GoF Review:SPOILER ALERT
I am still jumping from seeing GoF last night, and this is the reveiw I wrote for Hpforums but I'm posting it here too. I love love loved it!
I despised the first and second movie, really I did, I loathed it! But I LOVED this one. There were some parts were I was like "For the love of God get on with it" actually, that was one single part, the first task. It was scary, and it was very nice looking, but...why didn't the dragon just start chomping on the helpless fans? If I were a dragon, I definitely gobble those people in the stands right up. It was definitely showy, and overboard.
And then there were other parts where I was like "STOP! Waaaaait! Please wait! Oh! Go...oh Go back!" That was actually from when Harry woke up in the Burrow (because the Dursley's were cut out) to when the first task began. From there, things started to slow down enough for me to stop crying inside, and giving my companions helpless distressed glances. I wanted to see that damn Quidditch match! I wanted to see scary Death Eaters dangling Muggles by one leg.
My main problem with the previous movies were the changes they made, the deviation from the plots of the book. However, this movie made me look at deviation from a whole new perspective. I was absolutely on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. It was never a half-assed attempt to stick with what JK says happened, they took they plot and made it their own and I appreciated that. I wanted to see artistic liscense, I liked being unsure of what was happening. I like things being different, REALLY different, not just different enough to be agitating. (I also refused to read GoF for the past year or so because, I always wondered if I would've if I'd enjoy the movies more if I hadn't read the book recently, and spent the whole movie comparing the two.)
There were sometimes when I felt the artistic liscense went more than a little overboard, for instance Barty Crouch Jr.'s addition to Riddle House (pointless). But I didn't feel as if the ommission of Dobby or Ludo Bagman was too off task, although I do feel like they should've explained it waaaay better than they did, or omit that particular scene with the Pensieve altogether. I actually feel that they would've been better served to show the trial of the Lestranges, and show BC Jr's trial, and Karkaroff altogether. (Wow, It's funny how much I've grown since these movies have been being made because, I would never ever have condoned deviation before.)
The Review: I, Siri, being of sound body and mind, do hereby recommend this movie to everyone in the whole wide world...who has already read the books. I felt like the director's knew very well that I'd read the books, and would recognize every single change, and tried to make it entertaining for me. The movie was completely new and fresh to me, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is definitely a smarter, director than Chris Columbus, and a more creative director than Alphonso, he's altogether a more magically inclined director. I could tell absolutely how enthusiastic everyone was about the project because it was terrific.
For the first time in my life, I did not hate Daniel Radcliffe on film. This time the script played to his strengths as an actor as well as it could, and that was terrific. Daniel is very...stoic. But this time, Harry was the straight man. Thank you writers for giving Harry a very dry sense of humor, thank you writer's for making Harry quietly boiling with rage, instead of boiling over. Thank you director-man for allowing me to think that Daniel was just adorable, and more than a pretty (non-green eyed) face casted by a weird fanatical director. For the first time, Daniel Radcliffe earned his spot as Harry Potter. (although, there were still some cringe-worthy, "oh, you're terrible" moments, they were fewer and farther between)
Hermione, was much less of an Amazon know-it-all and more of the Hermione who thinks that she can find the answer in a book, and often fails too, from the series. Emma was quite pretty, and while she was still a little overly stern, she was very good when it came to just being a girl. To see her glancing at Krum past her books, and when Krum kissed her hand at the dance! So, sweet!.
Ron, was...very much a fourteen year old boy, and Rupert Grint, while he was still gulping and cringing Ron, was also EXCELLENT, they wrote him a character and he played it. He was sullen, he was pissy, he was jealous, he was obviously oblivious when it came to women, and he was smitten with Fleur. I just want to let you all know how much I love Rupert Grint, alot. A whole LOT.
Snape...hilarious. Barely around, but when he was there he was scary, and absolutely hilarious. Very much a scary, hateable teacher. I thought he and Harry were going to have a tender moment at one point, but no, it was a trick. He was really luring Harry into that potions cabinet to threaten him. I also love Alan Rickman, not as much as I love Rupert Grint, because he's not as cute, but...man...he's funny.
Also...I love damn Maggie Walsh, almost as much as I love Alan Rickman, but not nearly as much as I love Rupert Grint. Dame Maggie is exactly (a little more wrinkly) what I imagined McGonagall to be. And so...I'm always pleased. She off course is "Dame Maggie" and could not care less about my pleasure with her performance, but...Dame Maggie, if you're out there, just know that I love you.
Mr. Gambon...you have some big shoes to fill. And you're stepping up to the plate, and you know, performing pretty well. I like Gambon's scary kinda' crazy crouching in corners and mumbling Dumbledore Dumbledore, however, I wish he could combine that with Grandfatherly Dumbledore. I liked comforting Grandfatherly Dumbledore, the first wasn't crazy enough and the second is too crazy. I think that part of that a great deal of that is the fault of the director, Dumbledore would never ever ever lay hands on Harry in the way he did in the movie, after his name came out of the cup. But, that's the director. I want Gambon to be a wiser Dumbledore...he has some time to brush up on his Dumblyness.
Mad-Eye Moody; first let me say that the transistion from Moody to Crouch was hands down the nastiest thing in the movie. I liked the eye okay, it wasn't what I imagined but it worked well. He wasn't as scarred as I would like either. I liked how the movie gave him a metal leg that's all prothesitic-y and not just a peg. I always wondered why Peter could get and new hand but no one could come up with a better leg substitute for Moody?
Malfoy/the Twins/Seamus/and Neville: Tom Felton...I love as much as I love Rupert Grint...and he's so cute. And damn him for being like 17 or something, and damn him for being millions of miles aways, and...okay whatever. I'll take the twins in his stead (also millions of miles away). All of these people should be in the movies more. I had a ridiculous amount of "awwww!" moments when Neville was on screen, he is the most likeable character on Earth. He was great, great, great. From his mad-dancing skills, to his watching the rain poor down the window, to his thinking he's managed to murder Harry Potter. The twins, funny as always, and quite handsome...
(I would just like to take a moment to note, that I am 20 yrs. old, an aging teeny bopper, and am quite comsumed with cute boys. I am a cute (good) actors biggest fan, so my reveiw will be littered with notes on looks. My bad, yo.)
Seamus is adorable, and makes me giggle...
Cedric Diggory: Cute, very "boy all the girls *squee* for" but WORST HUFFLEPUFF ever. Since when is Cedric such an ass? And since when is Amos such a sweetie. I think they got the characters confused when they were writing the script. My boyfriend's words "I didn't really care that that kid died. I wasn't sad at all." That's because at no point do you start to like Cedric. Shoving and tugging, and tussling to get to the cup first?! That is no Hufflepuff Champion. *grumbles*
Fleur and Krum: Fleur, not as pretty as I thought she'd be, but...why was she such a wimp?! Worst female champion ever! She whimpered and cringed, and sighed, and never ever was strong, or haughty or vain. When Ron asked her to the dance it's good he ran off, because then he would have to stand around and listen to her simper and sigh, and been completely turned off. Krum, too hot. Too hot to be Krum...it made Ron's obsession...weird. Because it could also have been mistaken for attraction. But he was gruff, not enough, but close.
The Crouch's: Very Crouch-y except in the courtroom, but that was just the writer's bad, not theirs. (I missed all the other Weasley's! Molly, Charlie, Bill, and Percy!)
Voldemort: Ralph Fiennes was terrific! I didn't care that his eyes weren't red! He moved like a snake. He coiled and struck, he slithered when he walked. He was disturbing! He stop and then dart forward. He was awesome! Wonderful, wonderful, acting. I can't imagine anyone else basing their performance on moving like a snake, not unless it was the director's idea and not an acting choice. I think it was an acting choice though, he must be brilliant, that's why they cast him. He's disturbing to watch move! I love him, not Voldemort of course...I got chills when he spoke.
I think I've gotten everyone important...oh and Rita looked very much like the Rita in my mind...onto the movie...because, my how this has gotten long, and I doubt anyone will read it all.
Okay, the movie as a whole. I loved the character development, they were so fifteen that I felt my fifteen year old self scowling in jealously, and giggling in girly-ness, and blushing in...15-year-old horror. There was so much more that I loved than what I didn't love, this movie actually made me jump in fear! I got teary-eyed, and I laughed aloud.
As you can tell, I love character development, and I think they developed the characters without sacrificing too much of the plot. I liked learning about the students waaay more than I would've like Dobby to be in the movie. I loved seeing them be 15.
At the end of the movie the order wasn't called together...if they start OotP the movie where they start it in the book, then it'll be fine. Harry knows little to nothing about the order when he gets home, and we as an audience can assume at the end of the last movie that Dumbledore is going to do something about Voldemort being back.
PG-13!Humor is the best kind of humor. "Viktor is very physical." *Harry's horrified/amused stare* "Not I didn't mean like that!" That was awesome. Harry and Myrtle in the tub was hilarious! All of it was older, and therefore funnier to me. And not just the dirty jokes, the humor altogether was more mature. Ron telling Harry about the dragons is the round-a-bout-est sort of way possible, and Harry not understanding how he could've ever figured that out. The Twins announcing and akward moment. McGongall and the dance lessons! It was alot funnier than the book. I'll stop, I love waay more of it then I didn't like.
If you go in there expecting to see the book made reality you'll go and you'll be disappointed. It's not the books, it's a movie loosely based on the books, it's as if JK gave them the plot, and they were left to their own devices to figure out how Point A connected to Point B. It's not like the book, but it turns out, that's not a bad thing.
I despised the first and second movie, really I did, I loathed it! But I LOVED this one. There were some parts were I was like "For the love of God get on with it" actually, that was one single part, the first task. It was scary, and it was very nice looking, but...why didn't the dragon just start chomping on the helpless fans? If I were a dragon, I definitely gobble those people in the stands right up. It was definitely showy, and overboard.
And then there were other parts where I was like "STOP! Waaaaait! Please wait! Oh! Go...oh Go back!" That was actually from when Harry woke up in the Burrow (because the Dursley's were cut out) to when the first task began. From there, things started to slow down enough for me to stop crying inside, and giving my companions helpless distressed glances. I wanted to see that damn Quidditch match! I wanted to see scary Death Eaters dangling Muggles by one leg.
My main problem with the previous movies were the changes they made, the deviation from the plots of the book. However, this movie made me look at deviation from a whole new perspective. I was absolutely on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. It was never a half-assed attempt to stick with what JK says happened, they took they plot and made it their own and I appreciated that. I wanted to see artistic liscense, I liked being unsure of what was happening. I like things being different, REALLY different, not just different enough to be agitating. (I also refused to read GoF for the past year or so because, I always wondered if I would've if I'd enjoy the movies more if I hadn't read the book recently, and spent the whole movie comparing the two.)
There were sometimes when I felt the artistic liscense went more than a little overboard, for instance Barty Crouch Jr.'s addition to Riddle House (pointless). But I didn't feel as if the ommission of Dobby or Ludo Bagman was too off task, although I do feel like they should've explained it waaaay better than they did, or omit that particular scene with the Pensieve altogether. I actually feel that they would've been better served to show the trial of the Lestranges, and show BC Jr's trial, and Karkaroff altogether. (Wow, It's funny how much I've grown since these movies have been being made because, I would never ever have condoned deviation before.)
The Review: I, Siri, being of sound body and mind, do hereby recommend this movie to everyone in the whole wide world...who has already read the books. I felt like the director's knew very well that I'd read the books, and would recognize every single change, and tried to make it entertaining for me. The movie was completely new and fresh to me, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is definitely a smarter, director than Chris Columbus, and a more creative director than Alphonso, he's altogether a more magically inclined director. I could tell absolutely how enthusiastic everyone was about the project because it was terrific.
For the first time in my life, I did not hate Daniel Radcliffe on film. This time the script played to his strengths as an actor as well as it could, and that was terrific. Daniel is very...stoic. But this time, Harry was the straight man. Thank you writers for giving Harry a very dry sense of humor, thank you writer's for making Harry quietly boiling with rage, instead of boiling over. Thank you director-man for allowing me to think that Daniel was just adorable, and more than a pretty (non-green eyed) face casted by a weird fanatical director. For the first time, Daniel Radcliffe earned his spot as Harry Potter. (although, there were still some cringe-worthy, "oh, you're terrible" moments, they were fewer and farther between)
Hermione, was much less of an Amazon know-it-all and more of the Hermione who thinks that she can find the answer in a book, and often fails too, from the series. Emma was quite pretty, and while she was still a little overly stern, she was very good when it came to just being a girl. To see her glancing at Krum past her books, and when Krum kissed her hand at the dance! So, sweet!.
Ron, was...very much a fourteen year old boy, and Rupert Grint, while he was still gulping and cringing Ron, was also EXCELLENT, they wrote him a character and he played it. He was sullen, he was pissy, he was jealous, he was obviously oblivious when it came to women, and he was smitten with Fleur. I just want to let you all know how much I love Rupert Grint, alot. A whole LOT.
Snape...hilarious. Barely around, but when he was there he was scary, and absolutely hilarious. Very much a scary, hateable teacher. I thought he and Harry were going to have a tender moment at one point, but no, it was a trick. He was really luring Harry into that potions cabinet to threaten him. I also love Alan Rickman, not as much as I love Rupert Grint, because he's not as cute, but...man...he's funny.
Also...I love damn Maggie Walsh, almost as much as I love Alan Rickman, but not nearly as much as I love Rupert Grint. Dame Maggie is exactly (a little more wrinkly) what I imagined McGonagall to be. And so...I'm always pleased. She off course is "Dame Maggie" and could not care less about my pleasure with her performance, but...Dame Maggie, if you're out there, just know that I love you.
Mr. Gambon...you have some big shoes to fill. And you're stepping up to the plate, and you know, performing pretty well. I like Gambon's scary kinda' crazy crouching in corners and mumbling Dumbledore Dumbledore, however, I wish he could combine that with Grandfatherly Dumbledore. I liked comforting Grandfatherly Dumbledore, the first wasn't crazy enough and the second is too crazy. I think that part of that a great deal of that is the fault of the director, Dumbledore would never ever ever lay hands on Harry in the way he did in the movie, after his name came out of the cup. But, that's the director. I want Gambon to be a wiser Dumbledore...he has some time to brush up on his Dumblyness.
Mad-Eye Moody; first let me say that the transistion from Moody to Crouch was hands down the nastiest thing in the movie. I liked the eye okay, it wasn't what I imagined but it worked well. He wasn't as scarred as I would like either. I liked how the movie gave him a metal leg that's all prothesitic-y and not just a peg. I always wondered why Peter could get and new hand but no one could come up with a better leg substitute for Moody?
Malfoy/the Twins/Seamus/and Neville: Tom Felton...I love as much as I love Rupert Grint...and he's so cute. And damn him for being like 17 or something, and damn him for being millions of miles aways, and...okay whatever. I'll take the twins in his stead (also millions of miles away). All of these people should be in the movies more. I had a ridiculous amount of "awwww!" moments when Neville was on screen, he is the most likeable character on Earth. He was great, great, great. From his mad-dancing skills, to his watching the rain poor down the window, to his thinking he's managed to murder Harry Potter. The twins, funny as always, and quite handsome...
(I would just like to take a moment to note, that I am 20 yrs. old, an aging teeny bopper, and am quite comsumed with cute boys. I am a cute (good) actors biggest fan, so my reveiw will be littered with notes on looks. My bad, yo.)
Seamus is adorable, and makes me giggle...
Cedric Diggory: Cute, very "boy all the girls *squee* for" but WORST HUFFLEPUFF ever. Since when is Cedric such an ass? And since when is Amos such a sweetie. I think they got the characters confused when they were writing the script. My boyfriend's words "I didn't really care that that kid died. I wasn't sad at all." That's because at no point do you start to like Cedric. Shoving and tugging, and tussling to get to the cup first?! That is no Hufflepuff Champion. *grumbles*
Fleur and Krum: Fleur, not as pretty as I thought she'd be, but...why was she such a wimp?! Worst female champion ever! She whimpered and cringed, and sighed, and never ever was strong, or haughty or vain. When Ron asked her to the dance it's good he ran off, because then he would have to stand around and listen to her simper and sigh, and been completely turned off. Krum, too hot. Too hot to be Krum...it made Ron's obsession...weird. Because it could also have been mistaken for attraction. But he was gruff, not enough, but close.
The Crouch's: Very Crouch-y except in the courtroom, but that was just the writer's bad, not theirs. (I missed all the other Weasley's! Molly, Charlie, Bill, and Percy!)
Voldemort: Ralph Fiennes was terrific! I didn't care that his eyes weren't red! He moved like a snake. He coiled and struck, he slithered when he walked. He was disturbing! He stop and then dart forward. He was awesome! Wonderful, wonderful, acting. I can't imagine anyone else basing their performance on moving like a snake, not unless it was the director's idea and not an acting choice. I think it was an acting choice though, he must be brilliant, that's why they cast him. He's disturbing to watch move! I love him, not Voldemort of course...I got chills when he spoke.
I think I've gotten everyone important...oh and Rita looked very much like the Rita in my mind...onto the movie...because, my how this has gotten long, and I doubt anyone will read it all.
Okay, the movie as a whole. I loved the character development, they were so fifteen that I felt my fifteen year old self scowling in jealously, and giggling in girly-ness, and blushing in...15-year-old horror. There was so much more that I loved than what I didn't love, this movie actually made me jump in fear! I got teary-eyed, and I laughed aloud.
As you can tell, I love character development, and I think they developed the characters without sacrificing too much of the plot. I liked learning about the students waaay more than I would've like Dobby to be in the movie. I loved seeing them be 15.
At the end of the movie the order wasn't called together...if they start OotP the movie where they start it in the book, then it'll be fine. Harry knows little to nothing about the order when he gets home, and we as an audience can assume at the end of the last movie that Dumbledore is going to do something about Voldemort being back.
PG-13!Humor is the best kind of humor. "Viktor is very physical." *Harry's horrified/amused stare* "Not I didn't mean like that!" That was awesome. Harry and Myrtle in the tub was hilarious! All of it was older, and therefore funnier to me. And not just the dirty jokes, the humor altogether was more mature. Ron telling Harry about the dragons is the round-a-bout-est sort of way possible, and Harry not understanding how he could've ever figured that out. The Twins announcing and akward moment. McGongall and the dance lessons! It was alot funnier than the book. I'll stop, I love waay more of it then I didn't like.
If you go in there expecting to see the book made reality you'll go and you'll be disappointed. It's not the books, it's a movie loosely based on the books, it's as if JK gave them the plot, and they were left to their own devices to figure out how Point A connected to Point B. It's not like the book, but it turns out, that's not a bad thing.