(no subject)
So I just saw the movie, and I have to say it's by far the best of the series, which is odd since Goblet of Fire is my least-favourite book.
The formula was simple: they gave up trying to help the non-fans understand what was going on, and just assumed that everyone watching it had read the books.
The look was flawless. Moody was different from how I imagined, but the Crouches were precisely right. The scenes either looked as I imagined them or much better -- usually much better. The people putting the film together had an incredible visual imagination, much more than Columbus or Cuaron.
The storyline was pretty good. I knew the House Elves were deleted, and you know, I didn't miss them. Dobbie is the Jar-Jar Binx of the series. I would've been fun to see Rita Skeeter getting caught, though.
The only scene I really wish had been there, though, was the Gathering of the Order at the end -- 'twould have taken two seconds, they had all the actors and the set ready (hell, they hired Gary Oldman just to use his face in a fire, they may as well have given him a scene).
Their casting of Diggory, Krum, Skeeter, and Voldemort were flawless. Pattison, the guy playing Diggory, was Diggory exactly. In spite of the fact that Diggory was dropped into this film, Pattison made him likeable enough that some of the pathos at the end came through.
Their Fleur Delacour and Victor Krum were surprising -- these actors gave two goofy, mostly comical characters a lot of surprising dignity, and it worked. If the same woman comes back to play Fleur in the sixth movie, then maybe the Fleur/Bill scenes -- some of Rowling's worst material -- might actually work. Krum was far more gorgeous than I pictured him -- not that I'm complaining -- but he was exactly as sullen as I expected.
Miranda Richardson's vampy Skeeter was perfect in every detail.
But it was Ralph Fiennes' Voldemort who really stole the show. I was dreading that scene in the graveyard. I was expecting oversized CG animation cat-eyes and a voice run through some kind of sound filter to make it cold and metallic. But no -- they jut slapped some makeup and a black robe on Fiennes and let his acting skill carry it.
And he didn't play it campy as I was expecting -- as almost any other actor would've. No cackling, no "I will destroy you." He played Voldemort not as a type, but as human sociopath, the sort of person who might tell you, in a calm and friendly voice and with a smile, that he murdered his grandmother that afternoon. And that was a million times scarier than what I figured I'd see.
Other than that, there was a nice use of minor characters. Nice to see Neville and Ginny not fading into the background, since they shall be so important in the next movie. Cho as well. I guess since they're playing to the fans this time, Newell figured he could let go on the relentless focus on the Trio, and give everyone else some screentime, knowing that the fans could still tell what was going on.
The only other thing that surprised me was how much sex was hinted at -- much more than anything in the books. They were really making the most of their PG-13 rating weren't they? I mean from that comment on Krum's "physicality" to Moaning Myrtle trying to cop a cheap feel off of Harry in the bathtub to that bizarre line by Barty Crouch Jr ("I'll show you mine if you show me yours").
And I'm beginning to agree with scottevil about where Neville was all that night.
Anyway, it was fantastic. Depressing that Newell isn't coming back for a second shot. I've never even heard of this David Yates guy who's directing the next one.
The formula was simple: they gave up trying to help the non-fans understand what was going on, and just assumed that everyone watching it had read the books.
The look was flawless. Moody was different from how I imagined, but the Crouches were precisely right. The scenes either looked as I imagined them or much better -- usually much better. The people putting the film together had an incredible visual imagination, much more than Columbus or Cuaron.
The storyline was pretty good. I knew the House Elves were deleted, and you know, I didn't miss them. Dobbie is the Jar-Jar Binx of the series. I would've been fun to see Rita Skeeter getting caught, though.
The only scene I really wish had been there, though, was the Gathering of the Order at the end -- 'twould have taken two seconds, they had all the actors and the set ready (hell, they hired Gary Oldman just to use his face in a fire, they may as well have given him a scene).
Their casting of Diggory, Krum, Skeeter, and Voldemort were flawless. Pattison, the guy playing Diggory, was Diggory exactly. In spite of the fact that Diggory was dropped into this film, Pattison made him likeable enough that some of the pathos at the end came through.
Their Fleur Delacour and Victor Krum were surprising -- these actors gave two goofy, mostly comical characters a lot of surprising dignity, and it worked. If the same woman comes back to play Fleur in the sixth movie, then maybe the Fleur/Bill scenes -- some of Rowling's worst material -- might actually work. Krum was far more gorgeous than I pictured him -- not that I'm complaining -- but he was exactly as sullen as I expected.
Miranda Richardson's vampy Skeeter was perfect in every detail.
But it was Ralph Fiennes' Voldemort who really stole the show. I was dreading that scene in the graveyard. I was expecting oversized CG animation cat-eyes and a voice run through some kind of sound filter to make it cold and metallic. But no -- they jut slapped some makeup and a black robe on Fiennes and let his acting skill carry it.
And he didn't play it campy as I was expecting -- as almost any other actor would've. No cackling, no "I will destroy you." He played Voldemort not as a type, but as human sociopath, the sort of person who might tell you, in a calm and friendly voice and with a smile, that he murdered his grandmother that afternoon. And that was a million times scarier than what I figured I'd see.
Other than that, there was a nice use of minor characters. Nice to see Neville and Ginny not fading into the background, since they shall be so important in the next movie. Cho as well. I guess since they're playing to the fans this time, Newell figured he could let go on the relentless focus on the Trio, and give everyone else some screentime, knowing that the fans could still tell what was going on.
The only other thing that surprised me was how much sex was hinted at -- much more than anything in the books. They were really making the most of their PG-13 rating weren't they? I mean from that comment on Krum's "physicality" to Moaning Myrtle trying to cop a cheap feel off of Harry in the bathtub to that bizarre line by Barty Crouch Jr ("I'll show you mine if you show me yours").
And I'm beginning to agree with scottevil about where Neville was all that night.
Anyway, it was fantastic. Depressing that Newell isn't coming back for a second shot. I've never even heard of this David Yates guy who's directing the next one.