Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire review
Okay, so I just saw Harry potter and the Goblet of Fire. i had high expectations for this one. I'm so tired right now but I have to write it now.
Getting to see this movie was a bit of a stress. We originally planned to see it some time Friday. A friend sent out an e-vite for her friends to meet up and see it together 7:45 at a theatre only 5 miles away from where I lived. So I said "Hey that sounds like a good time so I'll just like show up with my family and see my friend as well". XD So we preordered tickets at this theater we've never been to. Then she cancels it. Well that's okay, I'll just go anyway with my family. Then my stepdad says he'll back late Friday (after driving ALL day) so we can't go Friday. And Saturday's he's driving my mom to the airport and then there's supposed to be this big volleyball tournament and dance thing at the church that I really want to go to (been training for weeks) so Saturday's out. Sunday's Sunday, and Monday's too far awwwaaayyy.
So, yes. I was stressed. out.
I ended up just staying up all night Friday, taking a three hour nap and then we went to a 3:30 pm showing at the theatre we prepaid tickets for (they let you change times). I was so tired. But hey, Harry Potter! So I ended up NOT going to the Volleyball/Dance thing at all (I didn't know where it was being held anyway oh well).
So we drive to this address about an hour before the show starts, discover that it's at a mall (and what a cool mall). So my stepdad drops me off at the entrance with the theatre sign and he gives me the paper reciept confirmations thing so that I could get the tickets in case they are selling fast, but we only wanted to go to the show if it wasn't stuffed full already which would make us sit on the side (awful angle) or really close up front. Oh man. He waits in the car. James waits in the car. I go in, expecting a ticket booth right in the entrance, not an actual Mall entrance. So I investigate, looking for the theatre. Ends up it's 3 floors up (I could tell because the entrance I went to was the one with the open plan where you can look up and see the other floors and they can look down and see you, plus most theatres in malls are on the top floor. Well anyways, I go up three escalators and see all the movie type area, the consession stand, a guard, rails. There is no ticket booth. People already have tickets when they come in. I'm like "This is so weird!"
So I look at a desk and it says "Ticket Boths are on the second floor." So i'm like, ok. I look around for a way to go down.
THERE IS NO DOWN ESCALATOR!!!!
Gah. But there's an elevator. A small one. And I think "This is so weird, no down escalator?" but I don't see one anywhere and I don't want to wander off deep into the mall. So I wait in line for this elevator for like 3 minutes. Finally I get to the second floor and get in line. When I get to the cashier person I think I went, "Is Harry Potter for 3 o'clock very full?" and I put the paper for the confirmation on the desk and the lady was like "Pre-sales have to be taken at the top desk" or something so I'm like "ok" and run back up the escalators. O.o
When I get to the top desk the lady's like "We need the card that the tickets were purchased with" so i'm like "Ok," and, "You see, my stepdad told me to only go to this showing if we could get good seats, so do you know how full it is?" And she replied with something like, "something something, just started seating... most likely be sold out." So I'm like okay, whatever I have NO IDEA what she said but whatever, I'll just take a leap and get the tickets.
So I end up waiting for the elevator again. I wasn't really annoyed or stressed out too much, more like I was anxious and wanted to be moving in action. So I get on this tiny elevator and go back down to a lower floor were there was an actual down escalator (only the top floor doesn't have one) and back outside to the car (which is kind of parked a little ways away in the road next to the entrance). Did I mention that my calves were sore from jumproping the day before? Well i didn't even notice and I actually was running. I get the card and my brother comes along this time. We run up the escalators to the top floor, get the tickets. I tell my brother to take two tickets and get my stepdad while I go into the theatre and get seats.
Ok, I'm confusing things. At one point we split up, my brother left to get something, and I remember calling from the top floor his name and him running up the escalators. I'm so tired. Whatever, I ended up waiting in the theatre on the last row (this theatre actually have good seating from every seat) on the middle column, the first three seats on the left. I waited there for liek 10 minutes, watched some commerical type things. Then my stepdad comes in through the other entrance. I spot him and call his name so he leaves and comes back in on my side. "Where's James?" He says he doesn't know and he can't find him and he might not have a ticket. So I'm like "I gave him two tickets. Okay, I'll go get him, you keep the seats". So I make sure I have my ticket stub and the extra ticket (Mom was supposed to be with us Friday) and leave the theatre, hang around the entrance to see if he's there. I'm worried that maybe he lost his ticket and couldn't get back in. I end up going back down the elevator to the ground floor and he's waiting right at the mall entrance doors, says my stepdad told him to wait there. WEll whatever, he had his ticket and we go back to the theatre, we both get back in. The commercials are still going on and I realize that I should probably use the loo real quick cause I REALLY don't want to have to go during the movie, so I go and ocme back. The previews have just started.
The movie stuff review.
Right away I'm sucked into the movie- the Harry Potter title gave me a slight shiver. The old man going to the house- great begining.
There were things about this movie that I thought were done very well, certain scenes with the characters and things, but also there were things that were done not quite as well.
I liked the part with the Weasleys, and the portkey made me laugh but I felt really cheated from not seeing the Quidditch match itself. A disapointment, and when it cut right away to the family and friends in the tent I was lost- what was going on, was the game still going on so long that they all had to take a break, was it a break? Was it over? Yeah, I was lost.
I loved how Harry said "I love magic." It was a real character insight there, reminding you of his background, how very magical it all is to him.
Often with this movie I felt that some of the emotional things weren't getting through strong enough, or right. The little, subtle things were done very well, but the bigger stuff, yeah it was shallow and as a viewer I wasn't sucked in and feeling everything. It really annoyed me.
The scene with the tents smoking and the ground deserted seemed a little jumbled. I know it was supposed to be, but it just didn't feel as if the happy scene from before could have turned into the charred, burnt scene a couple of minutes later. I think Harry was supposed to have blacked out, but it didn't match up. He was unconcious, undefended, yet everything burnt to a crisp around him devoid of all people yet there he was lying down and quite fine. The Weasley's and Hermione calling for him seemed a little too placed, like they were gone, and then they call for him somewhere else after awhile. Too distant emotionally. "We've been looking for you forever?" Didn't quite ring true, and didn't seem to have the emotional impact.
And wasn't Harry's wand the one the one that cast the Mosmorde? And then there was supposed to be this whole huge thing about it from the ministry's perspective? I'd look it up but my GOF book seems to be missing.
Anyways, I liked all the fighting between the friends and such but I didn't think that they quite went far enough with it. It was more like a "You're a git, I'm not talking to you" and later "oh let's make up" rather than a "I never want to be your firend again!" type of thing.
Cedric. Cedric seemed so much more cooler when they were talking about him in the special television program (and the books) than in the actual movie. I feel like they cheapened him a little in the movie- he's supposed to be like a really admirable person but when he was with his chums and laughing at Harry, or about him (or perhaps at something else?), it just didn't seem right. It cheapened his character. He seemed to care more for what people wanted, a peer pressure kind of guy, giving in to ridding another person. And he was supposed to be more comradery with Harry in that maze, a loyal, decent Hufflepuff. Instead he was more like... a sheep, not a hero. I know he shouldn't be perfect and he does have his weaknesses, but it just seemed wrong. I thought that he was more decent than that, mature.
Hermione. I absoultely hate the way they did her hair and eyebrows for this movie. She is way too polished. Where's her frizzy hair that is smoothed for the yule ball? Her eyebrows are too sculpted. Emma Watson is pretty, and Hermione Granger is pretty too, but not in THAT usual way. And the pink dress? I was expecting it to terrible but it wasn't so horrible on camera, so they got away with it. :) I abosutely loved Emma's preformance as being the "lucky girl who actually got asked out by the Quidditch star/coolest boy". Wonderful job on that.
The jealousy in this movie seemed toned WAY down from the book. Harry's supposed to be really jealous of Cedric over Cho, as well as his actual, earned-cool-boy-everyone-loves-him status (although they seemed to get most of that last part). Ron was supposed to be VERY jealous over Krum, enough to hate him which is why he said the "conspiring with the enemy" line. And whatever happened to Ron's Victor Krum doll? XD
I loved the scene where Hermione told the boys to go to bed and they actually obeyed, and she ended up on the stairs crying next to some other girls also crying. Nice touch. I enjoyed all the boy/girl interactions in this movie, they were charming and entertaining.
And Rupert Grint was great as usual. Love his sullen expressions, he's so Ron.
The ball. The ball was nice, I would have liked to see more dancing, I was expecting a more comedic scene of all the boys dancing. The two Patil girls sitting next to the boys seemed off- it would have worked better if we knew for sure that they were sitting because it was a slow dance waltz type thing and their partners weren't dancing with them- NOT ROCK, where people just get up and dance without partners at all. Or maybe just the type of dance I'm used to? No one ever has partners unless it's a slow dance. Lame girls for just sitting there- it didn't make any sense. It would have worked better if some Durmstrang boys sat right next to them and started engaging them in conversation and their interests kind of steered away.
And speaking of students from other schools, we didn't get to see any of them besides Krum put their name in the Goblet. That annoyed me- was Krum the only Durmstrang student to put his name in the Goblet? He had like an escort and everything when he did.
Neville. I thought that Neville really shined in his scenes- I really enjoyed that. I loved his dancing bit, loved it, it was so cute. Yes you male population, actually trying to be romatic works. I loved how he was the first person to get up during the Gryffindor dance class, he's such a true Gryffindor. I felt that the Cruciatus curse scene in the DADA class could have used more emotion, I wasn't feeling for Neville at all. And the "gilly weed" scene where Neville tells him the morning of seemed so yuk since I know that it was DOBBY that actually stole the Gillyweed and gave it to Harry Potter. Speaking of which, where was Snape's big scene accusing Harry of stealing it? Although the potions cupboard scene was great. :) But in that, Snape didn't seem as if he had actually called Harry over at first, I guess I just didn't catch the British teacher nuiance because if someone had acted that way or said that to me, I wouldn't be sure if I should leave or stay and I'd probably try to leave.
Also, did Snape really POUR a bunch of Veritaserum in Crouch's mouth? Isn't that dangerous!?!?! Well, there goes fandom that any more than 3 drops can kill you. Sloppy.
The Names and Curses and some of the British speaking really killed me, I was having difficulty understanding what they would say. I don't know why.
But about the Yule ball, Did Harry ask Ginny to it in the book? And she said that she was going with Neville because she was only a 4th year and couldn't go otherwise? I missed that conversation.
Harry really didn't seem stressed out enough. He was a little short tempered but he wasn't stressed out right with all the things he had to deal with; the contest that he's about to die in and isn't prepared at all for, the students making his life miserable, and Rita Skeeter making his life worse, his best mates deserting him... I've stayed up all night studying for a final that I don't know anything about and i've been stressed out more. And with all harry's got to cope with.. no it wasn't enough.
I did like how he's more of a hero now though, how he's the "always do the right thing" type of person that you can put your trust in. He wasn't quite like that in the books, and I like the movie version better. it makes him seem younger and more of a real person.
His hair wasn't as bad as I had feared- I had feared that it would be so distractingly bad that I wouldn't be able to watch the movie, because some of the photos actually did have his hair that bad.
I really missed seeing some of the other familiar charcters, like Pansy and Lavender. WHY exactly was Padma's sister hanging off of her arm and even in the common room when that's Lavender's job?
I wanted to see familiar faces in the background more, not random students I've never seen before and haven't a clue who they were. I want that familiarity and nostalgia. What happened to Colin?
Also, I noticed that the whole Hagrid and Madame love thing was pretty much only introduced. No rose bushes in the courtyard during the dance, no secrets or offending questions. That's alright though.
We skipped the whole "Snape show his dark mark to Fudge, Dumbledore and Harry" scene. But there was enough doubt cast on Snape's character that this okay to skip. We also skipped the "late night after hours, after bath" scene where Harry gets his foot caught in a trick step with his egg and Moody and Snape come upon the scene, and Snape looses against Moody. That's ok though, wasn't that necessary except that it showed something more of Snape.
And SIRIUS! There was hardly any Sirius! Where was his dangerous trip to come see Harry in his dog form?
Daniel Radcliff did NOT move me with his crying. I felt for Harry when he arrived with Cedric and the music started up, and it was awful, I felt so badn, but then he had to start crying and acting and that CLOSEUP and it just ruined it. It felt lame until Cedric's dad started crying, and then I actually felt something. Dan, try to get actual sad eyes, puffy red things with tears streaming down. I didn't feel for you at all. And all the sagging down in Moddy's grip afterwards... gah.
I felt that the movie was lacking some background information. Once in awhile it's good to purposefully mention stuff that all the fans are supposed to know. Like the wands being brothers, how Moody's hair had been pulled out a little each week over the space of a year... that kind of stuff. That the people coming out of the wand were Harry's mum and Dad. You kind of had to just "know". But that means that the movie was made and written for the fans, and it WAS NOT made and written for the fans. Period.
I loved the scene where Snape smacked Ron and Harry's heads during the homework session. GREAT. Te he.
One of the scenes that I thought could be better was when Harry was sitting in the tent before the dragon task, hearing that the other contestant had won. Not enough anxiousness, not enough stressing out, of time growing before this adrenaline rushing task. He wasn't wound up and there was hardly any emotion at all. And I would have liked to "hear" how the other contestants got through it, and I would have appreciated scenes of that even more.
The dragon scene was interesting and good, but in retrospect, it would probably have just been better to have Harry fly off with the dragon chasing him.. show the people waiting, and then have him fly back without the dragon and spend more time on the other things. XD The dragon scene with Harry around the school didn't really add anything- it didn't get my adreniline up, I wasn't flying with the character or enraptured, I just watched Harry fly around the school and fall/slide on the roofs a little bit.
The underwater scene seemed like it was paced enough and had enough depth. Harry didn't seem to convey his worry that anyone left behind would actually die though.
The maze scene could have been a bit longer and more indepth. It's like they all lost it right away and the enchanted/possesed part didn't seem understood so very well. I might be remembering it wrong, but I thought that the Champions friends were supposed to have helped? Maybe i'm confusing it with a fanfiction.
I loved the graveyard scene and Voldemort jumping/walking around so youthfully. The scene in the movie definitely helped make the scene in my head from the book better. Voldemort looked exactly like I've always imagined him. I seem to remember Harry being tied up with rope though and the cut of blood coming deeply from his ELBOW. I suppose that doing it at the vein at the elbow might have lead to a bleeding loss of mortal death standards so it was easier just not to worry about it and do it a little differently. O.o
I really liked how Cedric was killed, and the way Voldemort put his foot on his face and turned it- woah. He didn't really seem evil or scary though, voldemort seemed more like a real person.
I give it a 4/5 for trying to stick to the spirit and realness of the books, but losing the life and realness in some scenes.
Edit: I also forgeot to mention that they left all the Rita Skitta animagus stuff. After the movie I was like "I guess that was in the 5th book" but it's in the 4th. Also, I really missed Percy.
And I totally forgot about Winky.
Oh yeah, and they totally forgot Fleur and her half Veela heritage!
And the Spinx! And the Spider! And the scary half lobster spewing tail thingy, Skewt?
Wormtail called Voldemort, VOLDEMORT! The Death Eaters never say his name!! I noticed it while I was watching it, but not enough apparently...
Getting to see this movie was a bit of a stress. We originally planned to see it some time Friday. A friend sent out an e-vite for her friends to meet up and see it together 7:45 at a theatre only 5 miles away from where I lived. So I said "Hey that sounds like a good time so I'll just like show up with my family and see my friend as well". XD So we preordered tickets at this theater we've never been to. Then she cancels it. Well that's okay, I'll just go anyway with my family. Then my stepdad says he'll back late Friday (after driving ALL day) so we can't go Friday. And Saturday's he's driving my mom to the airport and then there's supposed to be this big volleyball tournament and dance thing at the church that I really want to go to (been training for weeks) so Saturday's out. Sunday's Sunday, and Monday's too far awwwaaayyy.
So, yes. I was stressed. out.
I ended up just staying up all night Friday, taking a three hour nap and then we went to a 3:30 pm showing at the theatre we prepaid tickets for (they let you change times). I was so tired. But hey, Harry Potter! So I ended up NOT going to the Volleyball/Dance thing at all (I didn't know where it was being held anyway oh well).
So we drive to this address about an hour before the show starts, discover that it's at a mall (and what a cool mall). So my stepdad drops me off at the entrance with the theatre sign and he gives me the paper reciept confirmations thing so that I could get the tickets in case they are selling fast, but we only wanted to go to the show if it wasn't stuffed full already which would make us sit on the side (awful angle) or really close up front. Oh man. He waits in the car. James waits in the car. I go in, expecting a ticket booth right in the entrance, not an actual Mall entrance. So I investigate, looking for the theatre. Ends up it's 3 floors up (I could tell because the entrance I went to was the one with the open plan where you can look up and see the other floors and they can look down and see you, plus most theatres in malls are on the top floor. Well anyways, I go up three escalators and see all the movie type area, the consession stand, a guard, rails. There is no ticket booth. People already have tickets when they come in. I'm like "This is so weird!"
So I look at a desk and it says "Ticket Boths are on the second floor." So i'm like, ok. I look around for a way to go down.
THERE IS NO DOWN ESCALATOR!!!!
Gah. But there's an elevator. A small one. And I think "This is so weird, no down escalator?" but I don't see one anywhere and I don't want to wander off deep into the mall. So I wait in line for this elevator for like 3 minutes. Finally I get to the second floor and get in line. When I get to the cashier person I think I went, "Is Harry Potter for 3 o'clock very full?" and I put the paper for the confirmation on the desk and the lady was like "Pre-sales have to be taken at the top desk" or something so I'm like "ok" and run back up the escalators. O.o
When I get to the top desk the lady's like "We need the card that the tickets were purchased with" so i'm like "Ok," and, "You see, my stepdad told me to only go to this showing if we could get good seats, so do you know how full it is?" And she replied with something like, "something something, just started seating... most likely be sold out." So I'm like okay, whatever I have NO IDEA what she said but whatever, I'll just take a leap and get the tickets.
So I end up waiting for the elevator again. I wasn't really annoyed or stressed out too much, more like I was anxious and wanted to be moving in action. So I get on this tiny elevator and go back down to a lower floor were there was an actual down escalator (only the top floor doesn't have one) and back outside to the car (which is kind of parked a little ways away in the road next to the entrance). Did I mention that my calves were sore from jumproping the day before? Well i didn't even notice and I actually was running. I get the card and my brother comes along this time. We run up the escalators to the top floor, get the tickets. I tell my brother to take two tickets and get my stepdad while I go into the theatre and get seats.
Ok, I'm confusing things. At one point we split up, my brother left to get something, and I remember calling from the top floor his name and him running up the escalators. I'm so tired. Whatever, I ended up waiting in the theatre on the last row (this theatre actually have good seating from every seat) on the middle column, the first three seats on the left. I waited there for liek 10 minutes, watched some commerical type things. Then my stepdad comes in through the other entrance. I spot him and call his name so he leaves and comes back in on my side. "Where's James?" He says he doesn't know and he can't find him and he might not have a ticket. So I'm like "I gave him two tickets. Okay, I'll go get him, you keep the seats". So I make sure I have my ticket stub and the extra ticket (Mom was supposed to be with us Friday) and leave the theatre, hang around the entrance to see if he's there. I'm worried that maybe he lost his ticket and couldn't get back in. I end up going back down the elevator to the ground floor and he's waiting right at the mall entrance doors, says my stepdad told him to wait there. WEll whatever, he had his ticket and we go back to the theatre, we both get back in. The commercials are still going on and I realize that I should probably use the loo real quick cause I REALLY don't want to have to go during the movie, so I go and ocme back. The previews have just started.
The movie stuff review.
Right away I'm sucked into the movie- the Harry Potter title gave me a slight shiver. The old man going to the house- great begining.
There were things about this movie that I thought were done very well, certain scenes with the characters and things, but also there were things that were done not quite as well.
I liked the part with the Weasleys, and the portkey made me laugh but I felt really cheated from not seeing the Quidditch match itself. A disapointment, and when it cut right away to the family and friends in the tent I was lost- what was going on, was the game still going on so long that they all had to take a break, was it a break? Was it over? Yeah, I was lost.
I loved how Harry said "I love magic." It was a real character insight there, reminding you of his background, how very magical it all is to him.
Often with this movie I felt that some of the emotional things weren't getting through strong enough, or right. The little, subtle things were done very well, but the bigger stuff, yeah it was shallow and as a viewer I wasn't sucked in and feeling everything. It really annoyed me.
The scene with the tents smoking and the ground deserted seemed a little jumbled. I know it was supposed to be, but it just didn't feel as if the happy scene from before could have turned into the charred, burnt scene a couple of minutes later. I think Harry was supposed to have blacked out, but it didn't match up. He was unconcious, undefended, yet everything burnt to a crisp around him devoid of all people yet there he was lying down and quite fine. The Weasley's and Hermione calling for him seemed a little too placed, like they were gone, and then they call for him somewhere else after awhile. Too distant emotionally. "We've been looking for you forever?" Didn't quite ring true, and didn't seem to have the emotional impact.
And wasn't Harry's wand the one the one that cast the Mosmorde? And then there was supposed to be this whole huge thing about it from the ministry's perspective? I'd look it up but my GOF book seems to be missing.
Anyways, I liked all the fighting between the friends and such but I didn't think that they quite went far enough with it. It was more like a "You're a git, I'm not talking to you" and later "oh let's make up" rather than a "I never want to be your firend again!" type of thing.
Cedric. Cedric seemed so much more cooler when they were talking about him in the special television program (and the books) than in the actual movie. I feel like they cheapened him a little in the movie- he's supposed to be like a really admirable person but when he was with his chums and laughing at Harry, or about him (or perhaps at something else?), it just didn't seem right. It cheapened his character. He seemed to care more for what people wanted, a peer pressure kind of guy, giving in to ridding another person. And he was supposed to be more comradery with Harry in that maze, a loyal, decent Hufflepuff. Instead he was more like... a sheep, not a hero. I know he shouldn't be perfect and he does have his weaknesses, but it just seemed wrong. I thought that he was more decent than that, mature.
Hermione. I absoultely hate the way they did her hair and eyebrows for this movie. She is way too polished. Where's her frizzy hair that is smoothed for the yule ball? Her eyebrows are too sculpted. Emma Watson is pretty, and Hermione Granger is pretty too, but not in THAT usual way. And the pink dress? I was expecting it to terrible but it wasn't so horrible on camera, so they got away with it. :) I abosutely loved Emma's preformance as being the "lucky girl who actually got asked out by the Quidditch star/coolest boy". Wonderful job on that.
The jealousy in this movie seemed toned WAY down from the book. Harry's supposed to be really jealous of Cedric over Cho, as well as his actual, earned-cool-boy-everyone-loves-him status (although they seemed to get most of that last part). Ron was supposed to be VERY jealous over Krum, enough to hate him which is why he said the "conspiring with the enemy" line. And whatever happened to Ron's Victor Krum doll? XD
I loved the scene where Hermione told the boys to go to bed and they actually obeyed, and she ended up on the stairs crying next to some other girls also crying. Nice touch. I enjoyed all the boy/girl interactions in this movie, they were charming and entertaining.
And Rupert Grint was great as usual. Love his sullen expressions, he's so Ron.
The ball. The ball was nice, I would have liked to see more dancing, I was expecting a more comedic scene of all the boys dancing. The two Patil girls sitting next to the boys seemed off- it would have worked better if we knew for sure that they were sitting because it was a slow dance waltz type thing and their partners weren't dancing with them- NOT ROCK, where people just get up and dance without partners at all. Or maybe just the type of dance I'm used to? No one ever has partners unless it's a slow dance. Lame girls for just sitting there- it didn't make any sense. It would have worked better if some Durmstrang boys sat right next to them and started engaging them in conversation and their interests kind of steered away.
And speaking of students from other schools, we didn't get to see any of them besides Krum put their name in the Goblet. That annoyed me- was Krum the only Durmstrang student to put his name in the Goblet? He had like an escort and everything when he did.
Neville. I thought that Neville really shined in his scenes- I really enjoyed that. I loved his dancing bit, loved it, it was so cute. Yes you male population, actually trying to be romatic works. I loved how he was the first person to get up during the Gryffindor dance class, he's such a true Gryffindor. I felt that the Cruciatus curse scene in the DADA class could have used more emotion, I wasn't feeling for Neville at all. And the "gilly weed" scene where Neville tells him the morning of seemed so yuk since I know that it was DOBBY that actually stole the Gillyweed and gave it to Harry Potter. Speaking of which, where was Snape's big scene accusing Harry of stealing it? Although the potions cupboard scene was great. :) But in that, Snape didn't seem as if he had actually called Harry over at first, I guess I just didn't catch the British teacher nuiance because if someone had acted that way or said that to me, I wouldn't be sure if I should leave or stay and I'd probably try to leave.
Also, did Snape really POUR a bunch of Veritaserum in Crouch's mouth? Isn't that dangerous!?!?! Well, there goes fandom that any more than 3 drops can kill you. Sloppy.
The Names and Curses and some of the British speaking really killed me, I was having difficulty understanding what they would say. I don't know why.
But about the Yule ball, Did Harry ask Ginny to it in the book? And she said that she was going with Neville because she was only a 4th year and couldn't go otherwise? I missed that conversation.
Harry really didn't seem stressed out enough. He was a little short tempered but he wasn't stressed out right with all the things he had to deal with; the contest that he's about to die in and isn't prepared at all for, the students making his life miserable, and Rita Skeeter making his life worse, his best mates deserting him... I've stayed up all night studying for a final that I don't know anything about and i've been stressed out more. And with all harry's got to cope with.. no it wasn't enough.
I did like how he's more of a hero now though, how he's the "always do the right thing" type of person that you can put your trust in. He wasn't quite like that in the books, and I like the movie version better. it makes him seem younger and more of a real person.
His hair wasn't as bad as I had feared- I had feared that it would be so distractingly bad that I wouldn't be able to watch the movie, because some of the photos actually did have his hair that bad.
I really missed seeing some of the other familiar charcters, like Pansy and Lavender. WHY exactly was Padma's sister hanging off of her arm and even in the common room when that's Lavender's job?
I wanted to see familiar faces in the background more, not random students I've never seen before and haven't a clue who they were. I want that familiarity and nostalgia. What happened to Colin?
Also, I noticed that the whole Hagrid and Madame love thing was pretty much only introduced. No rose bushes in the courtyard during the dance, no secrets or offending questions. That's alright though.
We skipped the whole "Snape show his dark mark to Fudge, Dumbledore and Harry" scene. But there was enough doubt cast on Snape's character that this okay to skip. We also skipped the "late night after hours, after bath" scene where Harry gets his foot caught in a trick step with his egg and Moody and Snape come upon the scene, and Snape looses against Moody. That's ok though, wasn't that necessary except that it showed something more of Snape.
And SIRIUS! There was hardly any Sirius! Where was his dangerous trip to come see Harry in his dog form?
Daniel Radcliff did NOT move me with his crying. I felt for Harry when he arrived with Cedric and the music started up, and it was awful, I felt so badn, but then he had to start crying and acting and that CLOSEUP and it just ruined it. It felt lame until Cedric's dad started crying, and then I actually felt something. Dan, try to get actual sad eyes, puffy red things with tears streaming down. I didn't feel for you at all. And all the sagging down in Moddy's grip afterwards... gah.
I felt that the movie was lacking some background information. Once in awhile it's good to purposefully mention stuff that all the fans are supposed to know. Like the wands being brothers, how Moody's hair had been pulled out a little each week over the space of a year... that kind of stuff. That the people coming out of the wand were Harry's mum and Dad. You kind of had to just "know". But that means that the movie was made and written for the fans, and it WAS NOT made and written for the fans. Period.
I loved the scene where Snape smacked Ron and Harry's heads during the homework session. GREAT. Te he.
One of the scenes that I thought could be better was when Harry was sitting in the tent before the dragon task, hearing that the other contestant had won. Not enough anxiousness, not enough stressing out, of time growing before this adrenaline rushing task. He wasn't wound up and there was hardly any emotion at all. And I would have liked to "hear" how the other contestants got through it, and I would have appreciated scenes of that even more.
The dragon scene was interesting and good, but in retrospect, it would probably have just been better to have Harry fly off with the dragon chasing him.. show the people waiting, and then have him fly back without the dragon and spend more time on the other things. XD The dragon scene with Harry around the school didn't really add anything- it didn't get my adreniline up, I wasn't flying with the character or enraptured, I just watched Harry fly around the school and fall/slide on the roofs a little bit.
The underwater scene seemed like it was paced enough and had enough depth. Harry didn't seem to convey his worry that anyone left behind would actually die though.
The maze scene could have been a bit longer and more indepth. It's like they all lost it right away and the enchanted/possesed part didn't seem understood so very well. I might be remembering it wrong, but I thought that the Champions friends were supposed to have helped? Maybe i'm confusing it with a fanfiction.
I loved the graveyard scene and Voldemort jumping/walking around so youthfully. The scene in the movie definitely helped make the scene in my head from the book better. Voldemort looked exactly like I've always imagined him. I seem to remember Harry being tied up with rope though and the cut of blood coming deeply from his ELBOW. I suppose that doing it at the vein at the elbow might have lead to a bleeding loss of mortal death standards so it was easier just not to worry about it and do it a little differently. O.o
I really liked how Cedric was killed, and the way Voldemort put his foot on his face and turned it- woah. He didn't really seem evil or scary though, voldemort seemed more like a real person.
I give it a 4/5 for trying to stick to the spirit and realness of the books, but losing the life and realness in some scenes.
Edit: I also forgeot to mention that they left all the Rita Skitta animagus stuff. After the movie I was like "I guess that was in the 5th book" but it's in the 4th. Also, I really missed Percy.
And I totally forgot about Winky.
Oh yeah, and they totally forgot Fleur and her half Veela heritage!
And the Spinx! And the Spider! And the scary half lobster spewing tail thingy, Skewt?
Wormtail called Voldemort, VOLDEMORT! The Death Eaters never say his name!! I noticed it while I was watching it, but not enough apparently...