Obligatory Goblet of Fire Review!

[rockinlibrarian]

Okay, I'm cheating, it's not really a review, it's more a Reader Response. I mean Viewer Response. I hated Lit Analysis. But anyway, so we went to see Goblet of Fire and I was very pleased. This is definitely one of the better movies. I haven't seen the first one in awhile so I don't know which I like more; but the fourth book is one of my favorites-- the most recent reading I've decided it's my second-favorite, 5 being first, so obviously the book is still better than the movie, whereas the first movie and first book were tied-- I think they were actually equal, but on the other hand the first book is one of my LEAST favorite of the books. Not like I don't LIKE it, I just am not quite as obsessive about it as some of the others. I mean I loved it when I first read it, but I didn't become a fanatic about the series until Chamber of Secrets. So to get back to the original point, I therefore don't know whether I like movie 1 or 4 better, but who cares anyway?

I guess the overall reason for my being happy with it is that I was SATISFIED with it. I knew it couldn't be the book, but there was nothing really that made me think, "but why didn't they do THAT instead?" There's a few things I NOTICED as not being there, but nothing that BUGGED me, not like them leaving out the fact that Lupin and James and Sirius invented the Marauders' Map in movie three bugged me (and I don't know WHY that particular detail bugged me as much as it did, but I really did feel the need to keep bringing it up whenever I mentioned the movie). The only omission in this movie that bugged me the most, which really isn't much at all, was no Percy-working-at-the-Ministry thread. But then, Percy's never really been in any of the movies as much as in the books-- I suppose they'll work out Percy's Ministry-stooge business from book 5 when they GET to movie 5. The only other thing that actually bugged me a little more was that I would have liked to have seen more development of the other Triwizard Champions. You barely got to know anything about Fleur and Krum; but I would have also liked to see more development of the relationship between Harry and Cedric too, because that's just so fraught with emotion and all. Especially the fact that Cedric was going with Cho-- you like so BRIEFLY saw them together at the Ball, but there was nothing about it after that, or even much DURING that for that matter, and that's such a big thing, here's Harry feeling all bitter about perfect popular Cedric whom everybody likes better than him including Cho, and Cedric keeps being nice to him, and so forth, and then in the maze... I guess they showed a bit of that in the movie, but I would have liked more, meself. But I'm just weird.

Because on the whole I really didn't have any other problems with it. I FRICKIN' LOVE the Weasley twins, and before I saw the movie I was worried that they wouldn't be in it much for fear of subplots being cut, but no, they snuck in quite a lot-- which is absolutely in character of course! I loved how at the first task one of them shouts something like "Go, dragon!" when the dragon takes off and wrecks the stands the teachers were on. SO Fred and/or George. (I wonder if there are obsessives who have watched the movies so many times that they can actually tell the difference between Fred and George? That would be cool. I wish I could). I CAN'T wait to see them in Order of the Phoenix, that book being after all their crowning glory. And I also loved the sets. I actually went "Whoa, that's great!" when I saw the World Cup stadium. And the lake in my head is totally lame-- the movie lake made the second task look totally scarier. Speaking of scary, you know, the graveyard scene is totally the scariest scene in the books, but I actually think it's scarier in my imagination than it was in the movie!... BUT, I loved the very beginning of the movie, how it OPENS with a shot of Tom Riddle Sr's gravestone and then swoops up to the Riddle House, it SO PERFECTLY set the mood, and I think really set me up for being pleased with the whole thing. Oh, and Neville-- well first of all I have to explain that I have always been a HUGE Neville Longbottom fan, especially since one time I had a dream that he was going to my aunt's house for Thanksgiving (this dream was a long long time ago too, before even the first movie, so it was the Neville in my head rather than the Neville in the movies, but still, it's Neville), anyway so I was really glad there was so much of him in the movie, too... even more than there was in the book, actually. I loved seeing Harry hanging out with him, and I was pleased that they included the part about his parents, and thought it was handled pretty well too, in the class and afterward... except maybe that the mention of what actually happened to them, as Harry sees in the pensieve, is pretty quick, and you never see Harry's reaction to finding out about it, so it MIGHT have been missed... or so I thought, but my husband, who has only read the book once and forgot a lot of it, actually MENTIONED that part out of nowhere ("I thought it was neat how they said that Neville's parents had that cruciatus curse done on them," he said), so if HE caught it I guess it was clear enough after all. Oh, I also really liked the trial scene in the pensieve too-- I liked how they condensed what had been several different trials (and rather tedious ones) in the book into just the one trial. Okay, I've run out of stuff to talk about off the top of my head, so I'll shut up now. FRED AND GEORGE ROCK! Just had to mention that again.

Comments

[vovat.livejournal.com]

There's a few things I NOTICED as not being there, but nothing that BUGGED me, not like them leaving out the fact that Lupin and James and Sirius invented the Marauders' Map in movie three bugged me (and I don't know WHY that particular detail bugged me as much as it did, but I really did feel the need to keep bringing it up whenever I mentioned the movie).

That bugged me as well, and I know it bothered other people as well. It's not like there wasn't enough time to mention it; it could have been worked in very quickly and easily. The thing is, I thought I remembered reading somewhere that they were planning on putting that bit of information in the next movie, but here's the next movie and still no mention. Maybe they just said they would put it in a later movie, and not the very next movie, though. Maybe it'll be in the next one, since that story has considerably more about James and his friends.

I suppose they'll work out Percy's Ministry-stooge business from book 5 when they GET to movie 5.

Or they'll just leave it out. It would be a shame to see it go, but I don't think it's totally necessary to the plot.

I agree that they didn't develop the champions enough. As impressive as the actual task scenes were, I kind of think they should have shortened them somewhat and devoted more time to character development. As it was, there was very little tension between Harry and Cedric; their supporters were at odds, but they seemed to like each other just fine. Come to think of it, I don't believe Cho even mentioned she was going to the ball with Cedric in the scene where Harry asked her, just that she was going with someone else. Or am I wrong?

Now that I think of it, the movie DID leave out one plot element that, while brief, was VERY significant to what Fred and George do in Book 5--Harry never gave them his prize money! For that matter, I don't think there was any mention of prize money, just of eternal glory (which is pretty much a crock anyway, since there are barely any mentions of the Tournament in later books; people seem MUCH more impressed by Harry's Ministry break-in in Book 6 than by his Tournament win).

Speaking of scary, you know, the graveyard scene is totally the scariest scene in the books, but I actually think it's scarier in my imagination than it was in the movie!

Yeah, I was expecting Voldemort and the graveyard to be scarier, but I really can't think of any specific way to have improved that part of the movie.

[rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com]

It would be a shame to see it go, but I don't think it's totally necessary to the plot. True, it's not. I was trying to work out yesterday what subplots of book 5 would probably be cut for the movie, and that occurred to me. Kind of sad.

Come to think of it, I don't believe Cho even mentioned she was going to the ball with Cedric in the scene where Harry asked her, just that she was going with someone else. Or am I wrong?
No, you're right, she didn't... and, like the question about who invented the Marauder's Map last movie, how easy would it have been for her to mention it then, too? You just saw them entering and dancing together briefly, and I don't think you even really saw Harry's reaction to them being together for that matter.

Now that I think of it, the movie DID leave out one plot element that, while brief, was VERY significant to what Fred and George do in Book 5--Harry never gave them his prize money! Yeah, my thought too. And Book/Movie 5 just CANNOT exist without Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes! I suppose they can just say something about them raising the money for the shop gradually from all their other endeavors... maybe from taking all those bets during the Triwizard Tournament.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I was trying to work out yesterday what subplots of book 5 would probably be cut for the movie, and that occurred to me.

What else do you think will be cut out? I can think of a few things that would probably be shortened considerably, like Harry's pre-Hogwarts stay at Grimmauld Place, but not so much that could be cut out totally without changing the story. I wonder if Peeves will actually appear (since he DOES have his most significant role in Book 5), and whether they'll do anything with Kreacher.

[rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com]

Oooo. Kreacher will have to stay, won't he? After all the ending is mostly his fault. But they can probably avoid Peeves again... he's certainly most active, but again he could be written around. I imagine the movie would start with Harry and Dudley arguing and then the dementor attack-- the stuff about Harry trying to watch the news can be cut, or at least just alluded to. Yes, a lot of everything at Grimmauld Place can be condensed. The visits to Mr. W at St. Mungo's would probably be reduced to one, and how much of that they'd keep I'm not sure-- I'm very attached to the part about Neville's parents and think it's important for character development, for why he's so into the DA and so determined in the fight at the Ministry, but I don't know if they'd leave it since there's so much other stuff that needs to be shown in this movie. A lot of Umbridge's nastiness would likely be condensed into less actual encounters-- I don't know if there'd be quite so much about the Quidditch team-- there might be less separate rooms in the Dept of Mysteries, and for that matter there won't be all that stuff happening at the Ministry hanging out with Mr. W before the trial, either, just the trial itself. And I even wonder if they'll bring Mrs. Figg into it. More actors to have to pay and all. I was wondering about the DA, if they'll actually cast everybody who's supposed to be in it, it's what, 25 kids or something.... Of course the DA is DEFINITELY staying in the movie, that's an absolute-no-way-cut. You know, though, I'm wondering what the Hollywood execs will say about Fred and George's big exit-- any fan will say that that's an absolute-must-stay-in part, but I can see the Hollywood stuffed-shirts saying "What is that telling kids, quit school and harrass your teachers? Horrible. Can't have it." Stupid Hollywood execs. But anyway.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Kreacher will have to stay, won't he? After all the ending is mostly his fault.

True, but then, I didn't think they could do Goblet without Winky.

As for St. Mungo's, I hope they keep in the scene with Lockhart, but there's a good chance they won't. Aside from time considerations, it would mean paying Kenneth Branagh for a really brief appearance.

I'm really not a big fan of Quidditch scenes in general (whether in the books or the movies), and what's probably the main Quidditch achievement in Phoenix (Ron actually becoming good at the game) happens off-stage anyway. So I could see them not including any Quidditch at all.

I was wondering about the DA, if they'll actually cast everybody who's supposed to be in it, it's what, 25 kids or something....

How many have already been cast? Harry, Hermione, the Weasleys, Neville, Cho, Colin Creevey (but not Dennis, as far as I know)...were the Patils in it as well? And I don't think they could do the movie without Luna or Marietta. Who's the guy Ginny is dating in this book? Whoever he was, he was there too, right?

[rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com]

I can't remember if the Patils were in it. I think Parvati might have been but that would imply that Lavender was in it also and I can't remember her there. Michael Corner was the guy Ginny was dating-- he'd be one of the ones I wouldn't be sure if they'd bother casting, because it's a relatively mild character development basically just to show that Ginny's given up mooning over Harry and has gotten a life. But speaking of people Ginny dated, Dean was in it as well as Seamus-- they've been casted, as have everyone else on the Griffindor quidditch team, and a few of the Hufflepuffs were cast in Chamber of Secrets... most everybody HAS been cast before except those guys from Ravenclaw, and Luna and Marietta... although I'm still holding out hope that the casting people will overlook obvious flaws like age and nationality and cast me as Luna, I could totally pull that one off.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I just checked the book, and the group that initially meets at the Hog's Head in Chapter 16 consists of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Dean, Lavender, the Patils, Cho, Marietta, Luna, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, the Creeveys, Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Anthony Goldstein, Michael, Terry Boot, Ginny, Zacharias Smith, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan. I forget whether anyone else joins later in the story, and I really don't know how many of them have already been cast.

[rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com]

Wow, I wonder when you wrote this one, seems like a while ago... but I THINK the reporting system is actually catching up a bit. So anyway, that means if they're casting the entire DA... I can't remember if Lavender was in the first one at all, but they'll definitely need her for book 6 so they might as well cast her this time; Marietta (major plot point, probably should cast), Luna (one of my favorite characters so they'd BETTER cast her...I'm still up for the part), technically Katie and Alicia have been cast as sort of extras but they never really did anything; Dennis Creavy (not really important); I don't remember if Ernie was in CoS-- Justin was; I think they showed Hannah trying on the Sorting Hat in the first one; Susan (also not really important, unless to tie her to Madame Bones, who might not even show up herself); Anthony Michael and Terry (likewise not important); Zacharias (a jerk, but not TERRIBLY important, unless you want to spice things up a bit); and everyone else has been cast already. So I guess the only really necessary new castings would be Marietta and Luna.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Wow, I wonder when you wrote this one, seems like a while ago...

It was pretty recent, actually. I kept the comment notification for a while because I couldn't find my copy of the book. I ended up looking it up in bethje's copy.

[rockonliz.livejournal.com]

I agree with everything you said. Basically, I wish they had shortened the task scenes a little, or at least the first dragon scene, which I thought was a little too dramatic, and shortened the bathroom scene, and did more with the other chapions, Fleur in particular. She was supposed to be part veela in the book, and they kind of got halfway there by making her really pretty and having Ron like her, but they didn't really portray her as part non-human, which would have been cool.

I wish I'd seen the ending. I have to go see it again!

I was the same way about the sets. I said "whoa!" several times, and I think one of them was the World Cup set.

[rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com]

I was looking at the movie webpage the other day and on THAT they mention about Fleur being part Veela, so I was kind of surprised that they never mentioned it in the movie itself. Like, I don't expect the people who make movie websites to deviate from the information actually IN the movie, even if the info is elsewhere. Maybe it was mentioned in a deleted scene.

... yeah, I'm wondering if I can get away with going to see it again anytime soon too...