British Obsession
2007-02-22 / 10:50 a.m.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire has been the most disappointing movie to date, although it is still a good movie and I can see why they didn't take every event in the 800-page book to heart.... I sort of wish they had decided to split it up into two movies, so they could have fit more of the background stuff that is the real meat of the story. We hardly saw Ron on the movie except when he was fighting with Harry, and hardly saw Hermione unless she was trying to patch things up with someone...
Also, what is the deal with the house elf-free screenplay?? Don't they know they're being oppressed? They completely cut Dobby and Winky out and I thought they were really important not just plot-movers but also for developing Hermione's character and her obsession with S.P.E.W.
Also this is the book in which the series really kicks in with the ethnic cleansing terror (of pure-blood Wizards, specifically the Death Eaters, versus Mudbloods and Muggles), right down to their half-blood leader Voldemort (Führer of the death-eaters, if you will) rising from the undead.
I have to say they were very true to a couple of things in the book: the final fight, the description of Voldemort as a sort of red, hairless baby, and despite myself I enjoyed the Prefect's bathroom scene with Moaning Myrtle--it was much funnier (and waaay more uncomfortable) than the book's description. Great casting with Krum, but Fleur wasn't nearly as haughty and they took the whole Veela aspect out of the whole movie.
The ending was very weird. Hermione seemed really happy saying "Everything's going to change now, isn't it?" Um, did you mean the onset of Wizard Nazism? Yeah, that's a big change. Good luck with that.
Ok, on to the 5th book. I have quite a few months before the movie comes out, but I will be spending the time between the 6th book and the 5th movie knitting Gryffindor scarves.
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In non-HP news, The IT Crowd is coming back for a second season! And there's going to be an American version!! With Richard Ayoade as Moss!!! Huzzah!!!!
Now if we could just get the dvd in Zone 1 so I can watch it with the leet subtitles. Time to write to Channel 4...