...and it was awesome. I laughed. I cried. I loved it. They left out some interesting plot points, such as Hagrid being half-giant or Dobby bringing the gillyweed, but it was still enjoyable. Ralph Fiennes was unrecognizable as Lord Voldemort. Neville was especially cute as well.
What did you think?
[ November 18, 2005, 01:06 AM: Message edited by: Evie3217 ]
Posted by Kitsune (Member # 8290) on :
Ah! There's still 3 hours before 12 for me.
Posted by unicornwhisperer (Member # 294) on :
I'm not watching it till Saturday... *sigh*
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
*covers eyes* SPOILERS!!!
Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
Opps. Sorry, I'll add that part.
Posted by esl (Member # 3143) on :
I was disappointed that the movie was missing so much of the book. But I laughed and I cried too.
I heard it's supposed to be a scary movie, so I was happily surprised that there was so much humor in it.
And Dumbledore's English sounds way too American.
Posted by Valentine014 (Member # 5981) on :
kq: Are you honestly telling us you haven't read GOF yet?
Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
esl - I think it was either cut out some of the book or make it into two movies. And I really don't see how they could have made it into two movies without taking away some of the effect of the story. I was sad about the cuts to the script, but I think they were essential in order to preserve the plot.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Not. Enough. Snape. Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
Alrighty. I absolutely loved it. I didn't miss the minor plot points that were missing. I liked the design a lot. I loved the new characters - even poor sucky Fleur. Neville was very adorable. The Pensieve scene was remarkably well done. I thought the kids acted better than before.
There were only a couple things I didn't like. I have never liked Michael Gambon as much as I liked Richard Harris - the former lacks the majesty the latter had. Tough beans for me, I guess. And I have to second the Not Enough Snape sentiment.
Other than that, I loved loved loved the movie. It's by far my favourite movie of the series, much as PoA is my favourite book of the lot.
I do want to see it many more times to see everything I missed - we were in the second row and that got confusing at times.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
I haven't read any of the Harry Potter books or seen any of the movies.
Everyone who knows me is shocked to find this out.
I've also not seen any of the Lord of the Rings movies.
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
*gasps with shock at JT's revelation*
Posted by MidnightBlue (Member # 6146) on :
I thought the beginning felt a little rushed, but that's because it was. The only way they could get through the main points of the plot was to gloss over the background information at the beginning. Other than that I thought it was really really good. Very funny, I was expecting funny. I look forward to seeing it again with my family over Thanksgiving.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
And holy crap, I love that scene with Snape and all of them in some sort of study hall and them getting caught talking over and over. Posted by Samarkand (Member # 8379) on :
. . . and Daniel Radcliffe is HOT. *washes mind out with soap*
Posted by JennaDean (Member # 8816) on :
*whispers* Samarkand, my kids get Nickelodeon magazine and I can't bring myself to throw out last month's issue. He's on the cover with a short new haircut. Such nice blue eyes. I'm way too old for this teen heartthrob thing.
I wonder how much it would gross him out to know so many moms think he's growing up quite yummy?
Posted by johnsonweed (Member # 8114) on :
Emma is turning into a very pretty young woman. I took my kids to the 12:00 AM screening last night and my 13 yr old son kept going on about Hermione and how cute she was.
BTW the movie was fantastic!
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Young harry needs a haircut. Actually, Ron too. And the twins. Especially the twins. Their hair was like an early 80's girl thing.
Posted by Fyfe (Member # 937) on :
I liked it. I thought Dumbledore was sounding a bit Irish; I'm pretty sure Michael Gambon's Irish. I'd assume this was a conscious character choice, because I know Michael Gambon can do a flawless English accent when he wants.
I don't know if this is just me, but Hermione and Harry were having lots of moments. I suspect that Mike Newell is a disappointed Harry-Hermione shipper who's getting in his small bit of moments for them before the inevitable happens.
Also, I cried when Cedric died. Like a baby...a hungry angry baby...
It was good. Actually, I think this one might have been very very good indeed if I liked the fourth book, but I've never liked the fourth book. I didn't like the tournament, I didn't like the Blast-Ended Skrewts or Ludo Bagman or Barty Crouch or the whole romantic plot with Hagrid and Madame Maxime. I liked Rita Skeeter--Miranda Richardson was, of course, absolutely brilliant in the part.
So yeah. Good, but I didn't enjoy it as much because I don't like the book.
Jen
Posted by FoolishTook (Member # 5358) on :
I don't cry easily in movies. I mean, hardly at all. This one made me cry at three different parts!
Posted by Leonide (Member # 4157) on :
I didn't get Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort, frankly.
I don't think any of the movies have been able to make Voldemort anywhere near as frightening or compelling as he should be. Possibly Young Tom Riddle, but even then -- he was kind of like a pretty boy with an attitude.
I think Fiennes just sort of looked like a vaguely snake-like baby. In flowy, sensual robes. 0_0 i wasn't geting the terror.
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
I don't remember off-hand, but did Voldemort use wandless magic in the books? Because that was fracking awesome.
And also something I don't remember from the books: the single-gender schools. I guess I missed that every single time through...
EDIT: After some quick research, I found that, in the book, Beauxbatons is co-ed. p. 244, American version - "Harry ... now noticed that about a dozen boys and girls, all, by the look of them, in their late teens, had emerged form the carriage and were now standing behind Madame Maxine." Hm.
quote:I don't know if this is just me, but Hermione and Harry were having lots of moments. I suspect that Mike Newell is a disappointed Harry-Hermione shipper who's getting in his small bit of moments for them before the inevitable happens.
I totally agree. I thought it was cute.
[ November 18, 2005, 07:14 PM: Message edited by: Carrie ]
Posted by HandEyeProtege (Member # 7565) on :
quote:I don't know if this is just me, but Hermione and Harry were having lots of moments. I suspect that Mike Newell is a disappointed Harry-Hermione shipper who's getting in his small bit of moments for them before the inevitable happens.
The Harry-Hermione stuff is actually very much out of the books--and, I think, intended as a contrast to any of her awkward physical moments with Ron. I just watched the three previous movies, and it's pretty amusing to see how Hermy and Ron interact. The big blowup at the Yule ball starts getting setup even in Chamber of Secrets.
Posted by Leonide (Member # 4157) on :
Emma was sublime during the Yule Ball confrontation -- really in this whole movie. I wonder if she's really grown as an actress THAT much in the past few years, or if this director just knew exactly how to get an amazing performance out of her.
Posted by esl (Member # 3143) on :
I agree, very much. Hermione was awesome in this movie. and I loved the scenes where she's trying to help Harry and Ron make up.
Posted by Fyfe (Member # 937) on :
I agree too, in spots. She didn't get a chance to be the awesome genius person that Hermione really is, I thought, in this movie. We've entirely stopped seeing her obsessive fuss about school, which is a big part of who Hermione is, but I guess that was partly because there were no school-related activities except for the one DADA class and the one study hall with Snape smacking people.
However, I felt so sorry for her at the Yule Ball, when she was positively glowing at first and then had her whole perfect evening ruined. Fooey on Ron. It reminded me of middle-school dances, when half the girls always ended up crying. Poor Hermione. I need to reread all those books immediately.
Posted by Avadaru (Member # 3026) on :
Well, the movie was disappointing. Not for me, necessarily - I loved it - laughed, cried, gasped - I was drawn in every minute...
...Because I actually knew what was going on.
Anyone who watches that film without having read the book beforehand will be completely lost. I've read the book several times, and I still had trouble following some of the faster sequences. Half the freaking movie made absolutely no sense unless you knew something that happened in an earlier book, or happened in this book but was left out of the film. As a movie for Harry Potter fans, it's great, but as a stand-alone film, it really sucks. I feel bad for all the people that Potter fans are dragging along to see the movie in hopes of getting them interested in the series, because this is NOT a good introduction. It moves way too quickly, they leave out a TON of important plot points, and it tries to cram far too much information into a short span of time. I enjoyed it, but....it just wasn't what I expected. I expected a complete story, and this was a jumbled-up, confusing mess.
Daniel Radcliffe IS getting awfully cute, though.
And I thought Ralph Fiennes made the most perfect Voldemort EVER.
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
There were scenes where she was doing all of her acting with her eyebrows, to the point where I was worried about possible facial tics, but she did a fantastic job through most of it especially during the dance.
Loved the emphasis on the Weasley twins! Yay!
And Hagrid did mention his half-giant heritage. Did you miss it? When he mentioned his mother and how he could pick up his father?
Posted by xtownaga (Member # 7187) on :
He never actaully said he was a half giant though, all that means is he's big, and I mean that's pretty obvious just from looking at him. They also cut the whole scandal about it, though I guess they more or less had to as, as far as the movie was concerened, Rita wasn't an Animagus and coudln't have been getting the stories like she was in the book...
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
I wish half the movie was just the graveyard scene. I thought there were some great moments, but it was just so rushed. Ditto on Snape. I was pretty cheesed off that I could count his lines on one hand.
Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
disclaimer: this is all my opinion. It may seem like I'm stating fact, but I'm not and I don't think that you're wrong if you disagree with me.
Wow. I can't believe you guys liked Hermione. She drove me crazy all the way through. I thought her 'moments' were contrived, her yelling was unbelievable. The only thing she could do sort of well was be twitterpated (and I imagine that this is because she has real life experience.) I guess I should watch it again, but I was bugged. Brettly, I agree with everything you said as well.
Best character awards go to: Cedric (yay!) He wins the award for "Now I can't read the book without picturing this performance in my head."
Moody: He wins the award for "He's not at all what I pictured when I read the book, but his performance made me forget what I read in the book."
Harry: He wins the award for "Finally. I'm convinced that you're a vulnerable, lovable, awkward, scared, powerful teenager." Bravo!!
Cho: She wins the "She is the cutest Scottish Asian in the world!" award. I thought she was adorable!!
Ralph Fiennes: He wins the "I still haven't decided how I feel about your performance in the role of the most terrifying arch villain of the century, but I love you so much anyway that I'm glad you were in the movie!" award.
I LOVED the Priori Incantatum scene. It was done quite beautifully, including the delightful look Harry gives to both of his parents before he has to let go of the wand. I loved the scene after that which showed the grief of Cedric's father and spent some time letting us know that this really was a big deal. *sniffle*
I thought the script was done well. They left out plot lines that we miss, but that make sense to ditch (the Rita Skeeter line). I agree that the whole thing did feel rushed though...was it just me, or did that seem that it could be helped with some smoother editing and camera work?
I honestly didn't like the directing style...but the effects were lovely. Each task was completely exciting and thrilling (except the stupid superfluous dragon chase) and visually stunning. Great fun. I'm also glad they managed to squeeze the Quidditch world cup in there, even if it was only for a minute.
Yeah. And I did miss Snape this time around too. He had some choice looks and lines though (which made me notice his absence MORE!)
Anyway, I could go on forever. I need to mull it over some more now that I've finally seen it. I'm still not sure about Voldemort. I agree that he could have been made to look more terrifying...he was a little too...naked. I wanted a hood, some green mist, some more self-talk about how awesome he is. But I do think Fiennes' performance was outstanding.
Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
(Oh, and I'm one of those folks who digs the Harry/Hermione shipping, so I'm glad there were spots there. It seems like Hermione is the only person around whom Harry can truly be himself. Even around Ron he's got to be a tough guy most of the time.)
Posted by jh (Member # 7727) on :
I really enjoyed the contrast between the entrance of the students from Beaubaxtons and the students from Durmstrang. The way that the tasks were portrayed was really true to the book as well; I think that a lot of it was true to the book, right down to the dialogue, which I really enjoyed.
That said, I wasn't terribly happy with the ending ... I think an important point that was missed was the "parting of the ways" between Dumbledore and Fudge. It is that parting of the ways that sets up the entire fifth book and why Umbridge was sent to Hogwarts in the first place. There wasn't enough emphasis on the ideological difference between those two. Also, I can't really buy as Dumbledore as the all-powerful, all-knowing master of magic that he is. What was with that scene where he grabs Harry and asks him if he entered the tournament?
Otherwise, WELL DONE!
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
quote:Also, I can't really buy as Dumbledore as the all-powerful, all-knowing master of magic that he is. What was with that scene where he grabs Harry and asks him if he entered the tournament?
Yes! Yes! Yes! That part and the point at which Dumbledore sits on a stone step (!) in his office and says something like "That gets maddening." He's not supposed to do that! He's supposed to sit behind his desk, stroking Fawkes and saying some enigmatic nonsense that vaguely expresses displeasure while giving away the plot of book 7.
Oh, and I agree with the no "Parting of the Ways" thing too, but hadn't actually thought of it yet. I was too worked up over how much I liked Voldemort.
Posted by jennabean (Member # 8590) on :
Comme Madame Maxine:
"I mees ze old Dumbly-dore!"
Posted by lem (Member # 6914) on :
Overall I was very disappointed. I liked the humor. There was a 10 year old girl who sat close to me who was truly terrified..real tears. I just thought..."eh..it is ok."
I can understand the rushed beginning. The graveyard was done "ok." It could of used more development.
They totally messed up the mer-people scene. We got no real sense of Harry's horror at finding out (thinking) he was responsible for saving his friends life. There was no real explanation or proper showing of the girl not making it to her little sister.
So what Harry saved the little sis..no one in the movie thought she would have been in any real danger. The whole underwater scene was rushed, underdeveloped, and captured none of the horror and bravery of the book.
I read the book and was confused. Oh yeah, the pop-rock and roll in the movie really destroyed the mood for me.
Posted by MyrddinFyre (Member # 2576) on :
Cons:
- Music sucked. It was fairly generic and didn't catch any of the dark undertones that show themselves in especially this book. - It was rushed, the pace was whack, and things introduced in the first half weren't followed up on, and things that happened in the second half weren't led up to. - I personally was going in excited to see Veelas. - Come on, he chases the dragon all over the grounds?? The grindylows suddenly attack after the mermaids somehow let Harry take both of the prisoners?? This is precious time that could be used to do something important... like wrap up Rita Skeeter's part, or explain what the heck is going on, or maybe to explain the part where the wands connected or give prior incantato more than a passing mention. And Fudge? Hello?? - The photography consisted of swirling around large sets til we get nauseous then zooming in to action where we see only a character's face and a lot of movement. Not impressed. - Some of the CGI (Harry swimming, the leprechaun) was awful. - The maze should have been scarier if they were going to make it just the maze that was the task... this could have been fixed with proper music and a little more time devoted to the character's response to the creepy instead of all of a sudden they're all freaking out. - Dumbledore when he finds Harry in the pensieve... sits and stares off tiredly? This may be appropriate for the time but the movie does not convey all the things that could be wearing down on him, or why suddely he's not the charming, self-assured man he usually is. - The book was about what happens leading up to each task, NOT THE TASKS THEMSELVES. CAN YOU SAY HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTER?! - Ok, don't tell Harry he needs to go back to the Dursleys. See if I care. - Voldemort was really... flamboyant. I wasn't scared of him! Shouldn't he be a little less... human? Makeupping his nose over doesn't qualify as dehumanizing. - Krum and Fleur were great, especially Krum... they deserved a little more attention.
Pros:
- Some of the CGI was magnificent (the dragon! the dragon! ... and the bottom of the lake was gorgeous, I wish they showed more... the maze was more than I could have ever imagined) - All of the characters looked GREAT. - The parts where the kids were being kids made me fall in love. - Madame Maxime was awesome, believeable, and perfect for the role - I laughed more than I have at any other HP movie. The parts that weren't taken directly from the book were wonderfully written. I'm glad the twins got more screen time. - I. Love. Neville. - The movie was gorgeous! Eye candy, yessss! - I kinda liked the part where Voldy was taking off the death eater's masks, he actually seemed powerful. - Wormtail was gross and creepy! Awesome! - Krum was well cast and well done, and deserved to have less fist-pumping time and more character development. - I really felt that Hermione and Ron want to be together when they fought at the ball, moreso than in the book.
edit: and what lem said, I definitely agree... the underwater scene had so much stupid flashing of fins that it missed the real point.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I was disappointed. I want to point out all the things I didn't like about it, but honestly, even though I saw it 12 hours ago, I don't even remember that much of it, other than the big eye candy scenes.
I remember I didn't like Dumbledore through half of it. He isn't the sage he is in the books, half the time he seems clueless, the other half he is totally out of character, such as when he rushes into that room and practically assaults Harry.
The whole thing was rushed, and I am really curious to hear from non-book readers on what they thought. I haven't read the books in months, and to be honest I was a little confused at parts. The person I went with has only read the first book, and saw the other movies. She had almost no idea what was going on half the time, but just liked the effects. Also, she thought the time ellapsed in the movie was about a week and a half, not an entire school year.
Other than the fact that it snowed a bit, there was no passage of time in the movie. Hell, it was barely even at a school. The movie cuts out everything that happens between the three challenges, and that's where a lot of the heart of the book is.
I realize I have to make allowances, obviously they can't include everything, and they did a good job of cutting out stuff we don't miss (NO DOBBY! JOY!), but to me, the story is a bit lacking, and we're rushed from cool CGI scene to cool CGI scene.
And the dialogue in some of the scenes was sooo horribly bad and cheesy. Some cheesy I am okay with, it's what middle schoolers do, but come on, in some scenes Hermione, Ron and Harry were talking like second graders, and in another, Hermione is using words like 'loquacious', which I don't think even the average human being knows the meaning of, let alone a bunch of 14 year old kids whose specialty is magic, not the dictionary. I had a problem with them trying to make Hermione's word usage sound uber-intelligent, but then in the next scene showing their maturity levels as being obviously sub-par. It's jarring.
All in all, I have to say it was fantastic eye candy. The dragon scene was awesome, if not a little too long. The flying over the castle and him getting knocked off his broom and all that was not needed, but whatever, five minutes here, five minutes there, not like that time could have been used for something better. And the scene where Cedric is brought back and his father is crying over his body was emotionally powerful, but I give less credit to that, and more power to Rowling for writing an emotionally powerful death scene, and the actor for having some convincing sorrow.
But PoA was a hundred times better in my opinion. Heck, I didn't even like the first two movies all that much, or the books, but as representations of the (much shorter, I know) books, I like them better, and as complete stories I like them better.
Posted by Rakeesh (Member # 2001) on :
I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, I'll probably see it again, but...
They left out so much. I realize they had to leave a lot on the cutting room floor, but it seems they left out lots of necessary explanation, too! I mean, if I hadn't read the book and seen the film first, I'd be amazed when I read the book, because it'd seem to be like 3x longer.
Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
See, I wasn't even bothered by what they left out. *shrug* I was bothered by what they did with what was left in.
I'm in agreement with a lot of what you guys have already said. Myr, you're SO right about the music. It was like canned movie score with the Harry Potter main theme in there now and then. Sad because the score to Harry Potter 3 was brilliant. I know John Williams couldn't do this one, but I wish the person who did it had tried to keep the mood.
Again and again, I keep coming back to the DIRECTING. The shots, the editing decisions, the performances from the actors...it all comes down to a director whose style I don't like and whose interpretations I don't agree with. Too bad for me though, it really was a beautiful movie to see.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Did everyone have the half hour of movie trailers before the film too? I have never seen that many commercials and trailers before a film before. I was a little annoyed.
Until I saw the preview for the new M. Night Shymalyan movie. I don't understand it, and it looks weird, actually looks like a movie I'd never even give a second look to normally. But when the words "written and directed by M. Night Shymalyan" came up on the screen, I felt a tingle of excitement run through me. I think it was called "Lady in the Water" or something like that.
The tapdancing Penguin movie looked cute too. But then, anything with CGI characters voiced by Robin Williams deserves a second look.
Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
We only saw the preview for the tapdancing penguins when I saw it, but I think that's just because the previews were cut short for some reason. It was a really abrupt start to the movie, and we were all relatively confused.
Posted by jh (Member # 7727) on :
I love the previews. There's no way I would miss them.
Posted by kojabu (Member # 8042) on :
Oh I'm psyched for Happy Feet. It may be a bad movie in the end, but penguins dancing! I'm curious about the plot though.
As for HP, I definately liked the entrances of the two other schools, I thought that was awesome. As Lyr said, when Dumbledore comes in after Harry's name has been drawn and practically assaults Harry totally shocked me. It was definately out of character. I think I'm one of the few people who likes the new way he's portrayed than the old way because I can't stand people who speak slowly, in the first movie he spoke too slowly for me.
The scene where Neville is practicing dancing is fantastic! He's so adorable and we finally get to see that he's really smart in Herbology.
As I commented in the other thread, I think they should have mentioned some things about Moody, ie how Crouch Jr got out of Azkaban, how Dumbledore knew to come after Moody and Harry after the graveyard scene.
I wish they had included the Spinx and the spider in the maze scene and cut the dragon scene a bit short. It was too long and probably just done to show off the CGI of the dragon.
I liked Voldemort, I thought he was great. The flair was awesome, in my opinion. Harry's scene with Cedric when they return was very well done.
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
quote: Loved the emphasis on the Weasley twins! Yay!
I'm so taking a drool rag. (See, at least I'm drooling over legal ones.)
Posted by aiua (Member # 7825) on :
I had been looking forward to the movie for so long...and I hated what I eventually got. They either took out some of the really great scenes or chopped them in half to make room for, what? Harry sliding around on a roof, some swimming, and empty chattering to name a few. The characters...I thought they were off. Dumbledore asaulting Harry, then getting all unsure of himself. Voldemort was...pathetic. And what was up with the lizardy tounge thing Barty had going on? Yech.. Ahhhhh! The hair! Eeew! It did not feel at all like they were at the Hogwarts we all know and love. Pretty much ditto everything bad MyrddinFyre said.
Honestly, the only good things about this movie were Neville, Ron, and Cedric.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
I loved the music for it. I've liked Patrick Doyle ever since he did the music for Frankenstein. Kenneth Branaugh uses him for all his movies. I'm getting the soundtrack soon, I hope.
Inconveniently for the story, the actor who plays Neville is getting quite yummy.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
quote: wish they had included the Spinx and the spider in the maze scene and cut the dragon scene a bit short. It was too long and probably just done to show off the CGI of the dragon.
My thoughts exactly. Did we really need to see Harry's broom version of the Red Baron? The hedgemaze was dumb. They were in that thing for like 10 minutes and Fleur was freaking out like it was the end of the world. They were attacked by twigs. No blast ended skrewts, no Sphinx, no giant spiders, basically nothing of what we expected. I think it was kinda of goofy.
The entire point of that maze to was test their MAGICAL skills. So far as I could tell, anyone with a little bit of nerve and skill at the shuttle run could have made it through that maze okay.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
One other thing. I was annoyed with how....resolved, the movie felt at the end.
Isn't the last chapter of GoF "The Second War Begins"?
Sure Voldemort is back, but at the end of the fourth book you got a sense of, danger mixed with the knowledge that the whole world disbelieves Harry. Now they will have to spend ANNOYING amounts of time in the fifth movie securing this fact, when they should have had it already set up for that movie. Plus, it leaves the audience with a sense of "oh crap" for the next movie, which they really should have.
The end of the book was a cavalcade of emotions. Cedric is dead: Sad! Voldemort is back: Fear! Nobody believes Harry: Disbelief! The realization of Mad-Eye: No Way!
Not quite that cut and dry, I know. But there was a LOT thrown into the end of the last book, and that kept building and building. I didn't feel that here. To be honest, I'm still of the opinion that this should have been two movies, filmed concurrently, and aired either six months or a year apart. For a billion reasons I think it should have been done that way.
There was no real emphasis or reaction to Voldemort being back, we didn't get to see any of that. For people who haven't read the book, there isn't the same sense of excitement.
Edit to add: This CNN article sums up a lot of my feelings about the film's shortcomings.
Posted by Lord Solar Macharius (Member # 7775) on :
There were only two things that really bugged me about the movie:
Ralph Fiennes' Voldy. I always imagined (and will continue to imagine) Voldemort as being very regal and composed. I imagined a booming baritone voice filled with command. A voice people would follow. I loved the look they chose, but I wish he hadn't been all whispy and I hated how he was all over the place shwooshing his robes around.
The end scene with all the students preparing to leave. Cedric died. Shouldn't this be a very down scene, with people struggling to joke with their friends? Way too much laughter and good times.
On the positive:
I thought the leads were all a lot better than previously. (Although Radcliff seems a lot better when he's doing comedy.)
Supporting cast continues to be absolutely wonderful.
I felt the increased humour captured the spirit of the books much more than the previous movies.
Overall, this has been my favourite of the Potter films so far. The first two are pretty bad and the third one (for me) had pacing issues which make it impossible to watch. Thumbs up.
Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
I just saw it. Over all I wasn't at all impressed.
Things I liked: Hermione and Krum at the Yule Ball, I'm totally back to being a Hermione/Krum shipper, I'd forgotten how much I like that ship
It was funny
The few moments with Hermione and Ginny were priceless
Cho was so sweet, but I have no idea how they're going to make her manipulative and nasty in the next movie
All of the new actors were amazing
I thought it was great that Voldemort appeared more human. In the books it's easy to just think of him as this ubervillan and forget that he was human, he was given the same choices all of us are given, and he chose to be what he is.
Things I didn't like: Did anyone get a really sexist feeling from the whole Beaubaxtons/ Durmstrang entrance? Everyone is saying they loved it, but you have Durmstrang come in all proud and strong and Beaubaxtons come in and do slutty dances? And then Fleur is depicted as this subpar champion the whole movie. The scene where she was running screaming through the maze really annoyed me.
Lots and lots of Harry/Hermione, Ron was barely there.
I loved the Quidditch World Cup, oh wait, it didn't happen!
Why did we waste a very very long time on a broom chase, when there were so many other things we could have been spending time on.
Too much Rita Skeeter, just enough to be annoying, not enough to make sense.
I thought it was really interesting what they left in. I believe I will be formulating several new theories just based on what they thought we would need to know in order to understand the next movies.
Posted by BryanP (Member # 7772) on :
I liked it very much, though not quite as good as I thought it could have been. They kept the meat of the story, but though I loved the book, the plot is not nearly as strong as the fifth and sixth books and this was reflected in the film. The directing was fantastic, the acting is getting better and better, and the tasks and the Ball were all great. I was a bit let down by the Graveyard scene - I felt it was too short. But Fiennes was pretty badass. I also thought they needed more exposition at the end, where Dumbledore meets with the Professors and Sirius, since it really helps to set up the next film.
As for Dumbledore, I like Gambon far more than Harris. Gambon plays DD much more like I picture him when I read the books, aside from his charging up to Harry to ask if he put his name in the cup. I don't think Harris would be nearly as good in this film, and especially in the next, where Dumbledore really starts kicking ass.
Oh, and to whoever asked about "The Second War", that's the last chapter of the 5th book.
Anyways, I'd say it's the best Potter film so far, and I expect them to keep getting better.
Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
Thing is, even when Dumbledore kicks ass, he's not flamboyant and crack-pot about it. He's always in control, always calm, always strong. He makes you feel like you're ok because he's around. Gambon SO doesn't do that for me. But, to each his own I suppose.
Again, I think it comes back to the DIRECTING. Cuaron's Gambon as Dumbledore was a lot better than this guy's Gambon as Dumbledore in my opinion.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote:I imagined a booming baritone voice filled with command.
Even though it was described as "high", "thin", and "reedy"?
Posted by Fyfe (Member # 937) on :
Oh, yeah, that reminds me. The scene when Harry comes back with Cedric's body--that was excellent. He comes back all bloody and wretched and everyone leaps up screaming and cheering, and Cedric's father, and everyone slowly realizing....I was very impressed by that scene.
But how would the Triwizard Tournament be any fun at all for the people not doing it? Okay, the first task would be excellent to watch, but what about the second and third tasks? The schools would all be sitting there watching a quiet lake and a quiet maze, respectively. Such nonsense.
Jen
Posted by MyrddinFyre (Member # 2576) on :
Ohh, KQ beat me to it!
Definitely agree about the directing. For sure.
Posted by Lord Solar Macharius (Member # 7775) on :
quote: Even though it was described as "high", "thin", and "reedy"?
Point taken...my brain must have glossed over that while reading the books. (I don't need page numbers, but were those decriptions in GoF?)
It's just that I can't respect that. Definately lowers Voldemort in my opinion*: all through the graveyard scene I just kept thinking to myself, "People are afraid of him? One of those Death Eaters should stick their legs out and trip him. It would be hilarious."
*Including in the books now.
Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
See, I don't think his voice was high enough. I think it would have been a whole lot creepier and 'I have come back from death' if the voice had been a little more un-human.
Posted by MyrddinFyre (Member # 2576) on :
Exactly!
Lord Whatsit, Voldy is sposed to have a snake-like voice, that's described in every single book, not just GoF. It is part of the fact that he is hardly human anymore and is sposed to have many snake-like attributes.
Which doesn't come off in the movie... like I said earlier, giving him a vaguely snakelike nose does not qualify as making him snakelike and unhuman.
Posted by Samarkand (Member # 8379) on :
The voice bugged me too, I agree.
Posted by BryanP (Member # 7772) on :
*sigh*
why every detail, especially Voldemort's voice, has to be exactly the same in the films as in the books is a mystery to me
fiennes did a damn good job with a near impossible role, cut the performance some slack
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
I can see what you're saying Bryan, but in all of the books, they are trying to make Voldemort out to be very snakelike, and unhuman, and yet the voice was not. As with most movies, this is going to be a whiny time where we fuss that things weren't perfect, yeah that's ok, but it's what could have been better.
Posted by Silkie (Member # 8853) on :
I really liked the movie, but I was bothered by many of the same things mentioned here by others:
The entire film did seem rushed, and the pace was off. The film felt like it should have been longer, instead of sticking to the arbitrary 2.5 hours movie maximum they all aim for. I look forward to seeing a "Director's Cut" someday, with more coherant transitions and more character development. Even though I loved the Dragons, that scenario was poorly choreographed as long as they were on the ground. It got much better in flight.
I was also unimpressed with the music. It was like gothic elevator music!
I've never liked Michael Gambon as Dumbledore either. His performance lacks subtlety, and lacks the restraint that Harris' commanding, enigmatic Dumbledore exhibited.
I always enjoy Snape. Wormtail was creepy enough. Voldemort was a bit mild, but I remind myself that this was a child's book series. I agree that the voice could have been more raspy - like Parseltongue - that would have helped. That scene felt so rushed, too. It left me wanting more more more.
Neville's awakening was well done, and his scenes were endearing. And I was glad to see more of the Twins. I wonder how they will get their joke shop without Harry's winnings to draw from! We did see them hawking merchandise a lot, though. Did you really think Cho was manipulative? I thought of her as just being shallow and immature.
The scene in the Prefects bathroom was VERY good - I loved Moaning Myrtle's performance and Harry's discomfort.
The deliberate lack of physical contact between Ron and Hermoine has always been (for me) an obvious tipoff to their real fealings.
Posted by FoolishTook (Member # 5358) on :
I think what makes Voldemort all that more frightening and fascinating is that, physically, he's not that intimidating. Like most powerfully terrible men...until you know the nature of their deeds, they look pretty normal.
Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
quote:Originally posted by FoolishTook: I think what makes Voldemort all that more frightening and fascinating is that, physically, he's not that intimidating. Like most powerfully terrible men...until you know the nature of their deeds, they look pretty normal.
That! What he said!
Posted by Lord Solar Macharius (Member # 7775) on :
It's not so much the look, more the sound and actions.
Image in your mind the good Lord Vader. He's terribly silly looking, but the voice and the way he holds himself turn him into one of the greatest screen villains of all time.
Now, I'm not saying make a Vadermort for the movies, but to have some of that classic composure would have been great. Just something in Fiennes performance to tell the audience, "I know what I'm doing." Especially if you're going to turn around and have the greatest wizard of all times beaten (miraculously, I admit) by a teenager. How can anyone be scared of him?
There was no sense of power.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
quote: The scene in the Prefects bathroom was VERY good - I loved Moaning Myrtle's performance and Harry's discomfort
I thought it was way over the top.
I never got the impression that Myrtle was that slutty in the book.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
I loved it.
First of all, I recognise that people didn't like the way it was so rushed- we didn't get to see anything. However, considering the fact that a massive book was squished into a two and a half hour movie I was really impressed by how it seemed to fit. I deliberately didn't read the book (and haven't for what has been some years now) and so when I came out I honestly had very little idea what had been changed or missed (except the ones where it was obvious and very deliverate.) I felt that overall what they had done worked.
Characters-wise I was very happy with Ron, Neville and Fred and George. I thought they were brilliant and funny but also very convincing. I liked that there was a very human element in the story- I was glad that they chose to retain the people moments rather than fill the movie with the action scenes. Cedric and Krum also really worked in their roles. Cedric's dad broke my heart.
Hermione and Harry held their own. Neither were particularly stunning but neither flopped. Hermione was very convincing (although very YOUNG) when paired with Krum. Harry, although he clearly wasn't leading the charge, which I don't think is the case in the book, either, was convincingly Harry. Both of them, however, did have some moments of awkwardness but I forgive them.
The adults were great. I especially liked Barty Crouch and Barty Crouch Junior. They really worked for me. Moody was alarming, which was excellent.
I agree that something about Voldemort didn't work, but I'm going to suggest that seeing Voldemort's face is like seeing the aliens in the end of the movie- they're simply more frightening off screen. However, I felt that Voldemort did act exactly how he was written. I was very happy (and very unhappy) to see that they had retained the "kill the spare" line and the ensuing murder. That is very, very important to me.
There wasn't so many visual artsy things going on in this movie, but the director knew how to tell a story, even one that's almost impossible. I was swept up. Never once did I got "argh, why'd he do that."
I loved it and I think it works very well as a stand alone movie, as well as one that is complimented by the books.
[ November 21, 2005, 11:18 AM: Message edited by: Teshi ]
Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
Oh, I don't think she was being slutty. I think she was just giving Harry a hard time because she knew he was embarrassed. She was rather miffed that he had never come to visit her. Posted by solo (Member # 3148) on :
quote:Originally posted by Avadaru: Anyone who watches that film without having read the book beforehand will be completely lost. I've read the book several times, and I still had trouble following some of the faster sequences. Half the freaking movie made absolutely no sense unless you knew something that happened in an earlier book, or happened in this book but was left out of the film. As a movie for Harry Potter fans, it's great, but as a stand-alone film, it really sucks. I feel bad for all the people that Potter fans are dragging along to see the movie in hopes of getting them interested in the series, because this is NOT a good introduction. It moves way too quickly, they leave out a TON of important plot points, and it tries to cram far too much information into a short span of time. I enjoyed it, but....it just wasn't what I expected. I expected a complete story, and this was a jumbled-up, confusing mess.
This was pretty much exactly how I felt about the 3rd movie. Maybe I'll wait until this one is in the cheap theatre.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
quote:I expected a complete story, and this was a jumbled-up, confusing mess.
I disagree quite strongly. Of course, I've read the books, however, there was nothing that made me go "Whoa, that's going to confuse people."
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
quote: This was pretty much exactly how I felt about the 3rd movie. Maybe I'll wait until this one is in the cheap theatre.
The only thing I didn't understand that everyone else seemed to was the Wormtail, Padfoot, Moony and Prongs thing. I hadn't read the books by the time I saw the third movie, but I thought it was pretty understandable. After reading the book I don't feel like I missed a ton, and the third is still both my favorite book and favorite movie.
Posted by MyrddinFyre (Member # 2576) on :
I didn't think it was really confusing so much as missed the points.
Posted by BryanP (Member # 7772) on :
I have two friends who have seen the film now without reading any of the books. They both enjoyed it quite a bit and were not confused at all throughout the film.
Posted by solo (Member # 3148) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn:
quote: This was pretty much exactly how I felt about the 3rd movie. Maybe I'll wait until this one is in the cheap theatre.
The only thing I didn't understand that everyone else seemed to was the Wormtail, Padfoot, Moony and Prongs thing. I hadn't read the books by the time I saw the third movie, but I thought it was pretty understandable. After reading the book I don't feel like I missed a ton, and the third is still both my favorite book and favorite movie.
I was really disappointed in the third movie. I know that I am in the minority with this opinion. I felt that the third movie focused way to much time on Harry and Lupin and left out so many of the details that make the book so enjoyable. It is probably still my favorite of the books but I really didn't think the movie did it justice. The movie was visually impressive but otherwise fell flat for me.
I thought that the first two movies captured the spirit of the books. They didn't bring anything really new, but they stood on their own as films and didn't remove any details that become important in the following books. That may be entirely because they are shorter books, though Azkaban isn't much longer, and they have less details that do impact the future books. I can't think of any examples right now as it has been a long time since I have either read the book or watched the movie but I know that when I watched Azkaban I felt that there was a lot missing.
I hope that I feel differently about this one.
Posted by R. Ann Dryden (Member # 8186) on :
I felt that since they butchered Rita Skeeter's part so much, it would have been better still to cut her entirely (even though I am a Miranda Richardson fan). What little is left of her character and an occasional comment in the newspaper added very little to the movie plot. If the whole character was cut I think that would have worked better.
The dragons were cool, but that scene was far too long considering what else was cut short. The underwater scene was a bit off as well. The peril wasn't done well, I agree.
The emphasis placed on the challenges would have been better spent on some of the other story elements, I think. And they could have used another half hour to really help with some of those extremely choppy sections.
I was very disappointed in the portrayel of Fleur. She wasn't terribly sexy, wasn't terribly snooty, was fairly wimpy and weepy. Not quite like the character impression we get from the book.
Dumbledore frequently seemed off to me, more's the pity.
I got the impression that the director was trying to show Harry/Hermione as developing a love story, with only an occasional nod to Hermione/Ron. The sixth book hadn't come out at the time of the filming, but now that it has I wonder if they would have chosen a few things differently. Though I realized something else that makes a lot of sense. When I had a crush on someone in middle school I would tend to avoid touching them at all if possible, where I would quite easily put my arm around the shoulders of someone I thought of as a friend. Perhaps that's more what was happening in this instance: Hermione feeling more comfortable around Harry precisely because she doesn't like him the way she likes Ron.
Earlier in this thread someone said they found it hard to believe that Hermione's vocabulary was so far beyond her maturity level. I disagree. I come from a family full of very bright people, many of whom are not emotionally up to speed. My uncle, for an extreme example, is fluent in nine languages and taught himself to write opera, but can't hold down a job and lives in his parent's basement and is scared to drive a car, at approaching age fifty.
I think I was a bit like Hermione in school myself. I knew all the answers to the questions on the tests, but I was clueless about how to interact with my peers. In fact, she's a bit more balanced than I was.
I was okay with Krum not being attractive. In the books he's described as a bit hulking and duck-footed. He was only so popular with the girls because of his athletic ability.
I'm very curious as to what the actress who plays Ginny will look like by the time they film the sixth book. In fact, I'm curious about what choices the directors will make in the next two movies. I hope in HP5 they tone down the extreme angst that Harry portrays throughout. It's tiring reading, and I have no desire to watch three hours of it on screen.
Posted by BryanP (Member # 7772) on :
Yeah, but then everyone will just complain that Harry isn't angsty enough and it isn't true enough to the book, even if it works better on screen.
Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
I thought Krum was attractive. My goodness, that body!
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
quote: got the impression that the director was trying to show Harry/Hermione as developing a love story, with only an occasional nod to Hermione/Ron.
quote:Lots and lots of Harry/Hermione, Ron was barely there.
Do you know any young teenagers, boys in particular? It was pretty clear that Ron was the one who was most upset with Hermione. Harry, because he doesn't feel that way, was much less awkward. He's the really good male friend- but there's no interest. It was pretty clear to me that the connection between Hermione and Ron was strong and tense.
I thought Rita Skeeter, although her "point" was missing, was a very good addition just from a character and interest POV.
I talked to my friend who watches the movies, then reads the books (so the movies are always good to her). She wasn't at all confused by the movie and really loved it. The only comment she made was that she couldn't wait to read the book because she knew that there was way more in the book than there was in the movie.
And Krum is supposed to be "unattractive".
Posted by K.T. (Member # 8665) on :
I just have to say that when Moody walked in I was disappointed...However, by the end, I was a fan!!!
Dumbledore, are you sure we can't raise people from the dead? Because we need the old Dumbledore back.
Voldy...I imagined him much scarier than he was.
I loved Ron's dress robes!
The twins were great!
Overall, a lot was missing, but that was expected and I can't wait to see it again. Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
quote:I thought Rita Skeeter, although her "point" was missing, was a very good addition just from a character and interest POV.
I agree. I loved the little scene with her quill in the broom closet. Harry's indignation was cute and just right.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
quote:Did anyone get a really sexist feeling from the whole Beaubaxtons/ Durmstrang entrance? Everyone is saying they loved it, but you have Durmstrang come in all proud and strong and Beaubaxtons come in and do slutty dances? And then Fleur is depicted as this subpar champion the whole movie. The scene where she was running screaming through the maze really annoyed me.
The entire series is full of very blunt attitudes like this one. Note that the brave, brash, completely unthinking go-getter house (Gryffindor) is home to most of the heroic main characters (the sole exception being Cedric Diggory)? The message seems to be "charge in, act without thinking," which is what we see Harry, Ron, and most of the other Gryffindor characters do repeatedly through the books.
More in line with the extremely sexist undertones: note that no one thinks Hermione is attractive when she's true to herself and doing what she enjoys (studying hard, being herself, not giving a damn about her appearance) and suddenly everyone's interested when she pretties herself up for the ball (which, we're given to understand, is not just a clothing/hairstyle makeover - Rowling makes specific mention that she used magic to alter her appearance). The message here: aesthetics are everything? Surrender yourself to the superficiality required for love and acceptance? Notice that Krum is described unattractively, but people are still attracted to him for his talent. Apparently only the women need to alter their appearance to meet society's needs in order to be accepted for who they are.
I wonder what other great messages kids are taking away from these books Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
quote:I was very disappointed in the portrayel of Fleur. She wasn't terribly sexy, wasn't terribly snooty, was fairly wimpy and weepy. Not quite like the character impression we get from the book.
I agree, and it'll be interesting to see whether they include her at all in movie #6, given the relative lack of screen time they gave her in this one.
quote:Oh, I don't think she was being slutty. I think she was just giving Harry a hard time because she knew he was embarrassed. She was rather miffed that he had never come to visit her.
That whole scene did, however, make me feel like the cops were about to break in and arrest me for viewing child porn. Myrtle looked like she was about to dive under the water and start servicing Harry at any moment. And they're 14, for goodness' sake!
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Victor Krum, seeker extroidinaire and pursuee of the female population of Hogwarts, falls for pre-teeth-shrunken Hermione as she studies in the library.
The point was that he did like her for exactly what she really was. And the actor who played him was yummy.
The only part I did not like was Dumbledore. He seemed untwinkly, flustered, and harsh with Harry.
(Aside: Hi, Katy!! )
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
Wow, OSC *really* liked GoF. His review's up. I gotta say, it really didn't do so much for me. It was good, but not great.
But Dan Radcliffe does seem to have gotten better at showing grief on camera. His crying scene in PoA made me cringe, but in GoF it didn't. Good for him, at least.
Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :
Ugh. I so do not agree about the emotional payoff. I felt like everyone forgot about Cedric as they all left school. Harry's performance wasn't that stellar to me....I think he's got better in him. It seemed like the director settled for the best take they had instead of spending some quality time getting some real crying out of him. But I'm in the minority with this opinion. S'ok, I'm holding out for a hero.
Posted by MyrddinFyre (Member # 2576) on :
I agree!
quote: That whole scene did, however, make me feel like the cops were about to break in and arrest me for viewing child porn. Myrtle looked like she was about to dive under the water and start servicing Harry at any moment. And they're 14, for goodness' sake!
ew ew ew ew ew ew ewwwww.... Yeah, I also felt really. really. really. uncomfortable.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
quote:That whole scene did, however, make me feel like the cops were about to break in and arrest me for viewing child porn. Myrtle looked like she was about to dive under the water and start servicing Harry at any moment. And they're 14, for goodness' sake!
First of all, Harry was very uncomfortable. Second of all, despite the fact that Myrtle's ghost body is not very old she is mentally much older as well as being silly and somewhat crude, even in the books. Thirdly, this movie was directed by a British director. That kind of harmless joking is not uncommon at all in a British comedy setting, in fact, it is almost expected. The film was rated pg-13, not G, also. Moaning Myrtle herself is played by an actress who often plays that role. Forthly: For someone called erosomaniac, you're very sensitive!
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There's still 3 hours before 12 for me.
![[Mad]](mad.gif)
Not. Enough. Snape. ![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
![[Blushing]](graemlins/blushing.gif)
I'm way too old for this teen heartthrob thing. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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Great fun. I'm also glad they managed to squeeze the Quidditch world cup in there, even if it was only for a minute.![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)