Goblet of Fire
I haven't read any other posts yet, so sorry if I'm repeating anything...and this is long...but here we go...my review and a few theories!
First, I really liked it. Of course. There were a few scenes that were EXACTLY as I pictured them when I read the book (the 5 times I read it). For example? Malfoy as a ferret, being bounced up and down, and the calm way Moody says, "Teaching" when McGonagall asks what he's doing. So funny. Great scene.
I'll be skipping around by the way.
Ok so when did Ron get MUSCLES. His first line of the movie, "Bloody Hell!" was hilarious as he pulled the covers over himself, but...dude. You are TOO YOUNG to have MUSCLES.
Speaking of naked, the scene with Harry and Moaning Myrtle in the bathroom was perfect. She's great, so funny. Loved it.
The twins trying to cross the age line. Perfect. Loved it.
The pensieve was perfect. The memory was perfect. But I'll get to that.
Now, I do understand why they had to cut the characters they did. Percy, Dobby, Winky, Charlie, Mrs. Weasley...I was wondering how the hell they were going to do it, but they managed. Just replace their jobs with others (instead of using Winky, Barty Jr. just set off the mark himself...Neville gave Harry the dillyweed...Moody stood with Harry at the maze instead of the Weasley's...). I mean, honestly. Keep in everyone and every plotline, and you have yourself a six hour movie. What kid is going to sit through that? Hell, I wouldn't sit through that. So I understand why they cut so much of the plot out. For moviegoers who don't read the book, it's a slightly different experience is all. If they want more depth and more information, READ THE BOOKS!
Moving on.
There was one choice that was made that I was disappointed in, and could have still been in the movie without eating up too much time. The maze. I think the whole POINT of the maze, and the reason a wizard had to be 17, was because you needed to know certain spells that most 4th years don't know (ahem, the Patronus). The maze was supposed to be a reflection on that...a test of the spells you've learned and your intelligence (hence the huge spider, the dementor, and the sphinx). Instead, the movie just turned it into a giant people-eating maze. What magic powers or intelligence do you need for that? I wish they had kept the creatures in.
Man, the end scene. The graveyard. It couldn't have been better, really. It was EXACTLY how I pictured it, albeit a little fast. When Cedric died, just like in the book, it just came up out of nowhere...no hesitation. The rising of Voldemort was hypnotic. Ralph Fiennes was AMAZING as Voldemort! What skill. He's great.
Speaking of acting, I have to acknowledge Brendan Gleeson as Moody because he was also perfect.
Fleur and Krum had what? Three lines total?
Cho? Not at all what I pictured. At ALL. She seemed too timid to be popular, everyone loves Cho. And at the other end of the spectrum, I thought that Cedric was a bit too cocky at the beginning for his character. Pretty, though.
I love the twins.
Jason Isaacs IS Lucius Malfoy. He's brilliant at the character. Couldn't have been better cast.
Ginny is a stick figure. Her and Neville were ADORABLE at the dance. Oh, the dance. Loved Cho's dress robes. Ron's were even worse than I pictured originally. Harry looked...hot. Sorry! I realize he's young as hell, but he did!! Hermoine was beautiful. A little TOO emotional at the end, it just came out of nowhere really (can't wait to see deleted scenes), but the whole movie was fast. PoA was the same way, there was so MUCH that they skipped around very quickly without explaining a whole lot and without letting you process. It's necessary, though. Again, it was be 6 six hours long otherwise.
Daniel Radcliffe has gotten WAY better at the screaming/crying since the third movie. His reactions in the graveyard and after bringing Cedric's body back...they were very real. I was impressed. AN ACTOR IS BORN!
The change in plot where they put the Weasley's at the top instead of in the box, I agree with. Without Winky, there was no point to have them there, and it really helped develop Malfoy's character with just a simple moment.
Loved the World Cup, it was so VISUAL.
Sorry I realize how long this is. Deal with it.
Snape's funny moment seriously made me laugh. I'm glad they're letting him have a few laughs. I mean, Alan Rickman IS Snape. Again, couldn't have been cast better. But when he pulls down his cuffs in preparation to hit Harry and Ron...so funny. Great comedic timing on his part.
Speaking of Snape, did anyone catch the foreshadowing of the 6th book??? The memory in the pensieve. The trial. Dumbledore, re: Snape, "He's as much of a Death Eater as I am!" Come on, people. Does anyone honestly still believe that Snape switched sides? They were PERFECTLY clear...almost saying, "Hey you people who read book 6 and still think Snape is bad, get a clue!" I agree. Get a clue. Now go back and read the book AGAIN.
I almost gagged when Madame Maxime picked a bug off of Hagrid's beard and ate it. She wasn't what I pictured, either, but she worked.
God that last scene in the graveyard was well done.
Rita Skeeter was great, too. Good casting. Just as annoying as she is in the books. I don't know how they're going to do the whole...her being an animagus and writing the article about Harry in the 5th book after Hermoine blackmails her...thing, but I'm sure they'll work it out. She was never the bug, and Malfoy was never helping her. He wasn't in this movie much, was he? Well, he will be. He's pretty hot for a kid, too.
STOP ME!
Also don't know how they'll do the whole...Harry gives his winnings to the twins so they can leave dramatically in the 5th book and open their own jokeshop...thing, but I'm assuming it might just be mentioned in passing. They MUST have their joke shop!
The dragon scene was awesome. Longer than in the book, but man...the graphics! The flying! Just awesome. Same with the underwater scenes, just loved it. So visual.
The teaching them to dance scene wasn't in the book as I remember, but it was cute. Good thing to add, especially for Neville. OH, his face when the spider was being tortured. So sad. SO vulnerable. So perfect for future events and information. That whole scene was just...creepy. Loved it.
Ok that's all I've got. I think. For now.
First, I really liked it. Of course. There were a few scenes that were EXACTLY as I pictured them when I read the book (the 5 times I read it). For example? Malfoy as a ferret, being bounced up and down, and the calm way Moody says, "Teaching" when McGonagall asks what he's doing. So funny. Great scene.
I'll be skipping around by the way.
Ok so when did Ron get MUSCLES. His first line of the movie, "Bloody Hell!" was hilarious as he pulled the covers over himself, but...dude. You are TOO YOUNG to have MUSCLES.
Speaking of naked, the scene with Harry and Moaning Myrtle in the bathroom was perfect. She's great, so funny. Loved it.
The twins trying to cross the age line. Perfect. Loved it.
The pensieve was perfect. The memory was perfect. But I'll get to that.
Now, I do understand why they had to cut the characters they did. Percy, Dobby, Winky, Charlie, Mrs. Weasley...I was wondering how the hell they were going to do it, but they managed. Just replace their jobs with others (instead of using Winky, Barty Jr. just set off the mark himself...Neville gave Harry the dillyweed...Moody stood with Harry at the maze instead of the Weasley's...). I mean, honestly. Keep in everyone and every plotline, and you have yourself a six hour movie. What kid is going to sit through that? Hell, I wouldn't sit through that. So I understand why they cut so much of the plot out. For moviegoers who don't read the book, it's a slightly different experience is all. If they want more depth and more information, READ THE BOOKS!
Moving on.
There was one choice that was made that I was disappointed in, and could have still been in the movie without eating up too much time. The maze. I think the whole POINT of the maze, and the reason a wizard had to be 17, was because you needed to know certain spells that most 4th years don't know (ahem, the Patronus). The maze was supposed to be a reflection on that...a test of the spells you've learned and your intelligence (hence the huge spider, the dementor, and the sphinx). Instead, the movie just turned it into a giant people-eating maze. What magic powers or intelligence do you need for that? I wish they had kept the creatures in.
Man, the end scene. The graveyard. It couldn't have been better, really. It was EXACTLY how I pictured it, albeit a little fast. When Cedric died, just like in the book, it just came up out of nowhere...no hesitation. The rising of Voldemort was hypnotic. Ralph Fiennes was AMAZING as Voldemort! What skill. He's great.
Speaking of acting, I have to acknowledge Brendan Gleeson as Moody because he was also perfect.
Fleur and Krum had what? Three lines total?
Cho? Not at all what I pictured. At ALL. She seemed too timid to be popular, everyone loves Cho. And at the other end of the spectrum, I thought that Cedric was a bit too cocky at the beginning for his character. Pretty, though.
I love the twins.
Jason Isaacs IS Lucius Malfoy. He's brilliant at the character. Couldn't have been better cast.
Ginny is a stick figure. Her and Neville were ADORABLE at the dance. Oh, the dance. Loved Cho's dress robes. Ron's were even worse than I pictured originally. Harry looked...hot. Sorry! I realize he's young as hell, but he did!! Hermoine was beautiful. A little TOO emotional at the end, it just came out of nowhere really (can't wait to see deleted scenes), but the whole movie was fast. PoA was the same way, there was so MUCH that they skipped around very quickly without explaining a whole lot and without letting you process. It's necessary, though. Again, it was be 6 six hours long otherwise.
Daniel Radcliffe has gotten WAY better at the screaming/crying since the third movie. His reactions in the graveyard and after bringing Cedric's body back...they were very real. I was impressed. AN ACTOR IS BORN!
The change in plot where they put the Weasley's at the top instead of in the box, I agree with. Without Winky, there was no point to have them there, and it really helped develop Malfoy's character with just a simple moment.
Loved the World Cup, it was so VISUAL.
Sorry I realize how long this is. Deal with it.
Snape's funny moment seriously made me laugh. I'm glad they're letting him have a few laughs. I mean, Alan Rickman IS Snape. Again, couldn't have been cast better. But when he pulls down his cuffs in preparation to hit Harry and Ron...so funny. Great comedic timing on his part.
Speaking of Snape, did anyone catch the foreshadowing of the 6th book??? The memory in the pensieve. The trial. Dumbledore, re: Snape, "He's as much of a Death Eater as I am!" Come on, people. Does anyone honestly still believe that Snape switched sides? They were PERFECTLY clear...almost saying, "Hey you people who read book 6 and still think Snape is bad, get a clue!" I agree. Get a clue. Now go back and read the book AGAIN.
I almost gagged when Madame Maxime picked a bug off of Hagrid's beard and ate it. She wasn't what I pictured, either, but she worked.
God that last scene in the graveyard was well done.
Rita Skeeter was great, too. Good casting. Just as annoying as she is in the books. I don't know how they're going to do the whole...her being an animagus and writing the article about Harry in the 5th book after Hermoine blackmails her...thing, but I'm sure they'll work it out. She was never the bug, and Malfoy was never helping her. He wasn't in this movie much, was he? Well, he will be. He's pretty hot for a kid, too.
STOP ME!
Also don't know how they'll do the whole...Harry gives his winnings to the twins so they can leave dramatically in the 5th book and open their own jokeshop...thing, but I'm assuming it might just be mentioned in passing. They MUST have their joke shop!
The dragon scene was awesome. Longer than in the book, but man...the graphics! The flying! Just awesome. Same with the underwater scenes, just loved it. So visual.
The teaching them to dance scene wasn't in the book as I remember, but it was cute. Good thing to add, especially for Neville. OH, his face when the spider was being tortured. So sad. SO vulnerable. So perfect for future events and information. That whole scene was just...creepy. Loved it.
Ok that's all I've got. I think. For now.