Harry Potter Movie

melidasaur · 11-23-2005, 02:13 PM

Does anyone want to share what they think about this movie? The Goblet of Fire is my favorite book of the series and this movie was my favorite of the four movies.

They left a lot of details out of this movie that I felt were important, but those not familiar with the books got a good sense of the story.

Overall, good job.

If you want to discuss book/movie inconsistencies - let's go!

Elspode · 11-23-2005, 02:50 PM

Pretty much what you said, Mel. Enormous chunks and subplots were removed wholesale from the film, yet the film carried the main themes very, very well, advancing Harry's overall tale and dialing up the intensity of the series in the bargain.

Rowling is said to be intentionally skewing the successive books toward an older and older audience, aiming at keeping the kids who started out with Harry interested.

Good movie, well done. It did not seem as long as it was.

Happy Monkey · 11-23-2005, 03:41 PM

It's been a while since I read book 4, but IIRC that is where I started to think the series actually started getting really interesting.

Likewise the movie. It did seem a bit hurried here and there, but at last there was some Voldemort payoff.

Fleur seemed a bit too helpless in the labyrinth, though.

Troubleshooter · 11-23-2005, 03:42 PM

I'm a little disappointed myself. It felt disjointed. More like a really long highlights film in my opinion.

Happy Monkey · 11-23-2005, 04:02 PM

The only thing I really thought was missing was an explanation for what happened with the wands. I didn't remember the explanation from the book, and the movie didn't remind me (I later looked it up). Maybe they'll mention it in the next one.

Troubleshooter · 11-23-2005, 05:06 PM

Dmbledore made a low voiced naming of it but that was about it.

Sperlock · 11-23-2005, 07:21 PM

I liked it and it felt like the easiest of the 4 movies to watch. I'm just glad it was a new director, and not the one from Prisoner of Azkaban. That movie was ruined. I look forward to seeing how Order of the Phoenix comes out.

seakdivers · 11-24-2005, 12:38 AM

It was really great, and the special effects were fantastic......however, I felt like I was watching the Cliff Notes version of the movie.
Lets hope they put the dot connectors on the dvd when it comes out!

wolf · 11-24-2005, 01:08 AM

I went to see GOF with friends on opening weekend.

In IMAX.

oooh.

Not really.

The only thing IMAX was is bigger than a regular screen. Once nice benefit of the 40-speaker sound system was that the movie was so loud that I could not hear other people in the theater munching popcorn or taking to their friends.

I despise people who talk in movie theaters. It is not your fucking living room.

The "countdown to IMAX" imagery was much cooler than seeing the film itself on the massive screen.

And yes, I was in the good seats. Second row above the walkway, center. The sweet spot.

I don't think the experience was worth $14 (including the Fandango charge ... we bought the tickets 3-4 weeks prior to opening) plus popcorn. Don't get me started on the whole cost of popcorn thing.

Oh, wait, you were asking about the movie itself, weren't you?

After the shine is off the apple, I think that more people will admit to themselves that this is the weakest of the bunch so far. The problems aren't just the huge gaping holes left in the plot! At least one of my friends suggested that it should have been cut into two movies to preserve some of those elements, and no amount of arguing would shift her ... a cliffhanging "To Be Continued" would have killed the series faster than a four hour runtime. (Her position was that Lord of the Rings was three long movies and that was successful, but of course that was a three book series ...)

I thought that the pacing was uneven, character development was nonexistent, and like so many movies that rely on action scenes, it plods along, you have a few exciting moments, and the really dramatic bits at the end get given short shrift.

I know that lotsa folks had a problem with POA, but I think that it was only poor in comparison with SS and COS ... POA was, in my estimation, better than GOF. GOF is the David Lynch's version of Dune of Harry Potter movies. They should hand you a little booklet as you go in the theater to explain the bits that got left out, and will have to produce a special not the director's cut to fill in some of the essential connective tissue when it's shown on TV. It will be narrated by a minor character (like the French Chick) and feature some production artwork to tie the scenes together.

And those hats looked totally ridiculous. Even the French wouldn't wear blue Hershey's Kisses on their heads.

elSicomoro · 11-24-2005, 07:42 PM

I'm going to see it sometime next week. I was supposed to see it at midnight when it opened, but I was getting over an illness at the time, and didn't trust myself waking up for work later that morning.

Here are my mini-reviews on the first 3...I took a Harry Potter crash course last week. #2 is my favorite thus far...#3 my least favorite.

melidasaur · 11-28-2005, 10:29 AM

One of my biggest disappointments is that they did not set up for the 5th movie very well... there is a lot of organization going on at the end of book 4, calling up the return of the Order of the Phoneix, sending hagrid off to visit the giants and most importantly, setting up the conflict between Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge - who doesn't believe that Voldemort has not returned. As a book purist, these are important details - plus, I don't want to spend the first 20 minutes of the next movie explaining to people who haven't read the books what is happening.

Sundae · 11-28-2005, 11:00 AM

I have to agree with Wolf & Melidasaur that more plot details were needed. I know the films tread a fine line, and books as they are written rarely transfer well to screen, but imo too much time was taken up with set pieces & not enough on characters.

I approved of some of the condensing (condensation?!). The obvious hints about the polyjuice potion made the Barty Crouch Snr & Winky subplot surplus to requirement.

But I thought the dragon chase was ridiculous. I simply don't believe that an unchained dragon would be allowed to be loose over the countryside, chasing an underage wizard and damaging property. They had no indication that Harry would not simply be killed & the dragon go on to raze Hogsmeade to the ground.

And Fleur! What was she doing in the contest? According to the film she got through the 1st test somehow - presumably coached by Madame Maxime, then bottled it on the 2nd, leaving her sister to an unknown fate, then showed as much magical power & courage as a blancmange in the maze. Is this the best that Beauxbaton can produce?

The most annoying thing about the film was of course the little boy sat a couple of seats away from me who was eating popcorn with his mouth open through all the quiet parts. But perhaps that was just me.

Happy Monkey · 11-28-2005, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

And Fleur! What was she doing in the contest? According to the film she ... showed as much magical power & courage as a blancmange in the maze.

Hey, don't count the blancmanges out! They almost won Wimbledon!

Sundae · 11-28-2005, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

Hey, don't count the blancmanges out! They almost won Wimbledon!

Ignore the whistling sound - that's just your comment going way over my head..... Sorry - I don't get it

Happy Monkey · 11-28-2005, 12:29 PM

Monty Python

11-23-2005, 02:13 PM	#1
melidasaur Traded your soul for pogs. Join Date: May 2004 Location: Champaign, IL Posts: 646	Harry Potter Movie Does anyone want to share what they think about this movie? The Goblet of Fire is my favorite book of the series and this movie was my favorite of the four movies. They left a lot of details out of this movie that I felt were important, but those not familiar with the books got a good sense of the story. Overall, good job. If you want to discuss book/movie inconsistencies - let's go! __________________ I love England, what can I say?

11-23-2005, 03:42 PM	#4
Troubleshooter The urban Jane Goodall Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 3,012	I'm a little disappointed myself. It felt disjointed. More like a really long highlights film in my opinion. __________________ I have gained this from philosophy: that I do without being commanded what others do only from fear of the law. - Aristotle

11-23-2005, 04:02 PM	#5
Happy Monkey I think this line's mostly filler. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DC Posts: 13,575	The only thing I really thought was missing was an explanation for what happened with the wands. I didn't remember the explanation from the book, and the movie didn't remind me (I later looked it up). Maybe they'll mention it in the next one. __________________ _________________ \|...............\| We live in the nick of times. \| Len 17, Wid 3 \| \|_______________\| [pics]

11-23-2005, 05:06 PM	#6
Troubleshooter The urban Jane Goodall Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 3,012	Dmbledore made a low voiced naming of it but that was about it. __________________ I have gained this from philosophy: that I do without being commanded what others do only from fear of the law. - Aristotle

11-23-2005, 07:21 PM	#7
Sperlock Elite Elitist Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 322	I liked it and it felt like the easiest of the 4 movies to watch. I'm just glad it was a new director, and not the one from Prisoner of Azkaban. That movie was ruined. I look forward to seeing how Order of the Phoenix comes out. __________________ Every oak tree started out as a couple of nuts who stood their ground. - Anonymous http://informationthreshold.blogspot.com, http://spiritualthreshold.blogspot.com

11-23-2005, 02:50 PM	#2
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	Pretty much what you said, Mel. Enormous chunks and subplots were removed wholesale from the film, yet the film carried the main themes very, very well, advancing Harry's overall tale and dialing up the intensity of the series in the bargain. Rowling is said to be intentionally skewing the successive books toward an older and older audience, aiming at keeping the kids who started out with Harry interested. Good movie, well done. It did not seem as long as it was. __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

11-23-2005, 03:41 PM	#3
Happy Monkey I think this line's mostly filler. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DC Posts: 13,575	It's been a while since I read book 4, but IIRC that is where I started to think the series actually started getting really interesting. Likewise the movie. It did seem a bit hurried here and there, but at last there was some Voldemort payoff. Fleur seemed a bit too helpless in the labyrinth, though. __________________ _________________ \|...............\| We live in the nick of times. \| Len 17, Wid 3 \| \|_______________\| [pics]

11-24-2005, 12:38 AM	#8
seakdivers Icy Queen Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Southeast Alaska Posts: 700	It was really great, and the special effects were fantastic......however, I felt like I was watching the Cliff Notes version of the movie. Lets hope they put the dot connectors on the dvd when it comes out!

11-24-2005, 01:08 AM	#9
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	I went to see GOF with friends on opening weekend. In IMAX. oooh. Not really. The only thing IMAX was is bigger than a regular screen. Once nice benefit of the 40-speaker sound system was that the movie was so loud that I could not hear other people in the theater munching popcorn or taking to their friends. I despise people who talk in movie theaters. It is not your fucking living room. The "countdown to IMAX" imagery was much cooler than seeing the film itself on the massive screen. And yes, I was in the good seats. Second row above the walkway, center. The sweet spot. I don't think the experience was worth $14 (including the Fandango charge ... we bought the tickets 3-4 weeks prior to opening) plus popcorn. Don't get me started on the whole cost of popcorn thing. Oh, wait, you were asking about the movie itself, weren't you? After the shine is off the apple, I think that more people will admit to themselves that this is the weakest of the bunch so far. The problems aren't just the huge gaping holes left in the plot! At least one of my friends suggested that it should have been cut into two movies to preserve some of those elements, and no amount of arguing would shift her ... a cliffhanging "To Be Continued" would have killed the series faster than a four hour runtime. (Her position was that Lord of the Rings was three long movies and that was successful, but of course that was a three book series ...) I thought that the pacing was uneven, character development was nonexistent, and like so many movies that rely on action scenes, it plods along, you have a few exciting moments, and the really dramatic bits at the end get given short shrift. I know that lotsa folks had a problem with POA, but I think that it was only poor in comparison with SS and COS ... POA was, in my estimation, better than GOF. GOF is the David Lynch's version of Dune of Harry Potter movies. They should hand you a little booklet as you go in the theater to explain the bits that got left out, and will have to produce a special not the director's cut to fill in some of the essential connective tissue when it's shown on TV. It will be narrated by a minor character (like the French Chick) and feature some production artwork to tie the scenes together. And those hats looked totally ridiculous. Even the French wouldn't wear blue Hershey's Kisses on their heads. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

11-24-2005, 07:42 PM	#10
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	I'm going to see it sometime next week. I was supposed to see it at midnight when it opened, but I was getting over an illness at the time, and didn't trust myself waking up for work later that morning. Here are my mini-reviews on the first 3...I took a Harry Potter crash course last week. #2 is my favorite thus far...#3 my least favorite.

11-28-2005, 10:29 AM	#11
melidasaur Traded your soul for pogs. Join Date: May 2004 Location: Champaign, IL Posts: 646	One of my biggest disappointments is that they did not set up for the 5th movie very well... there is a lot of organization going on at the end of book 4, calling up the return of the Order of the Phoneix, sending hagrid off to visit the giants and most importantly, setting up the conflict between Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge - who doesn't believe that Voldemort has not returned. As a book purist, these are important details - plus, I don't want to spend the first 20 minutes of the next movie explaining to people who haven't read the books what is happening. __________________ I love England, what can I say?

11-28-2005, 11:00 AM	#12
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	I have to agree with Wolf & Melidasaur that more plot details were needed. I know the films tread a fine line, and books as they are written rarely transfer well to screen, but imo too much time was taken up with set pieces & not enough on characters. I approved of some of the condensing (condensation?!). The obvious hints about the polyjuice potion made the Barty Crouch Snr & Winky subplot surplus to requirement. But I thought the dragon chase was ridiculous. I simply don't believe that an unchained dragon would be allowed to be loose over the countryside, chasing an underage wizard and damaging property. They had no indication that Harry would not simply be killed & the dragon go on to raze Hogsmeade to the ground. And Fleur! What was she doing in the contest? According to the film she got through the 1st test somehow - presumably coached by Madame Maxime, then bottled it on the 2nd, leaving her sister to an unknown fate, then showed as much magical power & courage as a blancmange in the maze. Is this the best that Beauxbaton can produce? The most annoying thing about the film was of course the little boy sat a couple of seats away from me who was eating popcorn with his mouth open through all the quiet parts. But perhaps that was just me.

11-28-2005, 12:29 PM	#15
Happy Monkey I think this line's mostly filler. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DC Posts: 13,575	Monty Python __________________ _________________ \|...............\| We live in the nick of times. \| Len 17, Wid 3 \| \|_______________\| [pics]

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