I Remember
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
On Thursday night, at 11:59pm, my sister and I saw Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Here is what I posted right after we got home, at 3:18am.
On Friday alone, HP and GOF took in $39,355,000, with the 2nd place movie, Walk the Line, taking in only $7,650,000.
On Saturday, HP and GOF took in $35,470,000.
Here are my thoughts on the movie (without spoilers):
I was very happy with how it turned out and can't wait to see it again.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is about 2 1/2 hours long, but was much too short! The book is 700+ pages long, so, obviously, a lot had to be cut out. I would happily have sat through a much longer film. The newest director, Mike Newell, didn't include many of the special "magical" touches that make Harry Potter Harry Potter. I missed them very much, but there is a lot of plot to include, so he can be forgiven (a little) for deciding against all the little things.
Along with the usual Hogwarts things, Newell also had to cut a lot of the subplots and change some things to make the story work without them. If you haven't read the book, you won't realize things are a bit different. Either way, the changes work for the movie.
As the books (and movies) progress, they get darker and scarier. I kind of miss the more happy, brightly magical world of the first two books/movies, but the threat from Voldemort increases, so one can only expect the feeling to do so as well. This one could be rather scary for younger children and even sent chills through me.
The acting was, as always, excellent. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) are superb and really bring the characters to life. I can't imagine anyone playing their parts. Daniel is Harry. Rupert is Ron. Emma is Hermione.
In this film, the kids are 14 and truly teenagers, with crushes and jealousy and emotions. I love the Ron-Hermione relationship and the way it is played in GOF. Harry is interested in a girl, who might be interested in him.
In case you haven't read the book or seen anything about it, this year at Hogwarts, the school Harry and his friends attend, a Tri-Wizard Tournaments is being held. Three schools are participating, with one champion from each school competing. Their names come out of a Goblet of Fire. Since the competitions can be dangerous, only wizards/witches aged 17 and above are allowed to participate. The names of three champions come out and then . . . Harry's name does as well. Harry has to participate. The three tasks take up the majority of the film.
First, though, at the very beginning, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and some of Ron's family attend the Quidditch World Cup. It was a really cool part of the film. The Quidditch Stadium looked amazing. Unfortunately, Newell didn't show very much of the World Cup. He concentrated, rather, on what happens at the campsite after the match is over.
After that, the students head off to school at Hogwarts and that's where the real fun begins. There is a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Mad-Eye Moody, played by Brendan Gleeson. Moody wasn't quite what I expected, but Gleeson played him pretty well.
The students have to cope with having students from the two other schools present. Harry has to face off against their, and Hogwarts', champions: Victor Krum, who played in the Quidditch World Cup, is representing Durmstrang, Fleur Delacour representing Beauxbatons, and Cedric Diggory representing Hogwarts.
And, of course, Harry faces off against Voldemort in a very scary part of the movie. I don't want to give anything away.
Over all, I really, really liked the film. It was fabulous to see it in a full theater where the audience clapped and cheered numerous times through the movie. Sometimes I couldn't hear a bit of dialogue because we were all clapping at something.
My sister astutely pointed out that these teenagers are the ones who grew up with Harry Potter, so it only makes sense that so many were there. I believe the first HP book came out in 1999, so these kids would have been about 10-11, the same age Harry is in Year One. I'm rather jealous of them for that reason. I was also surprised when the teenage girls would give little squeals for Harry and Ron. Too me, they are young, teenage boys, the same age as the ones I have in class whenever I sub. But these girls think they are cute and crushworthy. I really hadn't thought of them that way (thank God!). Very interesting to watch the teenage girls react, then. And the teenage boys whistled when Emma Watson appeared.
Ron and Harry in their dress robes
Hermione
Fred and George, the twins and two of Ron's brothers, are in the movie a lot more than in the previous ones, to the enjoyment of all. They are absolutely funny and have great lines. They really add a lot.
Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith as Professors Snape and McGonagall are once again fabulous, but underused. The Snape vs. Harry dynamic is always interesting. Tom Felton, as Draco Malfoy, was also not in the movie enough.
In this movie, as in Prisoner of Azkaban, the 3rd one, Professor Dumbledore is played by Michael Gambon. Richard Harris played the Hogwarts' Headmaster in the first two films, but died. I must say I vastly prefer Harris' Dumbledore to Gambon's. Harris had the perfect amount of frailty, grace, and was Dumbledore. Gambon is too brusque and sprightly and, sometimes, a bit goofy or too stern. I long for a Richard Harris type to play Dumbledore.
My favorite parts of the movie were the dancing practice and Yule Ball scenes, and a scene where the trio is studying in the Great Hall and Professor Snape gets a little miffed at their talking (the first picture above is from that scene and below). Hilarious! I also adored the way Ron and Hermione and Harry interacted. Some great stuff there.
With so much focus on the Tri-Wizard Tournament, as I said, lots of the smaller plots and touches were not included. I think Newell could have put a few more in, just for Potter purists, and made the movie a bit longer. The story would have had even more depth.
Still, it was a remarkably done job for an adaptation of a 700+ novel, chock full of everything. I felt many emotions watching it: happy, sad, frightened (well, I let myself be), excited, nervous, and very, very amused. There are so many fantastic scenes and lines. I'm very glad I got to see it and I cannot wait to see it again!
Go see it!!!!
Daniel Radcliffe is Harry
Here is what I posted right after we got home, at 3:18am.
On Friday alone, HP and GOF took in $39,355,000, with the 2nd place movie, Walk the Line, taking in only $7,650,000.
On Saturday, HP and GOF took in $35,470,000.
Here are my thoughts on the movie (without spoilers):
I was very happy with how it turned out and can't wait to see it again.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is about 2 1/2 hours long, but was much too short! The book is 700+ pages long, so, obviously, a lot had to be cut out. I would happily have sat through a much longer film. The newest director, Mike Newell, didn't include many of the special "magical" touches that make Harry Potter Harry Potter. I missed them very much, but there is a lot of plot to include, so he can be forgiven (a little) for deciding against all the little things.
Along with the usual Hogwarts things, Newell also had to cut a lot of the subplots and change some things to make the story work without them. If you haven't read the book, you won't realize things are a bit different. Either way, the changes work for the movie.
As the books (and movies) progress, they get darker and scarier. I kind of miss the more happy, brightly magical world of the first two books/movies, but the threat from Voldemort increases, so one can only expect the feeling to do so as well. This one could be rather scary for younger children and even sent chills through me.
The acting was, as always, excellent. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) are superb and really bring the characters to life. I can't imagine anyone playing their parts. Daniel is Harry. Rupert is Ron. Emma is Hermione.
In this film, the kids are 14 and truly teenagers, with crushes and jealousy and emotions. I love the Ron-Hermione relationship and the way it is played in GOF. Harry is interested in a girl, who might be interested in him.
In case you haven't read the book or seen anything about it, this year at Hogwarts, the school Harry and his friends attend, a Tri-Wizard Tournaments is being held. Three schools are participating, with one champion from each school competing. Their names come out of a Goblet of Fire. Since the competitions can be dangerous, only wizards/witches aged 17 and above are allowed to participate. The names of three champions come out and then . . . Harry's name does as well. Harry has to participate. The three tasks take up the majority of the film.
First, though, at the very beginning, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and some of Ron's family attend the Quidditch World Cup. It was a really cool part of the film. The Quidditch Stadium looked amazing. Unfortunately, Newell didn't show very much of the World Cup. He concentrated, rather, on what happens at the campsite after the match is over.
After that, the students head off to school at Hogwarts and that's where the real fun begins. There is a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Mad-Eye Moody, played by Brendan Gleeson. Moody wasn't quite what I expected, but Gleeson played him pretty well.
The students have to cope with having students from the two other schools present. Harry has to face off against their, and Hogwarts', champions: Victor Krum, who played in the Quidditch World Cup, is representing Durmstrang, Fleur Delacour representing Beauxbatons, and Cedric Diggory representing Hogwarts.
And, of course, Harry faces off against Voldemort in a very scary part of the movie. I don't want to give anything away.
Over all, I really, really liked the film. It was fabulous to see it in a full theater where the audience clapped and cheered numerous times through the movie. Sometimes I couldn't hear a bit of dialogue because we were all clapping at something.
My sister astutely pointed out that these teenagers are the ones who grew up with Harry Potter, so it only makes sense that so many were there. I believe the first HP book came out in 1999, so these kids would have been about 10-11, the same age Harry is in Year One. I'm rather jealous of them for that reason. I was also surprised when the teenage girls would give little squeals for Harry and Ron. Too me, they are young, teenage boys, the same age as the ones I have in class whenever I sub. But these girls think they are cute and crushworthy. I really hadn't thought of them that way (thank God!). Very interesting to watch the teenage girls react, then. And the teenage boys whistled when Emma Watson appeared.
Fred and George, the twins and two of Ron's brothers, are in the movie a lot more than in the previous ones, to the enjoyment of all. They are absolutely funny and have great lines. They really add a lot.
Alan Rickman and Maggie Smith as Professors Snape and McGonagall are once again fabulous, but underused. The Snape vs. Harry dynamic is always interesting. Tom Felton, as Draco Malfoy, was also not in the movie enough.
In this movie, as in Prisoner of Azkaban, the 3rd one, Professor Dumbledore is played by Michael Gambon. Richard Harris played the Hogwarts' Headmaster in the first two films, but died. I must say I vastly prefer Harris' Dumbledore to Gambon's. Harris had the perfect amount of frailty, grace, and was Dumbledore. Gambon is too brusque and sprightly and, sometimes, a bit goofy or too stern. I long for a Richard Harris type to play Dumbledore.
My favorite parts of the movie were the dancing practice and Yule Ball scenes, and a scene where the trio is studying in the Great Hall and Professor Snape gets a little miffed at their talking (the first picture above is from that scene and below). Hilarious! I also adored the way Ron and Hermione and Harry interacted. Some great stuff there.
With so much focus on the Tri-Wizard Tournament, as I said, lots of the smaller plots and touches were not included. I think Newell could have put a few more in, just for Potter purists, and made the movie a bit longer. The story would have had even more depth.
Still, it was a remarkably done job for an adaptation of a 700+ novel, chock full of everything. I felt many emotions watching it: happy, sad, frightened (well, I let myself be), excited, nervous, and very, very amused. There are so many fantastic scenes and lines. I'm very glad I got to see it and I cannot wait to see it again!
Go see it!!!!
posted by Lady Jane | 11:19 AM
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