and Harry. For people who don't read, they may think that Harry will end up with Hermione.

Albus Dumbledore. Aaaargh...This is the person who people think can beat Voldermort, the wizard Voldermort ever feared. This is the person who Harry feels safe with and yet, Dumbledore showed fear and distress. He wasn't cool. He was also emotional. I think he faces the same case as Voldermort. Saying too much things and in a manner that didn't really show charisma.

The Dark Lord, Voldermort. There were fine moments by Ralph Fiennes but there was just so many wrong things for me. The movie start with Harry's dream of him and he sounded anxious and worry. Again, this is the dark lord, who suppose to be so scary that people don't even dare to pronounce his name and yet he wasn't that scary. He didn't command or give such charisma that made us fear him. Wormtail and the death eaters didn't show much fear. A case of you should talk less, so that your every words mean a lot. He is scary but not scary enough, not commanding enough. He didn't show reason why people should fear him

Cedric Diggory. He was so handsome, truly as the book said he would be. I thought I was gonna cry when he died but I didn't. Why? I suppose because not much connection or story being told about him. We didn't know much about him, did we? Aside from the fact that he was such a pretty boy, there just wasn't anything. Not when he died, not when he asked his body to be brought back. Still, I really like this pretty boy

Wormtail. Fear...Fear!!! I want to see the timid and coward Wormtail and he wasn't really so

Professor Snape. Small role this time around, but I have to mention him because I love him. After reading Goblet of Fire again, I really really really feel Snape is not evil, despite of the so many people who said he is. Dumbledore trusted him so much and I don't think he could be that wrong.

Neville Longbottom. He is actually taller than Harry but so skinny. I wish he could be fatter, he was the right way in the first movie. I wonder if his teeth are really like that. But man, this is a person who really made the best out of his character. So much sympathy for him. I think people will really fall for him in The Order of the Phoenix.

Draco Malfoy. Tall and skinny and being potrayed as a bit stupid Him being skinny make me feel that he is in the right state to do The Half Blood Prince. Can't wait to see more of Malfoy.

Mad-Eye Moody. He is okay, I think, but I just felt he supposed to be more fierce. He's an auror whose principle is "Constant Vigilance". I don't think he should be that comical.

Viktor Krum. Aaah...I actually feel that at some moment, he was pretty handsome He's cool. Didn't feel that Hermione should be falling for him that much. But if they kissed, I suppose there was some chemistry between them. The students from Durmstrang were pretty cool, though. Despite of the cheesy entrance, but the Beauxbatons was cheesier

Fleur Delacour. When I first saw her in the trailers, I didn't feel that she was pretty enough. She is pretty but for someone with a veela blood, it's not really that captivating. Don't see her being so bitchy too, so I don't know what kinda of Fleur we will have in Half Blood Prince.

Cho Chang. The highly anticipated Cho Chang, I wonder if we were that happy in the end with her. She is quite pretty, I suppose.

Barty Crouch Sr and Jr. Tell me, for people who didn't read. Does it really make sense why Barty Crouch Sr died? I wonder whether there is any importance to make him died. Barty Crouch jr was being shown as evil from the beginning. They should have stayed with the original story, but I suppose not enough time.

Sirius Black. I wonder if Gary Oldman was still being paid to do Sirius when we don't really see him! One may forget that he was also actually being told in the movie.

Ludo Bagman. Disappointment. He looks so old. I thought he still have to look well-built? At least he should be younger?

Igor Karkaroff. I don't know why, I kinda sympathized him, maybe because I know what's gonna happen to him.

Hagrid and Madame Maxime. Well okay, can not say much about them. Tell me, is it obvious from the movie that Hagrid is half-giant?

Rita Skeeter. We don't hate her that much, not that we were given any reason for it

Fred and George Weasley. George and Fred Weasley. Love them. Funny guys. All grown up and I think much better with long hair.

Ginny Weasley. I honestly don't see this girl as being Harry's girlfriend later on.

It has been a very long post and I am tired. I can still complain more but I suppose I will just let the rest go. I just wished more. Dobby, Winky, SPEW, Fred and George, I just wish more could be told. Not really loving the movie that much, but I do want to watch it again.

PS (Added: Wednesday, 23/11/05): After much complain, I think I better say something nice Really thought that re-birth of Voldermort was SO cool Also when all the death eaters apparated to him

:) eKa @ 9:18:00 PM •